“Putting an end to reasonings, and every high thing which is lifted up against the knowledge of God, and causing every thought to come under the authority of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 BBE).
The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.
– Leonardo da Vinci
Many are they who have confined themselves to believing that they, in this life, can only have opinion, at best. They fail to realize that God has promised, yea, insists upon much better:
“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him” (James 1:5).
God does not give His “opinion.”
Indeed, God commands that we walk in the Truth:
“Jesus said to her, Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you shall neither worship the Father in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know [opinion], we know what we worship [Truth], for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such to worship Him. God is a spirit, and they who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth [not opinion]” (John 4:21-24).
God does not give His “opinion.” He speaks that which is. When He sends forth His servants, the prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, teachers and all disciples/believers to speak, He does not send them to speak their opinions. He does not send them to surmise or speculate or suppose. He sends them not to speak “their truth” but the truth, His truth. There is only one truth, contrary to the opinions of foolish, arrogant, ignorant, self-righteous and rebellious man. Only truth makes free.
Opinion, therefore, is taking away, or adding to, the Word of God, which is Truth. What does God say about the consequences of that? He says, by His beloved disciple, who laid down his life not for the sake of having an opinion but for the privilege of having the Truth:
“I, John, solemnly warn everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: if any add anything to them, God will add to their punishment the plagues described in this book. And if any take anything away from the prophetic words of this book, God will take away from them their share of the fruit of the tree of life and of the Holy City, which are described in this book” (Revelation 22:18-19 GNB).
So serious and prevalent an offense is opinion that three times in all does God warn the same warning against it:
“You shall not add to the Word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the LORD your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2).
“Every word of God is pure [not mere opinion; what man can claim his opinion to be pure?]; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His Words, lest He reprove you and you be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5-6).
Concerning the things of God, we are not permitted opinions.
Truth makes free. Truth is not opinion. An opinion is not truth. Opinion never did make anyone free. People have the notion (opinion) that they cannot have truth, only opinions on truth. Thereby they consign themselves, and everyone else, to bondage, loss, suffering, sorrow, and death.
Concerning the things of God, we are not permitted opinions. Even matters of life and death in this world are not permitted opinion without consequence.
A good doctor will know what he is talking about and will do what is necessary to successfully treat his patient to recover or retain his or her health. One who opines on his patient’s condition and needs, and acts accordingly, can, at best, do no good; he can do harm and, at worst, kill. It happens all the time.
Right now, there is a class action suit in eastern Canada against a doctor who diagnosed several women to have breast cancer. They had their breasts removed and were subjected to toxic, immune-destructive chemotherapy (which, by the way, has never yet cured a woman of breast cancer). These women did not have breast cancer. It was only the doctor’s opinion.
It is said we ought to get a second opinion. Why? Because they are only opinions. Those who deal in opinions are fallible. Is this the case with men of God and all true believers who faithfully serve and speak? Can they not, must they not, speak the truth? Is God not infallible? Can He be trusted? Does God seek our best? Is He sure to speak what is needed? Believe it.
“And now we look back on all this and thank God, an artesian well of thanks! When you got the Message of God we preached, you didn’t pass it off as just one more human opinion, but you took it to heart as God’s true word to you, which it is, God Himself at work in you believers!” (1 Thessalonians 2:13 MSG)
Here is what one faithful servant, speaking not opinion but the truth, said to true believers:
“But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things” (1 John 2:20).
“But the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as His anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true and no lie, and as He has taught you, abide in Him” (1 John 2:27).
He did not say, “You will have an opinion or educated guess on everything.” Jesus promised this:
“However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth. For He shall not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He shall speak. And He will announce to you things to come. He will glorify Me [The Truth], for He will receive of Mine and will announce it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and will announce it to you” (John 16:13-15).
Opinion cannot be declared as Truth. Truth cannot be classified as opinion.
Was He speaking of another world and life? Was not the Spirit of Truth given to His followers in this world, in this life on the day of Pentecost, as promised? Would it not be reasonable that the fruits, the effects of the Spirit, the purpose He had for giving His Spirit, would also be for this world and this life? Of course, it would. What basis can one possibly have to believe otherwise? People only believe otherwise because they have yet to experience Him and His promises. Yet many who have not known Him presume to know the truth, even while they forthrightly declare that they only have opinion! What a circle of confusion and contradiction!
Think about it: Opinion cannot be definitively declared as Truth. Is that not so? Also, Truth cannot be classified as mere opinion. Therefore, the two are contrary to one another. One is of God (Jesus said He is the Truth) and the other is of the evil one, Satan, the liar. Did not Satan, in the beginning, come to Eve with his opinion, which was contrary to God? When Eve answered Satan that God had said they would die after eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Satan gave his take on things:
“That’s not true; you will not die. God said that because He knows that when you eat it, you will be like God and know what is good and what is bad” (Genesis 3:4-5 GNB).
Following opinion, Eve was deceived and Adam, following her, fell.
Therefore it is no wonder that we are not permitted to give opinions concerning the things of God. We can see from where such comes. It does not originate with God or with His Word. God is not giving us opinions by which to live:
“But as God is faithful, our word unto you was not ‘Yes and no.’ For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us–by me, Silvanus, and Timothy–was not ‘Yes and no,’ but in Him was ‘Yes.’ For all the promises of God in Him are ‘Yes,’ and in Him ‘Amen,’ to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:18-20 EMTV).
The origin of opinion about God and the things of God is evil.
“But let your word be, Yes, yes; No, no. For whatever is more than these [opinion] comes from evil” (Matthew 5:37).
The origin of opinion about God and the things of God is evil, the Bible declares, not as an opinion, but as truth. The apostle Paul did not deal in opinion. He was crucified with Christ, separated from the foolishness of trusting opinion:
“So then I run, not as if I were uncertain. And so I fight, not as one who beats the air” (1 Corinthians 9:26).
Humankind takes pride in the false humility of saying it is “only my opinion.” But it is opinion, is it not, that divides us from God and from each other? People act as if by having an opinion, and allowing for others to have the same, they are promoting peace and goodwill. While choosing to opine, many think they are being objective, broad-minded and understanding, but it is the very opposite. Opinion promotes division, strife, disagreement, and dissension. That is how and why there are 35,000 plus “Christian” denominations and so many other religions.
Catholics opine that praying to Mary is harmless. God declares (not opines) that prayer to anyone but Him is sacrilege. Mormons declare, by opinion, that Satan is Jesus’ brother. God declares (not opines) that Jesus Christ is God, that He has no brothers, except those sons of men born of Him. Muslims opine that Mohammed is greater than Jesus Christ. God declares that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh, Savior of Mohammed and all men. Opinion binds and kills while Truth makes free and gives life. Whom shall we believe, man, the opinionated liar, or God, the Truth?
Truth divides those who receive Truth from those who choose to remain in opinions, but never does it divide those who walk in the Truth:
“And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul. And not one said that any of the things which he possessed was his own. But they had all things common” (Acts 4:32).
It has been said by some, “You have the truth, but I have love.” One cannot have love without the cross of Christ putting the old man to death. A man or woman cannot take up the cross of Christ based on “opinion.” He or she must be married to Truth in order to die to selfishness and thus be made free to love in Truth. Only the crucified one with Christ can have the agape love, and not merely “phileo” or “eros” (Greek words for other kinds of love often mistaken for true “agape” love, which is the love of the will, the love of God, the love of the Spirit of Truth and not of the “spirit of opinion”).
Repentance is turning away from opinion.
Repentance requires that we die to ourselves, deny ourselves and take up the cross:
“The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. And He said to all, If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever will save his life shall lose it, but whoever will lose his life for My sake, he shall save it” (Luke 9:22-24).
What is the essence and meaning of repentance? Repentance is turning away from opinion, from thinking one’s own thoughts rather than God’s.
God has asked the question:
“Can two walk together unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3)
To this question, God has given His answer:
“Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts [opinions]; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For My thoughts [Truth] are not your thoughts [opinions], nor your ways [the outcome of opinion] My ways [the product of Truth], says the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down, and the snow from the heavens, and does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring out and bud, and give seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My Word [Truth and not opinion] be, which goes out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall certainly do what I sent it to do” (Isaiah 55:7-11).
Those who prefer their sin will say to the one speaking truth, “That’s your opinion.” Those in darkness do not know the difference between opinion and truth. However, it is no excuse. Believing the truth, one is made free; writing it off as mere opinion, one remains in darkness and chains.
If what I declare herein is mere opinion, you have the option of taking or leaving it, without reward or consequence. However, if what I speak to you is the Truth, the Word of God, you cannot walk away from it without suffering the consequences of rejecting or ignoring the Truth.
Victor Hafichuk