When we allow a personal opinion to take root in our minds, it is often hard to eradicate it from our thought process. Even when there is the plainest proof to the contrary, we often will be blinded by our own misconceptions. Even when that opinion has been dormant for a period of time, we may subconsciously look for an opportunity to resurrect it given the slightest shred of evidence. A few years ago, I was visiting with a lady on the subject of baptism and its role in the salvation process. She was of the opinion that it was not necessary for salvation. I shared with her several passages in the Bible that I thought did not support her opinion. After examining some of these passages, she could not refute that baptism “appears” to be a high priority. However, she explained to me that her father was a minister for over forty years and never taught that baptism was essential for salvation. She felt that there was no way her father would have missed that after studying the Bible for so many years. She was not willing to revisit her feelings on the subject. We are often frustrated by this kind of logic, but we must be careful that we do not fall into the same trap.

Do we study the Bible with an open mind toward God? We should let the word of God teach us when we examine it, not look for support for our own internally developed opinions. Also, we need to guard against the influence of the religious fads of man. We must stick with biblical teachings, no matter the numbers of the opposition. It is currently very popular to believe in an earthly kingdom where Christ will rule for 1,000 years. However, we must remember that Christ taught that his kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). We must be forever vigilant that this, and other opinions of man, does not take root in our minds. May our minds be clay in the hands of the supreme potter as we live by his precious words recorded for us in the Bible.