Can We Know Who Is Right and Who Is Wrong?

By Bobby Key

Many people are teaching that we can never know who is right or who is wrong in religion. It is obvious, however, that everyone decides in his own mind that some are right and others are wrong religiously. One denies the existence of God and the other confesses God. It is not difficult to see and admit that one is right, the other wrong. One man denies the deity of Jesus and the other believes it. Who is right and who is wrong? Only an agnostic would say he could not tell!

When someone says to me, “You ought not to say that you are right and others are wrong,” I reply that there is not a person on earth with any religious conviction at all who does not do this very thing. I just cannot go along with this watered-down theory which says maybe nobody is wrong after all — maybe everybody is right. Some are saying these days that “one has a right to be wrong about many religious matters.” Yes, our religious neighbors have had their influence. Their compromising attitude toward doctrine and morality has rubbed off on us. Efforts are being made to change our style of preaching, remodel the gospel, and modernize the church.

My friend, let’s face it, two people cannot both be right and teach contradictory doctrines. It is utterly impossible for two conflicting statements to be true. It is absurd to say that the earth is round and flat; two plus two equal four and two plus two equal five! One teaches salvation by faith only, another teaches salvation by the faith that obeys all of God’s will. One teaches that baptism is essential; the other, it is non-essential. One says the only kind of music authorized in worship is singing; the other comes saying God will accept the instrument as well as singing. Only the irrational or dishonest would claim both are right.

Someone says, “You believe that everyone is wrong who disagrees with you?” No, but I do believe everybody is wrong who disagrees with the Bible. The Bible is right, though every man on earth be wrong. Human wisdom will not enable us to know who is right or wrong — but the Bible will (2 Tim. 3:16). Truth means freedom. Error means condemnation. It does make a difference.