False Prophets and Teachers
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”
Have you ever seen or been tempted by some of the “get fit quick” schemes we see promoted sometimes? Something like “7-minute abs,” or the “Ab Belt,” or “Prancercise”? Or even "get rich quick" schemes, for that matter. We live in a culture that demands instant satisfaction, and being brought up in that culture, we tend to have very little patience and we want results fast.
Have you ever thought about your faith falling victim to that same concept? I can remember early on in my faith when I wanted to learn the things about God fast, and I wanted spiritual maturity instantly, and so I would find preachers and watch their sermons one after another.
I would find authors and read their books, and occasionally, I would reference Scripture. I felt that having someone explain and teach me the truth via video would help me along faster. I thought authors with more knowledge and experience than me would infuse my brain with the same intellect they had.
What I found, though, is that in the pursuit of these things, though good in some sense, I was neglecting the richness of diving into Scripture itself to find the real truth in its original form. As I matured over the years, I recognized that some teachers, preachers, and authors weren’t as centered on God’s truth as much as I thought they were, and over time, I drifted away from those teachers. As I learned more about Scripture, I began to see and understand the missteps, the twists, the watering down, and the outright blatant, deceptive, and misleading distortions of God’s truth.
I fear that in today’s society, in an instant satisfaction, instant gratification culture, we are tempted as believers to be easily drawn to “Christian” leaders and organizations that appeal to our spiritual senses and desires for the sake of instant satisfaction. If we are so blinded by our desire to be spiritual and have spiritual experiences, we can be easily deceived by the false teachers that Peter speaks about in his second letter, chapter two, verses 1-3. Many so-called “Christian” teachers bring in “destructive heresies” and deny the “Master”, Jesus Christ, and as a result, they attract those who unknowingly “follow their sensuality” where the truth is blasphemed and distorted. Peter says that in their greed they will exploit vulnerable people with their false words.
I’m not here to point fingers, or name names, but we don’t have to look hard to see this type of false influence all around us. Rob spoke this past Sunday about the Progressive Church Movement and its birth out of the Emergent Church Movement. These movements seek to water down the Gospel in order to make it more “appealing,” to make it “help us feel better” and they disguise it as “love.” The same deception in Peter’s day is no doubt prevalent today. It may even be worse, especially when you consider the influence false teaching has via the rampant use of all forms of technology.
How do we guard ourselves against this deception? How do we recognize if we are being misled or are following a false teacher? First and foremost, we are to search and study the Scriptures. We should be like the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11 where it says:
“The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. ”
God’s Word is the ultimate and final authority. It is the foundation of truth upon which we should base all other information. Any and all teaching and knowledge presented by an external source must be scrutinized through the lens of Scripture. If it can’t be verified by Scripture, or doesn’t align with Scripture, then it is false-- period. And, therefore, we must always be on guard. Some of the most damning influences today masquerade as truth and only contain subtle distortions or mistruths.
Secondly, pray. Pray that the Spirit of God opens your eyes to understand and interpret His truth accurately. The power of God in you can and will reveal His truth to you as you digest and wrestle with the words you read. Ask Him for guidance, wisdom, and discernment as you read. In faith He will reveal His truth to you.
Satan and his forces are the masters of deception. And where better to deceive people than from within the Christian faith itself? But remember, deception is an external influence. Giving into it or falling for it is due to our failure, and we own the responsibility for being deceived because we didn’t do our due diligence to weigh the information against Scripture. If you pay close attention when reading the Scriptures, there are numerous warnings against false teachers, false prophets, and false gospels. That warning is very relevant today.
So, as we walk in pursuit of the Lord, may we seek to always be discerning of the truth. Sometimes we may feel that it is easier to listen to a sermon or to read a book, listen to a podcast, or catch up on a youtuber that we like to follow, or maybe even absorb the teaching of someone we know and trust. All these things can be good, but they should be used in addition to our Scripture reading, not in place of it, and we must always be on guard against deception in those resources. They all must be verified by the integrity of the Gospel in their message as it is written in Scripture. We need to be vigilant to search and study the Scriptures so that we can spot errors in gospel teaching, and as Ephesians 4:14-15 says:
“So that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.”
So, be watchful, always on the alert, seeking the truth of God’s Word in His book and using that truth to recognize, learn, and discern the false influences of the world around us. Growing in spiritual knowledge and maturity takes time, just like working out and dieting takes time to get in shape, and it's hard work. It takes discipline, and a steady routine. The best results come from the right foods, the right process, and the right techniques. Spiritual maturity is the same way. Genuine long-lasting results don’t come from a “get fit quick” or “get rich quick" program. It takes fervent ingestion, digestion, and application of the truth daily.
If you have any doubts or questions regarding the influences in your life, please see an elder or another trusted member of the church for guidance, and may we together, as members of one body, rooted in Christ, seek to learn the truth, apply the truth, and share the truth with those around us who need the Savior.
