As Christians, we are commanded against following teachers blindly
but are told rather to “test everything; hold on to the good”
(1 Thessalonians 5:21).
The Apostle Peter warns us in 2 Peter 2:1-3 that there will be
false teachers in our day just as there were false teachers in his day.
Among their false teachings is a denial of the sufficiency of the
sacrifice of Christ on the cross to take away sin, which is a common
theme among cultists today.
Another characteristic of false teachers is the greed which motivates
them in everything they do.
Paul offers a similar warning to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:29-31,
calling the false teachers “savage wolves” who mercilessly attempt to
destroy the faith of the sheep and draw them away from the Shepherd.
Paul warned the church continually, pleading with them night and day
to be on their guard against such deceivers.
From these passages, we see clearly that we are to distinguish between
true and false teachers. How then are we to do that?
First, as Paul instructs the Ephesians, we are to “no longer be infants,
tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every
wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their
deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:14).
Rather, we are to “become mature, attaining to the whole measure
of the fullness of Christ” and we do this by
“the knowledge of the Son of God” (v. 13).
The knowledge of Christ can only be obtained through the Word of God,
and it is by that Word that we distinguish between the true and the false.
In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus offers some critical advice in discerning
who is a false prophet: “Watch out for false prophets.
They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
By their fruits you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes
from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good
tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruits you will recognize them.”
Plainly stated, is the teacher’s life marked by a progressive conformity to the likeness of Christ?
Is the teacher bearing the fruits of the Spirit?
Just as only good trees produce good fruit, so do only true teachers of
Christ display the fruit of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23),
whereas false prophets and teachers display the acts of their sinful natures (Galatians 5:19-21).
By these fruits, we recognize true and false teachers.
Second, does the teaching that is being presented conform
to the message as proclaimed by the early church and the apostles?
As Paul writes to the church in Galatia,
“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you
by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel which is really
no gospel at all.
Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to
pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!
As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to
you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!”
These are harsh words indeed that Paul has for the false teachers, but eternal condemnation is what they store up for themselves until the day of God’s wrath (Romans 2:5-6).
The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle (1 John 4:1-6) how we are to discern which spirits are from God. “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is
from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus’ coming
in he Flesh is not from God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and
even now is already in the world. You, dear children, are from God and
have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the
one who is in the world.
They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.”
It is of utmost importance that Christians are well grounded in the
Scriptures so that they are able to discern which teachers speak from
God and which are false in their proclamation. Only then can we reject
what is false and “hold on to the good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
“Judge not”
Judge not, that ye be not judged. Matt 7:1
The "WORLD'S" favorite bible verse!
BUT they always fail to go further and explain that ..
Jesus was talking about exercising unrighteous judgment by
unrighteous people.
I have to judge and exercise judgment:
Our judgment is always to be coupled with Mercy and Faith ..!!!
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay
tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier
matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Matt 23:23-25
Keep reading …! Judgment is given to the Saints ….
Stop the mouth of the gainsayer:
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that
he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially
they of the circumcision: Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert
whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Titus 1:6-11
Hospitality: ......
While many of the saints are being hospitable by giving service and
providing for the needs of others, the wolves among us are literally
trying to eat the young, caring men and women in the church.
It has become so that many of our Sheppards are really wolves themselves and have (employed) little wolves in sheep covering among the Flock.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour
preferring one another;
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
Romans 12:10-13
Let Salvation be Your Beauty: ......
And do not be afraid to exercise your God given Judgment.
As a saint you have a God given right to speak against injustices wherever
they occur from Governments to Crime all over the World !!!
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify
the meek with salvation. Let the saints be joyful in glory:
let them sing aloud upon their beds. Let the high praises of
God be in their mouth, and a twoedged sword in their hand;
To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments
upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their
nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the
judgment written: this honour have all his saints.
Praise ye the LORD. Psalms 149:1-9
Many of the saints have been blessed with a natural or
physically pleasant appearance and that’s just fine but
remember:
Satan has transformed himself into an Angel of light and
has been able to trick many; who feel that
“they got it going on”, (as they say) so all must
beware and very careful; for the devil has
no respect of person when it comes to
looks or attractiveness.
FROM THE POLITICIANS TO THE PULPIT !!!
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an
angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers
also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness;
whose end shall be according to their works.
2 Cor 11:13-15
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