Avoid false religious teachers

John warns, “For many deceivers have gone out into the world…” (2 John 7).  The particular deceivers in that passage denied that Jesus came in the flesh.  Looking at the religious landscape today, John would no doubt repeat himself.  There are so many deceivers who are leading people away from the truth.  Consider several identifying marks of false teachers, which the Holy Spirit makes known in various places throughout the Bible.
 

1.     They turn the grace of God into lasciviousness (Jude 4).  They distort what grace is, making it a blanket that hides blatant, willful sin.  False assurances are given about God’s grace and mankind’s attitudes about their sins.

2.     They cry “peace, peace” when there is no peace (Jer. 8:11).  Superficial comfort is given to people.  How many preachers, rather than confronting sin, tell people they are OK?

3.     They overthrow the faith of people (2 Tim. 2:18).  Throwing commands of scripture into doubt, lowering respect for the inspiration and perfection of the Bible, and allowing for ideas that strip the Bible of its power has undone the faith of so many.  Liberalism destroys people’s faith in God.

4.     They teach for doctrines the commandments of men (Mark 7:7).  If it contradicts or nullifies revealed truth, it is of man rather than God.  Looking at Christendom today, so much of what is widely embraced and assumed to be true are blatant departures from the Bible.

5.     They cover up their true intentions (Matt. 7:15).  Some teach falsely for the sake of being accepted.  Some do so for illicit gain.  Some do so out of an arrogant sense of self-importance (cf. Jude).  Yet, they almost always insist they are trying to help people get closer to God.

6.     They are well liked (Luke 6:26).  This is a potentially haunting passage.  Few preachers relish offending or upsetting people.  Yet, preaching the whole counsel of God means that, sometimes, some won’t like it.  Preachers and teachers should proclaim the truth in love (Eph. 4:15), but truth taught will sometimes offend no matter how pleasantly and gently it is delivered.

7.     They secretly introduce their teaching (2 Pet. 2:1).  Truth is not afraid of inspection.  Error grows in darkness rather than Sonlight.

  

Preachers and teachers must have backbone.  Let us preach the truth, even when it is difficult and opposed.  Have faith.  Whatever it costs to be faithful to the Word, know that heaven will surely be worth it all.  Have conviction.  Do not let circumstance determine content (cf. 2 Tim. 4:2-5).  Truth comes from God, and so we should love it for what it is and Whose it is.

 

 –Neal Pollard

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