Thursday, November 12, 2009

God "Character Profiles" a False Teacher

"Now I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them.  For such men are slaves, not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting." (Romans 16:17-18)

Have you noticed that when doctrinal disputes take place among the leaders within the realm of Christianity, their doctrinal points are sometimes hard to follow?  Sometimes the rank and file among Christians just get so lost that they make their decisions not on the truths or errors being discussed but on the basis of where they “wish” to go… or what they “want” to do. Normally that means taking the easy route, or just following the crowd.

Part of the reason for all of this is that the offer made by the false teacher is normally “easier” than the narrow road. How many times have you been told as a Christian that, “You need to just loosen up?”  Today, there is a drive to relax God’s teaching on a variety of things ranging from the way the church is run to throwing out His morality laws in a variety of areas … particularly Marriage.

"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned."  (II Peter 2:1-2)