Wednesday, September 13, 2006

False Teachers and Their Destruction

Throughout this blog we have discussed how the Bible warns us against false prophets, false teachers and false religions that lead us away from true salvation in Jesus Christ. I believe the second chapter of 2nd Peter sums up the Bible’s warnings on this subject and also gives us very clear insight into how the Lord will deal with false prophets and teachers. God is giving all of us a very clear warning here - do not teach anything other than My Holy Word – or there will be serious consequences. If you are someone who represents yourself as a teacher (pastor, priest, minister) of God’s Word, I feel this is a warning specifically for you. What are the ‘destructive heresies’ mentioned here? Anything other than what is given to us in the Bible. Why does the Lord mention ‘In their greed’ and ‘will exploit you’ with ‘stories they have made up’? Because He could see that some people would say that they represent Him, but in reality, would only invoke the name of God to profit from false teachings. What is reserved for them? ‘Blackest darkness’. If we look at the world today, are there people and religions that profit from false teachings about Him and His Word? Absolutely. The world will tell you that it doesn’t really matter which religion you choose....when in reality, nothing matters more. Will we believe and teach the truth or allow ourselves to be led away from the truth? Are you learning and teaching from His Word or are you using something else from the world in your study and worship of Him? We must stay true to the Bible and the Bible only.

‘But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.

For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority.

Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.

They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood! They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey—a beast without speech—who spoke with a man's voice and restrained the prophet's madness.

These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him. If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit,"and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." (2 Peter – Chapter 2)

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