Tuesday 31 October 2017

On False Teachers

On False teachers,
Jude the half brother of Jesus warning about false teachers writes,
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.  
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 1:1-3
The Christian life is very much one of vigilance. We must be on guard when it comes to our faith. We must watch out for those who claim to be believers in Christ but are not. Jesus himself warned about such people saying,
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.  
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, 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 fruit you will recognize them. 
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  
Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, 
‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:15-23.
It is easy for anyone to string a series of scripture verses together, verses taken out of context made to sound like truth, when in reality it is not the truth.
Especially in within the multimedia world we live in we need to be more vigilant than ever. There is a lot of false information out there.
There are men and women claiming to be believers in Christ who in reality are not.
  Jude says of these people,
“These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead.  
They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. Jude 1:12,13.
Thus it is imperative that we as believers in Christ read the scriptures for ourselves. That we be unafraid to question pastors, evangelist, teachers and others who claim to be teaching the word of God. An honest teacher of God’s word will not be insulted by you questioning them.
At the same time it is imperative that we stand up to false teachers and cast them out of our congregations.
The apostle Paul telling us,
“What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?  
God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked man from among you.” 1 Corinthians 5:12,13.
Please think about it.

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