![]() Unfortunately, this isn’t a new tactic by false teachers. Sometimes divorce papers are served, despite passionate prayers. Sometimes infertility lingers, regardless of faithful tithing. Women will get pregnant, marriages will be healed, and prodigal children returned-if you just believe and write that check! We know by experience, however, this isn’t always the case. The word of faith movement is prevalent in churches today, which teaches if you simply believe hard enough or pray long enough or give enough money, you’ll get what you want. The fruit of that last sermon wasn’t to give God glory or to present the Gospel message, but rather, offered an excuse for Christians to live like the world. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. ( Matthew 7:15-20 ESV) Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ![]() A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. Not in a repentant, grateful-for-grace type of way, but in a “it’s not so bad after all” type of false relief.īeware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. The next pastor got up, and when he was done, I felt better about my sin. One pastor preached, and I felt deeply convicted about my sin, to the point that I could barely stay in my chair. At the time, I was a believer living in a sinful situation, fighting conviction every day. I attended a conference many years ago featuring several well-known speakers. ![]() Here are 4 questions to ask in order to help recognize false teaching. Be mindful of what you put into your mind. The same principal applies not just to church pastors and their sermons, but to any type of Bible teaching, podcast, book, or devotional. Yikes! We have to be careful as believers not to blindly accept what is taught from a pulpit, but rather, search the Scriptures for ourselves and constantly check for Biblical truth. Paul predicted that these false teachers would arise from within the church. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. Paul warned the elders at Ephesus to be on high alert, knowing that after he left, false teachers would try to change the Gospel message. It’s important as believers to ground ourselves in solid doctrine and in Christian community within the church, so that we can help each other stay on guard. The more you hear something, the more you absorb it, and the more plausible it begins to sound. You’ve heard it said “even a broken clock is accurate twice a day.” False teachers often start with sound doctrine and then subtly add to or subtract from the truth to get a more appetizing soundbite with which to lure their listeners. The most difficult part about false teaching is that it can often sound like truth. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ( Colossians 2:8 ESV)įor the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. ( 2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV) It can feel somewhat intimidating to realize what we’re truly up against as Christians-and how easy it is to fall prey to deception. The same struggles and deceptions that plagued the early church continue to plague modern-day believers. This is made evident in books of the Bible such as Acts, Colossians, and 2 Timothy, to name a few. False teaching was as much an issue in the early church as it is today.
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