False Preachers and False Believers;;;,......;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ,,,,,,,,,,,;............../.....................;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;.; ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;From ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Kelvin............ I Am A Child of God,, If you love the truth, continue in Gods word; it is His Truth that will make you Free. But beware: God warns Christians about false Christs, false apostles, false prophets, false witnesses, false pastors, false teachers, deceitful workers, and false brethren. These warnings guarantee that false and deceitful workers and believers are hidden among true Christians in our churches. God wants true believers to be wary and to reject false believers, false teachings, and false preachers. But how can we know who they are? Also, how do we know that our own personal beliefs are not false or deceitful? False teachers will not tell you they are false teachers. In fact, a false pastor will pretend to be a true pastor, a false prophet will pretend to be a true prophet, a false teacher will pretend to be a true teacher, and so on. In short, a false church will do everything possible to appear to be a true church. But false teachers, even though pretending to be truth, are (in the words of Jesus Christ) wolves in sheeps clothing. They will deceive many. They may have giant auditoriums, popular TV shows, and large followings of loyal (even fanatical) Christians. They will perform signs and wonders so impressive that, if it were possible, they would seduce even the very elect. This means that these false teachers and prophets may even have supernatural powers. From a popularity standpoint, these false teachers will wield tremendous influence and power. False teachers masquerade as truth tellers; they work hard to make their false teachings appear to be truth. They intentionally make it hard to distinguish them from teachers of the truth, because their popularity depends on it. How, then, can we distinguish false teachers from true teachers, and false doctrines from true doctrines? After all, if we can’t tell the difference, we will almost certainly be deceived. The answers are found in the word of God, which teaches how to distinguish true workers from false workers. So, let us study the word of God. 1. Where Are The Deceivers? Christians know about various cults, and know to be wary of ‘religions’ that are based on teachings/writings other than the Bible. What Christians typically don’t suspect, though, are false teachers inside Christian churches who falsely claim to teach the Bible. Of course, Christians may agree or disagree with how various denominations approach Christian truths, but they tend to characterize these as mere ‘differences of opinion’. They dismiss these differences by saying that they are, after all, just doing their best to worship God. They tell themselves that a loving God will surely overlook these ‘small’ differences, since their hearts are in the right place. Because we love and ‘belong to’ our respective denominations, we are inclined to go along with our denomination’s teachings. Further, when we hear our preachers offer explanations that don’t quite match what we read in the Bible, we tend to ‘give them the benefit of the doubt’. To avoid making a scene, we simply accept and assume our own Bible scholars must be smarter than we are. Remember, though, that Jesus Christ did not love or endorse any particular denomination. In fact, Jesus cautioned his disciples, saying; ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matthew 16:12). Jesus Christ and his apostles repeatedly warned us of the presence of, and the need to be wary of, deceptive workers. In your church, does your minister caution you to be wary of false ministers? Does he teach God’s truth in a way that empowers you to recognize false teachings; and to spot false teachers? If not, your minister may be a deceiver who cannot afford to educate you regarding false teachings, because this exposure would be disastrous for his/her own ministry! The issue of false teaching and how to identify it is crucial and must not be ignored. These are not my words; they are the words of Jesus Christ regarding false workers. 2. Does God Prefer Love and Unity, Instead of Dissent and Disagreement? If only all Christians would unite together and show the love of Christ to the world, how marvelous that would be! Cant we all just coexist in godly peace and harmony? This is the prayer and fervent desire of many good, well meaning, loving Christians. But the love of Jesus Christ is somewhat different than this open-armed embrace of tolerance. Matthew 10:34 says: Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. God so loved the whole world, he sent his son to die for them. But the privilege to become God’s sons and daughters is reserved only for those who separate themselves from the unrighteous world. 2 Corinthians 6:14 says: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15) And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16) And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17) Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18) And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. So, God wants his people to stand for righteousness rather than for tolerance; he wants us to come out from among crowd and be separate – to walk with God rather than to walk with our friends, our church, or our denomination. 3. False Teachings: Planned Deception or Ignorant Deception Satan deceived Eve with cunning ingenuity in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:4 says: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: Then, Eve deceived her own beloved husband without knowing what she was doing. Genesis 3:6 says: ---, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. The deceit that occurred in the Garden of Eden continues today, as Satan deceives his followers and they in turn deceive other people. Just as Eve deceived Adam, Satan’s followers today deceive their own loved ones. Sadly, this deception often occurs with the best of intentions, and these false teachers often don’t understand or realize the harm they are doing. Satan told Eve that she would not die. He also said that, by disobeying God, she would become like God. Even now, preachers teach the same message to their congregations. They teach Christians that they are saved from hell (meaning that they will not be punished with eternal death) even while they continue in sin (i.e., disobedience to God). This teaching is intentional deception – it does not match Biblical teaching. These false teachers don’t mention the eternal consequences of sin; they encourage their congregations and loved ones to continue in sin. They say that these sins are unavoidable and have no consequences – they’re all forgiven already. This type of teaching is deadly deception. What is meant by the term ‘Grace’ in the Bible? Ministers define grace as a special privilege awarded to those who claim the name of Jesus Christ for their salvation. They dismiss the Bible’s description of Grace (deeming it too harsh), and redefine it to make it more ‘mainstream’, more ‘palatable’. This contradicts scripture. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Grace is the power of the Lord Jesus Christ that rests upon a believer in order to strengthen him/her, particularly in times of weakness/temptation. The grace of God is given to obedient believers to enable them to overcome sin. It is a help to believers in time of need; it is not a ‘get out of jail free’ card that serves as a license to sin, but Grace is the power of Lord Jesus Christ that rest upon a believer in order to strengthen him/her at the weak point of the believer, so that he/she may overcome sin, but not commit sin. False workers usually pretend to be good, godly workers. 2 Corinthians 11:13 says: For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14) And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15) Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. Some of these workers are even possessed by Satan. They purposely twist the Word of God and lie to people as Satan lied to Eve. Some of them are like Eve, serving the cause of Satan without being aware of the mistake they are making. Whether these lies are intentional or not, makes no difference, their consequences will be the same. God says that their end will be destruction. Most preachers do not know what the Bible truly teaches about salvation.: the Salvation according to the Bible.) False preachers preach false salvation, and people are deceived by this false message. Regarding false teachers, 2 Peter 2:18 says: For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 19) While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 4. Good Preachers Or False Preachers? Consider a good sermon preached by your favorite preacher. Compare it to a sermon of Jesus Christ (you may take, for example, a portion of the sermon of the mount). If the purpose and concept of both sermons are the same, you probably have a good preacher. If they are not the same or if there is discord, then you have a false preacher. A. Tares And Wheat From Genesis to Revelation, almost all the books of the Bible warn about false workers. Outwardly, these workers appear to serve God; but inwardly, they serve mammon; i.e., they work for the things of the world, for their own personal gain and fame, or (as God says) they serve Satan. They appear righteous, but they are fakes planted by Satan in the field of God (i.e., the church world). They are counterfeit Christians and false workers. Even though the Bible repeatedly warns us of such false workers, These false servants are intermixed with the true servants of God. Christians generally don’t speak up about this or point out these people. Matthew 13:24 says: Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which he sowed good seed in his field: 25) But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26) But when the blades were sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. 27) So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in the field? from whence then hath it tares? 28) He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. Satan has strategically placed his people in key leadership and ministry positions in the Church world, and that is why these ministers do not caution their followers about false workers. They do not want to be found out! Some of them may caution you about someone else (perhaps a teacher of Bible truth), but such caution serves primarily to hide the falseness they themselves represent. Those who preach clever lies; those who use the Bible to tolerate, permit, justify and/or live with sin are of Satan. B. The Will Of The Father There are diverse ministers of God who preach their various messages with love, compassion, excitement, emotion and charisma. They can be very convincing. Could these ministers be false? They might be. After all, Jesus Christ says, in Matthew 7:21: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. The true minister of God is the one who does the will of the Father who is in heaven. The Father’s will for Jesus Christ was that he die on the cross. The Father’s will for the disciples was that they take up their own cross and follow Jesus Christ. Matthew 26:42 says: He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. The will of the Father for a true preacher is to preach the word of God truthfully and faithfully; to further the kingdom of heaven and not to pursue personal gain. The will of the Father in Christian ministry is to present the Church perfect and complete in all the will of God. Colossians 4:12 says: ---, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. Ephesians 4:11: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13) Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: If a minister does not keep himself pure and does not gear his ministry toward making people perfect for the Lord, then the Father in heaven is not the source of his ministry. Though it may be glamorous and appealing, that ministry is of his own making. Most ministers build fantastic, spectacular, masterpiece ministries for themselves, while pretending to work in the name of God. The will of the Father in someones personal life, though, is not fame, wealth, or popularity; rather, it is sanctification, which is moral purity. 1 Thessalonians 4:3 says: For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4) That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5) Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6) That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7) For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. God does not serve us; we serve Him. God does not pre-forgive us and authorize us to continue in sin; he requires us to live pure, sinless lives fully compliant with Jesus’ commandments. We are his creation and we must choose to do his will. C. Enter By Way Of The Strait Gate And The Narrow Way Matthew 7:12 says: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 13) Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15) Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheeps clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. In the first 3 verses, Jesus Christ tells us to strive diligently to enter into eternal life. But false preachers teach that to strive means to seek salvation by works, so they insist we must not strive to follow Christ’s commandments. This is opposite to what Jesus Christ has preached. Knowing that his teachings would be twisted and misused Jesus Christ, in verse 15, cautions us to beware of false teachers. He knew that these false teachers would appear outwardly good, but would be inwardly evil, deceptively teaching falsehoods that lead to spiritual death. These false teachings are sugar-coated poison. Beware of them, and be fully aware that they are disseminated by messengers of Satan. 5. False Salvation Teachings Most Christians believe that they are unconditionally saved; they are absolutely certain they will go to heaven. This is big relief to them, since it provides a safe, stress-free alternative to an otherwise scary, uncertain future. Preachers teach us that if we believe on Jesus Christ we are saved; it all sounds straightforward and non-intrusive. But, in truth, we all believe in Jesus Christ anyway, don’t we? We also believe that he is the Son of God, that he performed miracles, that he preached the gospel, that he died for us on the cross, that he was raised from death, that he is with God the Father in heaven, and that he will take us to heaven when we die, don’t we? These beliefs, we say, prove that we are ‘strongly religious Christians’. Preachers say we are saved because we believe these things about Jesus Christ. But these same preachers will not probe too deeply to see what kind of lives we live, whether we practice our favorite secret sins, etc. So, is their message, a message of salvation or is it a message of deceit? Preachers quote ‘selected’ scriptures as they preach, in order to validate their preaching. Is it possible to misquote and misapply specific scriptures/verses to support incorrect conclusions? If so, how can this happen? Let’s look at a few examples and see. A. Believer Acts 16:30 says: Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31) They said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. These verses are taught to Christians as the complete, self-contained, all-inclusive package of requirements that must be satisfied for salvation. It’s an appealing offer; these requirements are fairly easy to satisfy since every Christian believes in Jesus Christ. As a result (according to the way this verse is preached), all Christians are saved and will go to heaven. Note, interestingly, that preachers somehow exclude and thy house from their message of salvation; they play it safe and avoid the questions this raises. Let us look at this verse and study it in its context. Acts 16:16-18 says that Paul cast out a divination spirit from a damsel. Verses 19-22 say that the people took Paul and Silas to the court with false accusations, and the magistrate ordered them to be beaten. Verses 23-24 say that they beat them; and put them in prison, with their feet locked fast in the stocks. Verse 25: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. 26) And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every ones bands were loosed. 27) And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. 28) But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. 29) Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30) And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? These soldiers were brutal Roman soldiers of the first century. They knew nothing about the Bible, its laws, its commandments, or its prophecies; neither did they know of the Messiah, sin, grace, heaven, hell, or inheritance in the kingdom of God. They knew NOTHING of God! That being the case, what did they mean when they asked: Sirs, what must I do to be saved? They had just experienced a severe earthquake that shook only the prison, opened all the prison doors, and broke all the chains as well as the stocks on the prisoners hands and feet. All this, yet no one was hurt. It was an unique and strange earthquake. They were scared to death by it. The guard’s immediate response was suicide, but they were spared this fate by the shocking intervention of their prisoners. In this context the terrified guards spontaneously asked these unshackled prisoners: Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Their question certainly did not convey the subtle hidden meaning: how can we inherit the kingdom of God? (they knew nothing of this kingdom). A more realistic interpretation would be: How can I escape the punishment due me for my prisoners escaping after this freak earthquake? or something similar. We look back (from today’s perspective) on this question, and see it in a different (and incorrect) light. A present day Christian reading this question may interpret it to mean: Can you tell me how I can get to heaven, but in a way that’s easy and convenient and doesn’t affect my lifestyle?” Today’s Christians seek to find an easy way to heaven. They don’t seem concerned that this ‘easy’ way exploits and makes a fool of God, while at the same time letting them get away with murder. It is definitely not how can we inherit the kingdom of God? (because they know nothing of this kingdom), but it may be, how can I escape suicide/death after this freak earthquake freed my prisoners? or similar things. Preachers help hide the truth when they take this verse out of its context, and exploit Christians by intentionally misinterpreting it. They tell Christians to believe in Jesus Christ (every Christian believes in Jesus Christ anyway) then to proclaim they are already saved. They say that salvation is a ‘done deal’ as soon as they mention the name Jesus Christ. Looking again at scripture, in verse 31 Paul and Silas said: ... Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. This is the very first introductory message to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus Christ, yet preachers teach this verse to Christians as the total and complete message of salvation. Further, these same preachers instruct their congregations to simply believe and do nothing more, because anything other than simple belief will be ‘works’. They teach that salvation is not of works, so anything more than simple faith will jeopardize their salvation. Let’s look at this message of salvation in the context of the exact words of Paul and Silas. They said that the prison guards and their household shall be saved. This clearly means that the guards and all the members of their household will be saved. Do you believe that the actions of the guards alone would result in salvation for the entire household of each guard, and that their household members had no role or responsibility in their own salvation? Clearly not! Also, note that Paul and Silas did not say these people would saved immediately upon believing, i.e., they did not say: ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and your are immediately, permanently saved, no matter what you and the members of your household do’. What they said was that the guards and their households would be saved. “Shall” denotes salvation at some time in the future. So, the message of Paul and Silas was that the guard’s belief on Jesus Christ would lead them to repentance, baptism, teaching of the word, and the fellowship of the brethren. If they and their households faithfully practiced this ‘belief on Jesus Christ’, they would be saved. If the members of their respective households faithfully practiced this belief, they also would be saved. This ‘belief on the Lord Jesus Christ’ entails more than simply believing he exists. One need only look at Christ’s teachings to see the requirements he stipulated for such belief. Please look at Romans 6:22, which says: But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. Everlasting life is in the end. Of course it begins with belief on the Lord Jesus Christ (as stated by Paul and Silas). It then continues to the ‘fruit unto holiness’, which includes repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Spirit (being born again), studying the word, living without sin, serving God (in spirit and in truth without deception), and letting people see holiness in your life. The end of this fruit unto holiness is everlasting life. Acts 16:12 says: And from thence to Philippi,... The jailor, who asked Paul and Silas: Sirs, what must I do to be saved? was from Philippi, so it is likely he would have become a member in the body of Christ at Philippi. So, let me take the liberty to quote a few verses from the letter to Philippians, just to see what kind of follow-up instructions this jailor received from Paul. Philippians 2:12 says: Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. Paul’s letter confirms the necessity to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. It does not say that they were saved already because they believed Jesus is real; rather, it tells the church to work out their salvation by obeying until the end, as they have always obeyed. Philippians 3:17 says: Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. 18) (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19) Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. 20) For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21) Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Obey Jesus Christ and follow Paul in the same manner that he follows Jesus, but do not follow or listen to the preachers (18) who are the enemies of the cross of Christ: These are the enemies: (19) whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things. These workers are servants of the devil according to scripture. They mind earthly things instead of heavenly things, God says it is shame. B. Confess The Lord Jesus Christ Romans 10:9 says: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Preachers say that in order to be saved, all we have to do is mention the name of Jesus Christ and believe that God has resurrected him from death. It is that simple. If it is true, every Christian in the entire world and about 70% of Americans are saved and will go to heaven. But it is not true. Let us look at the context of the passage. Romans 10:12 says: For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. The context refers to salvation for both Jews and Greeks (Non-Jews). The Jews have not accepted Jesus as Messiah. The Greeks at the time of this writing were Gentiles who knew nothing about the scriptures or about the Messiah. Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles mentioned in this verse were Christian believers. Paul is telling them to accept the resurrected Jesus Christ as Lord for their eternal salvation. The term Lord means master. Let’s look again at the context of this verse. At the time of this writing, Jesus had just been crucified. His death occurred on a cross (a shameful death), and he was killed alongside two criminals, one hanging on either side of Jesus. For a Christian, at this time in history, it was a dangerous act to openly confess faith in Jesus as his resurrected lord and master; an act likely to be met with swift punishment at the hands of the same rulers who had Jesus killed. This is a far cry from today’s Christians mentioning that Jesus Christ is Lord. When the Jews and Greeks confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord, they meant that he was their master and they were his servants (i.e., slaves). But today, when Christians use the term Lord, they think of it as just another name, like Mike, Bill, or Tom. These verses do not say ‘whosoever shall call out the name of the Lord shall be saved.” To simply say the name Lord Jesus has no meaning, because it just identify the person, and no more than that. To ‘call upon’ the name of the Lord is to call him your master, and to willingly acknowledge that he is master and become his servant/slave. People argue and debate over whether should we obey Jesus or not, and whether obedience is required for our salvation. If he is truly our Lord, there is no reason for this kind of debate, because we will obey him. Further, these verses use the term ‘SHALL BE’ saved. They do not say they ‘just got’ saved, or that they ‘are immediately’ saved, nor is this what these verses mean. Rather, ‘shall be’ means that completing this first step and all subsequent steps specified in scripture will lead to salvation. This salvation is not immediate; it comes in the future when scriptural requirements associated with ‘calling upon’ the name of the Lord have been satisfied. Despite these facts, preachers tell Christians that as soon as they confess the name of Jesus Christ and/or confess that he is Lord (whatever ‘confess’ means!) and believe that he is resurrected, they are saved. What is the reason behind this deliberate misrepresentation? Is it not a planned delegation of the souls of Christians to eternal death? We must treat Jesus Christ as the Master of our life (that is what ‘Lord’ means). Simply believing in him and calling out his name as Lord does not make him our Master; neither will it bring us to salvation. C. Neither Is Salvation In Any Other Name Acts 4:10 says: Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11) This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12) Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Preachers pick up these verses from scriptures, create a sentence from the underlined portions, and explain it like this: God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, gave his name to us, his name is the means whereby we must be saved, and there is no other name for salvation. So, their message of salvation is simple: We must simply claim the name of Jesus Christ, and so doing we will be saved (from hell). It is so unfortunate that Christians fall for such a deceptive misrepresentation of scripture. The entire chapter of Acts 3 describes a situation where Peter and John went to the temple and healed a man who was born crippled. After he was healed, he ran around the temple praising God, and people were amazed. Peter preached to them regarding the fulfillment of the prophesy about Jesus Christ. You may read the entire third chapter, but let me quote a few verses: In Acts 3:6, Peter says: Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. 7) And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8) And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. Chapter four explains that, because the people were so excited, the priests and Sadducees went looking for Peter and John, laid hands on them, and put them in jail. The next day, the authorities questioned Peter and John. Their reply is recorded in Acts 4:7: And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? 8) Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9) If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10) Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. The priests and Sadducees specifically asked ‘By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?’ Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said that the lame man was healed by the power and the authority that was given by Jesus Christ. Every preacher knows this passage. Knowing its context, then, why do they preach it as the means of eternal salvation, rather than Peter’s answer to his accuser’s questions about a miracle healing? The context has nothing to do with eternal salvation or attaining heaven. To preach that this verse constitutes the sole requirement for salvation is to deliberately twist scriptures to give a false salvation message. This is an intentional deception, yet it is widely taught by preachers. Salvation, which brings eternal life, comes to us through Jesus Christ, and the Bible clearly describes the path to salvation. Salvation comes to a person who, by grace, obeys Christ’s commandments. Salvation is not a gift casually awarded to someone who says the name of Jesus Christ. 6. Deception By Twisting Scriptures Deception is an effective weapon on the hands of false preachers. The root or foundation of deception is a lie. Preachers use deception to subtly and wrongfully twist scriptures, then present a message opposite to what the scriptures say. Let’s take a look at a few examples. A. Our Righteousness Is Filthy Rags Most preachers quote Isaiah 64:6, which says all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.” Then they explain this verse to us by saying that all the righteous acts of a faithful Christian appear as filthy rags in the sight of God. Most preachers likely know this teaching is deceptive, which means they intentionally misrepresent this scripture to deceive Christians. They serve Satan, and they are well paid for the job of deception. Not all such deception is intentional, but even if the same deceptive message is taught from ignorance, the end result is the same; Christians are deceived. Preachers deceive their own as Eve deceived Adam without knowing what she was doing. To see the true meaning of this scripture, one need only read it in context. Verse 5 says: ... behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned. 6) But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. 7) And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities. In these verses, though these people were living in sin and iniquities, they didn’t even call upon God. Gods wrath was upon them and God had rejected them. They were lost in their sins; the best of their works are filthy – everything about them was unclean. False preachers use this verse to teach that the righteousness of godly people, who seek and obey God, is unclean in God’s sight. This is a filthy lie of the devil to mislead Gods people. How utterly hopeless it must be for Christians to falsely believe that their best work in God’s service is seen by God as filthy rags. And, it is a relief to know that this preaching is a lie. Let us look at the previous verse. Isaiah 64:4 says: …since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him. 5) Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways. Look here how marvelous are the benefits for the righteousness of godly people! It says that the things God has prepared for them are so marvelous that the human mind cannot even comprehend them! God is waiting to meet them in his second coming to honor these people with these great heavenly benefits. Would a God who welcomes righteous people to an eternity with him in heaven consider the righteous acts of these very same people to be dirty rags? Can you see and understand how tragic it is that these preachers teach Christians that their best acts of righteousness are seen by God as filthy rags? Let me ask you something: How is it that none of these preachers read verses 4 and 5, while everybody reads verse 6? Verse 6 comes after verses 4 and 5, not before. Why is it that they skip verses 4 and 5 to preach verse 6? They are crooked and preach lies intentionally. Righteousness is gained only by our obedience to God, and righteousness cannot be achieved in any other way. Jesus Christ will not give it to us as a gift or a prize; we have to obey him to receive it. Deuteronomy 6:25 says: it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us. Romans 6:16 says: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? Clearly, righteousness is a goal prized by God; a goal for which we must strive. Clearly, we must obey God and it is righteousness. Let us look at another scripture to see how God regards the righteousness of godly people: 2 Sam 22:21 says: The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. 22) For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God. 23) For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. 24) I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. 25) Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight. False preachers say the righteousness of godly people is nothing more than filthy rags, yet verse 25 clearly refers to righteousness as cleanness in God’s sight. Deceptive preachers must repent, stop telling lies, and teach the truth. They do it because they serve Satan, but showing themselves as servants of God. We must reject them and escape from damnation.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 15:02:15 +0000
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