The Lord will allow false teachers and false preachers to succeed for a while in order to test His people. This testing is for our benefit, not His and will reveal to us our own heart. We are the fruit of the ministry we sit under and it is by their fruit that we will recognize false preachers and teachers.
“15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
16 You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” Matthew 7:15-16
Sadly, most modern Christians so little know their Bibles that they do not recognize what is right and what is wrong and in turn zealously support the work of the devil while along thinking they are supporting the work of God. Quite frankly, if God’s people would stop supporting these false preachers and false teachers they would simply die off. Instead, they continue tickling ears and appealing to the lusts of the flesh while cloaking their vain philosophies is Scripture deceiving those who choose to remain ignorant.
“13 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.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
If we don’t think we can be deceived, quite frankly we are deceived. The Word of God is full of warnings of false teachers and preachers. Any gospel other than the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified is a false gospel. It is accursed. The gospel taught behind so many pulpits today are nothing less than motivational speeches cloaked in Scripture. They point to self will and ability to gain Christlikeness and it is a lie straight from the pits of hell.
It is the work of the Holy Spirit to produce in us fruit unto God. It is HIS ministry that superintends the work of God in our hearts and lives and He will only attend to His ministry when our faith is placed solely and exclusively in the Cross of Christ for all the we need for life and living.
“These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11
Study the Word. We must ALL study to show ourselves approved. If we don’t know the Bible for ourselves, we will not recognize error when it comes riding in on the coat tails of the Truth. The Truth will expel a lie but a lie will corrupt the Truth if allowed to remain. We have a straight stick in which to measure. We have the plumb line…use it.
-Donna Clark Warren
Living in The Spirit 