The Agony of Deceit - Part 3

Clearly, we are in perilous times.  We have paid the price of ignorance and shallowness, and our fall has been great.  Heretics have been tolerated as divinely-appointed messengers.  Nevertheless, God has proved Himself faithful in the trials of our own unfaithfulness.  Though we do not despair, we do call upon the body of Christ to repair its own system of beliefs and to bring its faith and life into line with sound biblical teaching without delay.  That reformation, as we see it, must take two forms:  first, it must be defensive.  Those who propagate heresy among us and refuse correction must be excommunicated by their local, regional, and national bodies.  Denial of the Trinity is, after all, more damnable than pornography.  Second, it must offensive.  We must put ourselves to the arduous -- but exciting -- task of feeding the sheep on the great themes of biblical faith.  The laity are begging for substance.  They are often more anxious to deepen their faith than their pastors are to help them deepen it.

Paul makes holding to "the deep truths of the faith" a prerequisite for holding the office of deacon or elder (I Tim. 3:9).  Those who lead our churches -- whether ordained or layperson -- are required to be educated in biblical and systematic theology.  They must not just assent to a series of simple fundamentals but must be trained in the "deep truths of the faith."  After all, said Paul, the church is "the pillar and foundation of the truth" (v.15).

We must heed a final caution from Peter:  "False prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies."  "In their greed," Peter said, "they will exploit you with false words" (II Peter 2: 1-3).  So, too, today, the "Word of Faith" movement in particular is a destructive heresy of "false words" and it is a growing movement.  Kenneth Copeland has gone from a weekend spot to a daily telecast -- and other "Word" ministries are increasing in popularity.

These heretics, Peter continues, "indulge the flesh in its corrupt desires and despise authority.  Daring, self-willed, they do not tremble when they revile angelic majesties whereas angels who are greater in might and power do not bring a reviling judgment against them before the Lord." (v v 10-11).  So, too, today many of the leading televangelists rave about their power over Satan and make sport of taunting and teasing the devil concerning their alleged authority over him.  "But these" said Peter, "like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed (v 12).

Throughout church history, periods of heresy, apathy, and ignorance have been both times of danger and of opportunity -- opportunity to set the record straight, to confront a new age with a old message, such a time is upon us.  Only through a renewing of our minds, a rededication of our hearts, and a reformation of our church can such a chapter of history have a happy ending, like so many chapters before it.

-- Michael Horton


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2. Why Would God Allow Dedicated Christians To . . .

. . . Experience and Give In To Influences That Are Not From Him?


Every moment of his life, the Christian must battle spiritually with the world, the flesh and the devil.  This is part of the maturing process.  All believers are tempted with pride, worry, fear, sin and disobedience.  Does God allow believers to sin?  Yes, of course.

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him".  James 1:12.

The Lord allows us to test every experience by Scripture, or to go by our feelings.  God will allow us to be tempted in all forms.  This includes the temptation to depart from Scripture by believing false revelations.  Signs and wonders can have sources other than God (Deuteronomy 13:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10; Revelation 13:13, 14; Matthew 24:24).

Jesus warns four times of deception at the end of the Church age in Matthew 24.

If a Christian swaps the sword of the Spirit, and takes up feelings or human reasoning, he opens himself up to Satan's deception.

Many Christians in unemotional churches know very little Scripture.  In daily struggles with sin and temptation, believers are most vulnerable to the attraction of false instant spirituality.  Rather than live by the Word of God for victory, one may seek the apparent shortcut of tongues, prophecy, power evangelism, healing, etc. as the answer to his problems.

• Charismatic leaders who criticize Bible teachers who urge careful study of the Bible, are hence criticizing the legitimate spiritual gift of teaching.  They urge charismatics to follow them without questioning their interpretation.  They oppose non-charismatics by asking:  "Who did God use, the educated Pharisees or the simple Apostles?"  They thus forget 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God ... rightly dividing the word of truth".

Along the way we all have difficult times, as seen by Elijah under the Juniper tree (1 Kings 19:4, 5), David fleeing from Saul, Paul's beatings, etc.  Don't seek a quick fix to gain instant spirituality.  The devil offered Jesus a shortcut to earth's kingdoms by avoiding the cross.  The devil will offer us many shortcuts seeming to easily solve our problems.  We must stick to the basics:  study the Word, pray, confess sin, yield to Christ, abide in Christ, and take up the cross daily.  These require work, watching and warfare.

DON'T SWAP THE WORD OF GOD FOR AN EXPERIENCE.

The main damaging side effect of charismaticism is the welcoming and accepting of heretics, apostates, nominal Christians and Roman Catholics into the Church.  A person can pray to Mary, then speak in tongues, thus being accepted into many charismatic fellowships.  Charismatics emphasize unity at the expense of doctrine.