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by Kevin Pauley
But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. In their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep. - 2 Peter 2:1-3 HCSB
Adonai destroys the omens of the false prophets and makes fools of them. He confounds the wise and makes their knowledge foolishness while simultaneously confirming the message of His servant and fulfilling the counsel of His true messengers.[1]
These false prophets earn their bread and butter by uttering lies about a false peace with God, but they are prophesying a lie in the name of the Lord. He did not send them nor command them or even speak to them. Instead their false vision – their worthless divination – is a deceit of their own minds.[2] They pick up the recurring theme of “peace and light”, “grace no matter what” from each other. It does not come from the Word of God.[3]
They teach, “Your children will not only graduate but graduate first in their class” (i.e. Joel Osteen) but it would be interesting to take a poll to verify whether or not that comes about. They teach “Sufficient faith will heal you” (i.e. Benny Hinn) but every follow up study demonstrates the falsity of the claim. As the true prophet said, “They claim: This is the LORD's declaration, when the LORD did not send them, yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.”[4]
They plaster the people’s sins with whitewash by seeing false visions and lying divinations.[5] Their message of lawlessness, of moral and religious relativism causes the love of many to grow cold and even to fall away from the Christ.[6]
Our Master warned us of these days. He told us, “Beware of false prophets who come…in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves”. He warned us to identify them by checking their lives.[7]
These false apostles and deceitful workers disguise themselves as apostles of Christ and servants of righteousness much as their true master Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.[8] Satan smuggles them in to our midst to spy on our freedom and to enslave us again in the old rusty chains of immoral lifestyles and externalism.[9]
These will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, and will bring swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their unrestrained ways, and because of them, the way of truth will be blasphemed. In their greed, they will try to exploit us with deceptive words but their condemnation, pronounced long ago, is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.[10]
These stealthy agents of spiritual destruction turn the grace of our God into promiscuity and into denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.[11] These people blaspheme anything they don't understand, and what they know by instinct, like unreasoning animals--they destroy themselves with these things.
Woe to them! For they have traveled in the way of Cain, replacing God’s ways with their own and pouting when the Word gets in the way. They attack the godly rather than conform to godliness.
They have abandoned themselves to the error of Balaam which was preaching for profit.
Like Korah, who turned against God’s rightful leadership out of jealousy, they too will perish.
These are the ones who are like dangerous reefs in our fellowship. They feast with you, nurturing only themselves without fear. They are waterless clouds carried along by winds; trees in late autumn--fruitless, twice dead, pulled out by the roots; wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shameful deeds; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever![12]
These people are discontented grumblers, walking according to their desires; their mouths utter arrogant words, flattering people for their own advantage. They create divisions and are merely natural, not having the Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, we must not yield in submission to these people for even an hour, lest the truth of the gospel depart from us.[13] Remember the words foretold by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; they told you, "In the end time there will be scoffers walking according to their own ungodly desires."[14] We must not believe every spirit, but test them to determine if they are truly from God.[15]
Kevin Pauley is a pastor and writer. He lives in Illinois with his wife, Lynn, their five children and two dogs. His internet address is Berea.
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