On Guard

Sunday, April 20, 2008

2 Peter 2
False Teachers and Their Destruction
1But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false
teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies,
even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift
destruction on themselves. 2Many will follow their shameful ways and
will bring the way of truth into disrepute. 3In their greed these
teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their
condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has
not been sleeping.


Father God, we come to you now to honor you. We come into your presence seeking to learn more about who you areand desiring to grow our relationship with you. Father we stand in awe at yourmagnificence , at your great and unfailing love. We come Lord
asking that you would be with us in this time of devotion, that you
would guide our hearts that you would fill our minds. We love you
Father, may all we do honor you. Amen.


The letter that comprises the book of 2 Peter was written in the first century A.D.,
likely between the years of 65-68 A.D. which was near the end of Simon
Peter's life. It amazes me how the Bible stands up to the test of time,
how truths from almost 2000 years ago remain aspertinent today as they were then. In the above verses written by Peter he warns the church of false teachers.

In today's society there is no shortage of people who claim to be Christian
or those who claim to teach under the authority of Jesus Christ. It is
increasingly important in this modern world that we guard ourselves
from being sucked into a lie. Sometimes we run into those that are well
intentioned but have either been taught incorrectly themselves or
simply have not yet developed the spiritual maturity to teach others.

Other times, we run into those that seek to use Christianity to meet their
selfish needs. Sometimes these people are looking to gain power or
influence rather than focusing on doing God's will. Some pervert the
beliefs we hold dear in order to gain financially.


Increasingly, I find that false teachers I encounter, especially within this cyber-world, do so in a purposeful and maniacal manner. Often times I find emails,
postings and even the occasional chat room that seeks to "teach" some
biblical message. Often times these media seem to belegitimate until
they are closely scrutinized. Then you find that a truth has been
twisted, an idea has been varied, an interpretation has been made
without the proper context. For some it has become a game it seems to
see how deep they canpollute the pool of believers.

This should come as no surprise when we live in a generation who houses those that delight in destruction. Some spend countless hours developing computer viruses or
attempting to hack into our private files. We spend millions if not
billions of dollars a year to place programs on our computers that
safeguard us against these types of attacks. Yet, when it comes to our
spiritual hard drive, may of us leave our system unprotected. we take
everything at face value and too often do not take the word we receive
back and compare itagainst the standard, The Bible.

If we are to pour righteousness into our cups, if we are going to build upon the
rock we must be willing to make sure that what we feed ourselves is
good spiritual food. Ask yourself what is the agenda of those that
present this information? Is the basis of the teaching Biblical andconsistent
with what the Bible teaches? Examine not only what you encounter that
is new teaching, but also do not be afraid to measure what you have
come to accept as true. If what we believe is truth, it will stand up
aginst your analysis and be proven through the Word of God.

Friends, there are a lot of good and faithful teachers out there that bring to
you a righteous teaching. please remember though that we are in a world
of conflict where the enemy likes to sit in plain sight and camouflage himself in sheep's clothing. Be diligent in your study and prayer life that you may recognize a false teacher when they appear.