False Teaching

This post is a continuation of the Previous Blog “The Day of the Lord”, We live in the last days and many things around us (Corona Pandemic, Climate changes, Raising of Sin around us) it reminds us that days are not far away for the judgement day.

In this post I have outlined what God taught me on False teaching. As I was meditating 1 Timothy 4. Before we look at Timothy’s teachings, God has warned us on False Teaching early on when he was here in the world.

'At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. ' Mark 13:21-23

If you read the verse again, God warns us on False Teaching and asks “So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time”. So as believers and child of God what are the Red flags that we should watch for in False teaching

Ways to Guard us from False Teaching

1. Teachings Away from God

'If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ' 1 Timothy 6:3

In the world we live, we are filled with many Church prayer meetings / house prayer meetings / TV Preaching’s / You Tube messages / Social Media Messages (Facebook / What’s up and other sources) / Internet messages on the word of God, we live in a world bombarded with too many Christian messages unlike people in the olden days.

• As Christians we feel it’s our spiritual responsibility to attend many so called Blessing meetings and get to understand God’s word and be close to him, so we turn to TV / YouTube and many other sources for this spiritual hunger. We think we are more spiritual and close to God when we attend these meetings.

• We should watch out on what we receive from these different sources.

• We as a believer need to be very careful whether it’s coming from God or Satan , as Satan finds new deceiving means to target the Children of God and pushes us away from closeness to God.

• Watch for if the teaching is not centred around Bible.

• Signs of False teaching that we need to watch for

  • Deny God’s Word

  • Ignore God’s Word

  • Drive us away from God’s Glory and Truth, with more emphasis on Worldly blessing

  • Some twist in God’s Word

2. Private and Public Talks

'If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. ' 1 Timothy 6:3-5

• A lot of hypocrisy is there in today, many behave one way in private and another in public, read the word to let God’s spirit guide you how false teachers need to be identified in private and public discussions.

• As you talk to some of them in your private or public view Watch out for “controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth”

• Watch out for all the discussion that’s centred around Financial Gain as its written “godliness is a means to financial gain”

• Stay away from false teachers who use God only to gain money for themselves. The signs are the discussion is more centred around money, using God’s ministry as a financial gain.

3. Teachings to Abandon Faith

'The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. ' 1 Timothy 4:1-2

• Faith in Christ is the root for us to be a Christian, As Christians we believe with our hearts and minds Jesus is God, He was crucified for our Sins, He has conquered the death thru the cross. We receive eternal salvation only thru him. He is the way, He is a living God and his word is true.

• We read “the faith” in many places in Bible Acts 6:7 and 14:22, Colossians 1:23, 1 Timothy 1:19, and Jude 1:3

• The word says we will abandon Faith with Deceiving Spirits “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits”

• What is this Deceiving Spirit ? Deceiving spirit comes from Satan, He will teach the word with lot of lies and deceiving things which looks like the word of God, but it’s not from God that’s what this deceiving spirit does.

• Deceiving spirit’s objective is to move us away from God and slowly take us to the path of Sin and darkness.

• Example of this deceiving spirit in Genesis 3 - Satan deceived Eve, We read on this as first demonic doctrine. There Satan, speaking through a serpent, taught Eve: “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). This is how he lied to Eve, made Eve’s mind confused , later deceives her and makes her believe what he says is correct “For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God”

• Watch out for this deceiving spirit that questions and twists to make us question on Christian Faith

Ways to Avoid - False Teaching

(1) We have no authority to Judge any people who preach God’s word, Pray God to give you the spirit to reveal and stay away from False teachers who call themself as pastors. Bibles definition of Pastor is given below.

'Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. ' Titus 1:7-8

Characters of Preacher as per word of God (Titus 1:7-8)

• Blameless and not be arrogant – “he must be blameless—not overbearing”

• Not Easily angered and patient with every situation “not quick-tempered”

• Staying away from Drinking habits – “not given to drunkenness”

• Gentle and Calm – “not violent”

• Greed with Money - “not pursuing dishonest gain”

• Treat people with love – “he must be hospitable”

• Doing Good at all the time – “one who loves what is good”

• Ability to Control emotions and Desires – “who is self-controlled”

• Upright in God’s eyes – “upright, holy and disciplined”

Pray to God to guide you if your pastor or preacher has true godly qualities, if the holy spirit leads you to stay away, follow the directions of holy spirit, Prayer only can make you realize this qualities

(2) Feed on God’s word every day and be rooted in it , only then you will be able to identify the deceiving spirit. Let the Holy Spirit guide you to differentiate between the Truth vs. False teaching. Be careful not to allow your human spirit or flesh desires to drive us away from the Truth. Let you be driven by Holy spirit, the word says

'Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. ' Galatians 5:24-25

(3) Always look at your inner self and test your actions to see if this comes from God or Satan, if you closely pay attention to the word of God, your Soul will convict you of Sins that’s wrong in God’s eyes. Many time we are deceived that we are always correct and that is done by Satan and makes us commit Sin. So test your actions to see if its approved by God. Prov 14:12 says “There is a way that appears to be right but in the end it leads to destruction” .Don’t depend on everything you feel. Surrender to God and let him control your thoughts and actions. Then we will be confident of what we believe and do.

'If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, ' Galatians 6:3-4

'Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. ' 1 John 4:1-3

As the word says remember to test the spirit “test the spirits to see whether they are from God “, but Satan makes us go one step further to commit this mistake to judge our pastors / preachers in the name of False prophet. So don’t judge them as Good preacher or bad preacher. We have no right to judge anyone as no one is perfect accept God. Remember we are sinners as well, we are also saved by his grace, Choose grace instead of passing judgement.

Let us leave the judgement to God ,For it is written ,”Vengeance is mine ,I will repay, says the Lord.”( Rom 12:19).

As child of God we are to discern false teaching and stay away from that teaching which makes us go away from God’s relationship. Use God’s holy spirit to guide you to do that.