Following Judah's Lion

False Teachers Among Us

II Pet.2:1-3 - But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you:

There was a time when the phrase “poor as a church mouse” actually meant something. But in this day of prosperity and huge church facilities, a church mouse may be the most affluent rodent around. In the world, a prostitute is one who sells sexual favors for a price. But the church in the west is a prostitute who pays its johns to violate her repeatedly, and she often applauds it and both returns for more as well as honor her violators.

The largest budget item in most western evangelical churches is staff salaries and benefits. The second is mortgages and building upkeep. The last is ministry. Does that seem strange to you, or do you consider that the norm and the divine order? I need not refer to the ministry model set by our Lord Himself, or the early church model. We certainly have long since improved on those flawed constructs.

But moving away from my obvious sarcasm, can we not at least admit that something is seriously wrong with the church? And the problems in the church are much more than the Rob Bell's of this world. We who claim to attempt to emulate the Master, can we point to His life and His teachings as proof that we are close followers of His? Oh, you say, times change, and so His teachings must conform to the dictates of the present world and culture. And where, pray tell, do we draw the line that makes the distinction between what we must obey literally and what we can make applicable through principle alone?

My point is that it is somewhat obvious and somewhat satisfying to identify the false teachings of others, especially when they are of the doctrinal persuasion, while we remain blind to our own falsehoods demonstrated in our everyday lives, but free from doctrinal scrutiny. So in effect, the man who loves John MacArthur and abhors Rob Bell is considered a faithful member of a local church, but he can save up great sums of money for His cruise filled retirement and openly criticize the current president. You see, the standards are now set by the behavior of the majority and not the dictates of Scripture. And I realize that an uncomfortable study of the New Testament teachings might bring us to either a malleable convenience, or a spiritual journey that will be considered radical when compared with what is considered the norm.

The definition of false teaching has become quite restricted. But when a survey of the New Testament is done, we should see how often we teach falsely by our actions. In fact, it is immensely easier to identify doctrinal errors than it is to see life expressions that are false as they pertain to manifesting Christ. That is why I remain defiantly against a feeling of satisfaction when I or you or others correctly rebuke false teachers like Rob Bell, Brian McLaren, Joel Osteen, and others. That, to me, seems like shooting doctrinal fish in a barrel. And vigilance concerning others can become complacency concerning ourselves. It is subtle, but with an insidious impact on our own spiritual walk.

I do not ever want to be a false teacher. I want to understand and teach the unalterable truths of God’s Word and lift up the Lord Jesus with accurate passion. But I have come to understand that teaching involves more than words and statements of faith. True and powerful teaching must also come through what we do, and even how we speak the truth (in love). Being orthodox involves much personal sacrifice and chronic seasons of brokenness over our own sins and shortcomings. Orthodoxy is not just some talisman that is kept in a doctrinal box to be admired by others who have the same box. To be truly orthodox, we must be living expressions of His image, which is far more profound than normally assumed.

This life of Jesus of which we are vessels is much more than just quitting smoking and cursing, this is a sacred mystery that begins with Christ in us the hope of glory, but proceeds with work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. We are not religious museums with legs; we are spiritual medics who must roam among the dead seeking those who might receive spiritual life. And our ministry is not hidden in the archives of theologians now passed, or even at Christ bookstores among the pages of today’s authors, or even in some obscure blog like this one. Our ministry to the lost world is Jesus. And to treat Him as just ink and paper completely misrepresents His surpassing glory and mangles the story of redemption.

I must admit, that as it pertains to actions and not just doctrine, I have often been a false teacher. I pray that God will continue to help me do better for Him.