Category Archives: false teachers

September 24, 2009 · 11:00 am

God’s Spiritual Life Cycle–Babes in Christ and What Stunts Their Growth

To fully understand the profundity of the Creator’s eternal purpose in “bringing many sons [and daughters] unto glory,” we must learn of the spiritual life cycle of God’s Spirit in us–how it grows unto full maturity.

This is a great mystery that has been “kept secret from the foundation of the world” (1).  This mystery of the growth of the Spirit within us has been carefully guarded, couched in the criptic words of the parables of the kingdom.  These are the very secrets of the kingdom of God, how He rules and reigns both in His children’s hearts and throughout the earth and universe. 

These parables are not nice little stories to make it easier for all to understand what the Master is teaching us, but to prevent interlopers from receiving it.  They are secrets, after all, and are hidden in plain sight.

Why Parables?

The disciples asked Christ why He spoke to the crowds in parables.  “To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand” (2).  They may hear the words, but they won’t understand what they mean.  Those who do not have “ears to hear” will just not get it.

The Seed Is the Word

In the parables, Christ likened this spiritual growth unto a seed that grows.  He refers to a natural seed.  And He explains that this seed in His parables represents the word of God.  He said, “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God” (3).  A seed must die in the ground; it must lose its original identity as a lonely grain of wheat, for instance.  It takes in moisture, which corresponds to the “water of the Word,” and then, as it dies, new life springs out of it, and a blade of grass rises “from the dead” and vaults out into the sunlight.

First Stage of Growth–Babes in Christ

This answers to newborn “babes in Christ,” spiritual infants, who have not matured or grown.  They are like natural children–mostly alive  for what they can receive from their parents.  A little child receives nourishment from their parents and grows.  There is nothing wrong with this, for all new children of God must receive spiritual food from God’s word in order to grow.    Truth plus study and prayer is the recipe for spiritual growth. 

The problem lies in the fact that most Christians stay in this growth as babes and children.  They do not mature, for they are fed with teachings tainted with error.  Even with much study in false doctrines, the child of God cannot grow.  “We are not meant to remain as children at the mercy of every chance wind of teaching and the jockeying of men who are expert in the crafty presentation of lies” (4).  The truth is that “certain men have crept in unnoticed,” (5) and they are teaching lies to the new Christians who are desiring to have their lives changed from darkness to light.

For we are warned of this very thing.  “There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies”.  “Many will follow their shameful ways…and in their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (6).

Thus we see that a newborn babe in Christ is in peril because of false teachers and preachers.  As disease and malnutrition stalks natural babies, false teachings and lies stunt and threaten the lives of the children of God.

So Which Are the Lies About God That Stunt the Growth of Babes in Christ?

How can we tell the false teachings from the true teachings?  Christ gave us the answer.  “By their fruits you shall know them” (7).  Look around and observe the fruits of the various ministries and denominations.  Are the people growing?  Are the flocks changing, or are they still trapped in sin and sinning?   Are the people still mostly alive for what they can receive of God, or are they unselfish?  If they are not changing and growing “up into Him,” if they are remaining selfish, desiring to be blessed and not yearning to be a channel of blessings unto others, then it is safe to say that the teachings they are fed with are tainted.    KWH  

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  1. Matt. 13: 35
  2. Mark 4: 11-12
  3. Luke 8: 11
  4. Eph. 4: 14 (Phillips)
  5. Jude 1: 4 (NKJV)
  6. II Peter 2: 1-3
  7. Matt. 7: 20

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March 13, 2009 · 2:05 am

The Prosperity Doctrine–A “Damnable Heresy”

The true men of God never taught the “prosperity doctrine.”  They never taught that if you give money to the preacher, that God would give you more money back, more than in your wildest dreams.

The true apostles and prophets of God taught self-denial.  They taught that we should seek the spiritual things of God, and then God would take care of our material needs (Matt. 6: 33).

A “Damnable Heresy”

The apostle Peter warns us of these false teachers and prophets–how they will “bring in damnable heresies” that lead the hearers into denying Christ.  For if a person is in the “Get-all-you-can-get-from-God” mode, then their hearts will be unable to take in the Spirit of Christ (II Pet. 2: 1).

These false preachers are teaching this heresy.  They come in sheep’s clothing.  They speak about Christ, but Christ’s Spirit does not speak through them!  “And many shall follow their pernicious ways” (v. 2).  “Pernicious ways” is from the Greek word apoleia, meaning “perdition, destruction, and ruin.”  The “prosperity doctrine” is destroying people’s souls.

Give Us Your Money and You’ll Be Blessed

They promise their millions of followers prosperity.  They say, “Give money to our ministry and God will bless you with a hundred-fold more more than what you gave. Send us your tithes and offerings, and God will solve your financial problems.”  When in reality, they use the money to live lavishly as they feed off the baser human instinct to covet after earthly riches.  “And through covetousness (sin) shall they make merchandise of you” (v. 3).

Instead of caring for their flocks’ souls, these evil shepherds look for devious ways of extracting more money from them.

They “cannot cease from sin,” and they teach that very doctrine–that no one can ever truly be delivered from sin and sinning (II Pet. 2: 14).  Yet Christ tells us, as He told the prostitute, “Go and sin no more.”   Impossible command?  I don’t believe so, for He also said, “With God all things are possible.”

It’s All About the Love of Money

Peter says that they have followed  in the false prophet Balaam’s way, “who loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2: 15).   They get paid money for teaching this error!

What did this false prophet Balaam do?  He loved money and accepted it from Balak, the king of Moab, in payment for “putting a curse on the children of Israel.”  Balak presented to Balaam “the rewards of divination”–money, fame, honor from men–if he would curse the children of Israel.  But he could not curse whom God had blessed (Numbers 22: 7).

Balaam is the quintessential false prophet, a corrupt and weak lover of money.  Modern day prosperity preachers are hirelings who teach God’s people things that will “curse” them and lead them to destruction and perdition!

We Are Admonished to Flee from Them

The apostle Paul, likewise,  warns Timothy that they are “perverse…supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw thyself” (I Tim. 6: 5).

Likewise, the message to us: Get away from any preacher who speaks about money all the time, who promises that God will shower down finances to those who give money to their ministry.  Flee from them!

For true gain is “godliness with contentment” (v. 6).  Godliness is being like God–a spiritual existence with Him where material things no longer have a hold on us, where seeking wealth and riches and dwelling on material goods are not distractions any more.  “For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out” (v. 7).  All we really need is “food and raiment” and the Spirit of God in our hearts.  He’ll add anything else we need.

And then the stern warning: “But they that will be rich (they that even want to be rich) fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition” (v. 8-9).

For make no mistake.  These false teachers, which include many televangelists–they love money.  It is their lifeblood, for without it, they are washed up.  They are off the air, and their lavish lifestyles go to rags over night.

“For the love of money is the root of all evil” (I Tim. 6: 10).  This very famous passage of scripture is used in this warning to us about these false teachers and preachers.  Those who covet after money and what it will buy them “have erred from the faith.”

There it is in the mouth of two witnesses–Peter and Paul.  They knew about this damnable heresy of going after the money, for they had the “prosperity doctrine” back in the day.  And they warn us, who have eyes to see, to flee from this doctrine and those who teach it.  And run into the arms of the true Shepherd.  For He is all we really need.                        KWH

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