Just as the devil tampered with God’s word in the Garden of Eden and caused man to sin, he continues to this day to make disciples. Borrowing his deceptive tactics, they now preach all kinds of heresies and prevent many from obeying God’s word.
In 2 Peter 2:1 Peter warns,
“…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.” ESV
These false teachers were of such great concern, that Jude felt compelled to change the topic of his letter to warn against those who had already crept in unnoticed. “
“…For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.” Jude 1:4, NIV
Being faithful and remaining so are two different things…and this warning is for the purpose of remaining faithful in the Lord’s service! Brother John Waddey commented on this passage – that Jude wrote for the purpose of reminding his brethren, of the nature of gospel faith and to encourage them to be ready to defend it. In Jude’s day, certain ungodly men who were not truly converted to the truth had come into the fellowship of the church and were bringing in “destructive heresies.” (Galatians 2:4; 2 Peter 2:1-2).
Satan has always preferred to work from within, using people whom we love to destroy our faith. It is an immanent danger since our guard is down and our arms are open. Satan loves to force a choice between love for our brethren and love for God’s truth. As with all things that come from Satan, it is a false choice. When love for brethren is not guided by God’s truth, it become disloyalty to God. It cannot save anyone or keep them saved. Therefore, all true servants of God, must be vigilant ‘for the faith’, to retain the blessings of God for his people.
Another great defender of the faith stood with Jude to uphold ‘the faith’ in the face of heresy. The apostle Paul, went out of his way to warn the Ephesian Elders to be on their guard. In a tearful parting, he said to them:
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. (Acts 20:28-31)
Today is no different. False teachers still arise among us and in what is already a defeat for us…remain in our midst. Despite loyalties of the heart, we should follow the example of the Bereans. who were commended for their noble character because they “examined the Scriptures daily” to verify the teachings they received (Acts 17:11). They listened eagerly to Paul and Silas, while doing their best to ensure that what they taught, aligned with the Scriptures.
Becoming like the Bereans will help us to ‘speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent’. False teachers feel free to speak into the silence of scripture and to contradict what the word has spoken. They bind where God has not and loose what he has bound.
In 1 Cor. 4:6, the apostle Paul admonishes, “I have applied all these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, brothers that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up in favor of one against another.” Likewise, the apostle John advises, “Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.” (2 John 9-11) ESV
Anyone who wishes to please God may need to limit their exposure to such individuals because they rarely sound as bad as they truly are. A spoonful of smooth talk makes the medicine of heresy go down (Romans 16:17-18). And all who swallow, incur the cup of God’s wrath.
Left unchallenged, false teachers lead God’s people away from God and from eternal life. Challenged, they split the church and blame those who are faithful for the division. It seems like a lose-lose proposition and is an age old problem. But in order to at least save some, we still need to stand up for ‘the faith’, delivered once for all to the saints.
The apostle Paul did not expect this situation to get better, any time soon. In fact, he expected it to get worse – “while evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” 2 Tim. 3:13.
Jesus taught his disciples to: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matthew 7:15-20).
Therefore, beloved in Christ, let us keep our eyes open and not fall asleep. The enemy is waiting for that, so that he can come in and sow weeds among the wheat (Matthew 13:25). Let’s be alert, for he is closer than we think.