"The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God." - C.S. Lewis
False Prophets
Philippians 3:18-19
18For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.
Paul is talking about “false prophets” or those whose teachings are contrary to the Gospel. The Apostle Peter gives a more detailed description.
II Peter 2:1-3, 10b-14.
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.
10bBold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 11yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 12But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
13They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed—an accursed brood!
But what do false prophets look like today? Are there still such a thing?
Check this out:
[On Disney allowing gays to vacation there] “I would warn Orlando that you're right in the way of some serious hurricanes, ... It'll bring about terrorist bombs. It'll bring earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor.”
[On Hugo Chavez] “If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it.”
[Regarding Katrina] “I mean, the Lord told me it was going to be A, a disaster, and B, messy, ... I warned him about casualties.”
[Regarding his prayers to keep Hurricane Gloria away from Virginia Beach] “It was 'extremely important because I felt that if I couldn't move a hurricane, I could hardly move a nation”
- Pat Robertson
And here is another one:
“I had a student ask me, "Could the savior you believe in save Osama bin Laden?" Of course, we know the blood of Jesus Christ can save him, and then he must be executed”
“Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions”
“Billy Graham is the chief servant of Satan in America”
“If you're not a born-again Christian, you're a failure as a human being”
- Jerry Falwell
How about this one:
[On holding people accountable for sin] "Well, I think that most people already know what they’re doing wrong. And for me to get in here and just beat ‘em down and talk down to ‘em, I just don’t think that inspires anybody to rise higher. But I want to motivate. I wanna motivate every person to leave here to be a better father, a better husband, to break addictions to come up higher in their walk with the Lord."
[Describing the book Become a Better You]"To become a better you, you must be positive towards yourself, develop better relationships, embrace the place where you are."
[On why God isn't mention in the book description] "That's just my message. There is scripture in there that backs it all up. But I feel like I'm called to help people…how do we walk out the Christian life? How do we live it? And these are principles that can help you. I mean, there’s a lot better people qualified to say, 'Here’s a book that going to explain the scriptures to you.' I don’t think that’s my gifting."
[On the scriptures] "Sometimes you have to keep it simple and not make it so complicated that people don’t understand. But I know what I'm called to do is say 'I want to help you learn how to forgive today. I want to help you to have the right thoughts today.' Just simple things."
"I don’t know what can be so dangerous about giving people hope. Causing people to have better relationships. I'm not leading them to some false God or something like that."
- Joel Osteen
With “leaders” like these, is it any wonder that many people don’t like Christians very much? When we see and hear people talking like this--
Jeremiah 14:14
13But I said, "Ah, Sovereign LORD, the prophets keep telling them, 'You will not see the sword or suffer famine. Indeed, I will give you lasting peace in this place.' "
14Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying lies in my name. I have not sent them or appointed them or spoken to them. They are prophesying to you false visions, divinations, idolatries and the delusions of their own minds. 15Therefore, this is what the LORD says about the prophets who are prophesying in my name: I did not send them, yet they are saying, 'No sword or famine will touch this land.' Those same prophets will perish by sword and famine.
--God also makes a promise to us.
Jeremiah 1:19
They will fight you, but they will fail.
For I am with you, and I will take care of you.
I, the Lord, have spoken!”
What Are Christians to Do?
A popular teaching is the concept of “once saved, always saved.” Many Christian leaders, such as those listed above, teach this doctrine. What does Paul have to say about it?
Romans 7:18-20
18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. 19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. 20 But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.
Philippians 3:12-16
12 I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you. 16 But we must hold on to the progress we have already made.
So once we accept Jesus, are we saved now and forever? Are we made completely sinless like Jesus was?
How Are Christians to Others?
Paul tells us that it is a daily struggle to remain faithful to God because it is contrary to our sinful human nature. Does that mean that we should become so wrapped up in trying to live a Christ-centered life that we forget those around us? Certainly not! Jesus instructs us to do something radical:
John 13:35
“By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
What does it mean to “love one another?”
James 5:13-16
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
In the Book of Acts, we learn that the early Christians prayed together, and James paints a pretty clear picture of what their prayer was like. How then does prayer fit in with Jesus’ instruction?
Philippians 4:1
Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!
In the end, Christians are just as messed up and broken as the rest of humanity. What should separate Christians is their acknowledgement of that fact and their sincere hope and faith in the love and mercy of an all powerful God, a God who sent His Son to die for us. So be careful who you listen too, who you believe. Always keep an ear turned toward God because He is always willing and faithful to provide us with all the answers we'll ever need.
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