There Will be False Teachers Among You

2 Peter 2:1 “But 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.”

            Lord, Your ultimately defeated enemy Satan never tires of being subversive and counterfeiting Your Word to deceive.  Because he is the father of lies, he takes Your precious Word and twists and changes it just enough so the unwary will see the shred of truth and believe the lie instead.  He knows we humans want to believe in a hero or savior of some kind or, like him in his arrogance and pride, want to place ourselves in that role.  We want rules or systems we can follow or want our own set that we have concocted so we can feel good about ourselves.  He creates religions that include these elements so unbelievers, and sadly even believers who do not study Your truth, are drawn in thinking they follow truth.

            These false teachers and false prophets bring destruction upon themselves not only because they have rejected You, the true Savior, but also because they draw Your precious ones and unbelievers away from Your Truth.  Like their father, their destruction is very near.

            DL Moody’s statement to always measure anything against the measuring stick of Your Word and Paul’s admonition to be like the Bareans come to mind.  I think the Pharisees and the Sadducees, in an effort to make sure they followed your law it to the letter, took Your perfect law and ended up with some 600 plus extra rules and “laws” , adding traditions they and others had to follow and totally missed the truth that it is not by our works that we are saved, but only by Your mercy You saved us.  We cannot, nor will we ever be able to, save ourselves.
           
            Satan does not care what we believe as long as we don’t believe in You, Lord or believe Your Word is true.  If people listen to him and become false teachers they will not be saved and will by their choice burn in everlasting torment.  And if he can keep Your children from being fervent in their study of Your Word, they will be deceived and drawn away. They will become like the Laodicean church, luke-warm and ineffective.

            O Lord, may I always, by Your grace and mercy alone and the help of Your Holy Spirit, check what is being preached by Your Bible, Your love letter to me.  I pray that Your Holy Spirit shield the eyes and ears of tender unbelievers and keep them from ingesting deceit into their hearts and minds.  The enemy blinds them from the truth, Lord, please blind us to his lies.