“Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, and watch out for those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship God by His Spirit are the ones who are truly circumcised; we rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort…” (Phil 3: 1-3)
Dear Reader, one thing I observed from Apostle Paul’s ministry is that he wrote the Bible’s most eloquent words about Christian love but when it came to the subject of heresy, he went into verbal-attack mode. He labeled those who were spreading false doctrines as “dogs, evil doers and mutilators” (Phil. 3:2) and “liars” (1 Tim. 4:2). He did not only label heretics publicly but he also “handed them over to satan” in his prayers (1 Tim. 1:20). My friend, that doesn’t sound much like the sloppy agape love and heretic messages we often model today.
You may ask, “What is heresy?” My friend, it is false teaching and false message and doctrine contrary to the intent of God and His Word. And the ‘heretics’ are the false preachers, false teachers and false prophets who pervert the truth; many of who occupies our churches today unchecked. Paul believed that if heresy and apostasy goes unchecked it gnaws at the larger Body of Christ and contaminates everyone. He warned his spiritual son Timothy that false teaching spreads “like gangrene” (2 Tim. 2:17).The King James Version says the words of false teachers “will eat as doth a canker.” The word “gangrene” can also be translated as cancer. False doctrine is malignant. If you know of any, get the tumor out before it kills people.
What is bothering me these days is that many Charismatics, Evangelicals and Pentecostals Churchleaders are not displaying the necessary backbone to label a heretic a heretic. We have become masters at soft-pedaling and inaction when the Lord requires us to confront with love and take the battle to the gate to save the soul of lost, dying, sick, spiritually blind, oppressed and backslidden people. Can you imagine a Preacher, raised in Pentecostal settings, who has now become a Universalist, claiming that people do not need Christian conversion in order to be saved by Christ? What a heretic and deceptive message! You would think that every other Charismatic, Evangelical and Pentecostal leader on earth would sever all ties to this particular Preacher concerned until he renounces his apostasy. But, my friend, that was not the case.
Instead, he became more popular and a featured speaker at prominent Christians seminars, conferences, meetings, even on Christian televisions. My friend, it seems we have lost the mechanism to challenge, confront and or caution leaders or members based on doctrinal or character issues. Huh? Therein lies the root problem. In the loosey-goosey world of charismatic, evangelical and Pentecostal independence, where the ‘ministry’ is like personal business of individual leader/founder, we find it almost impossible to police our own. Everything is about “fellowship,” but we lack the teeth in our policies to ensure that we can properly discipline preachers who veer off into doctrinal error.
The same goes with our “Prosperity preachers”, “Prophetic Gurus” and “Prayer Contractors” My friend, listen! There are many well-meaning but contradictory voices around us today. Many of them are giving false, deceptive and misleading directions. Many homes have been destroyed, many lives have been ruined and many people have been locked in the jail of debts because of the ungodly demands of these false preachers. And I can’t blame them because many Christians do not know the truth about themselves in Christ, about God’s Word and promises. They have no patience to wait for God’s time. Instead they look for anything or anyone who can fix things fast, easy and painless. They act as microwave Christians. This shouldn’t be so. For everything, there is time and season.
Jesus says, “Take heed that no one deceives or misleads you.” (Matt 24:4). To take heed means, “to watch, to beware, to be on guard, to be alert and to be constantly careful.” Why? It is simply because the deceivers and the heretics are much more dangerous to the church than the persecutors. Jesus says, “Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ (the anointed one) and will deceive or mislead many.” (Matt. 24:5). When I shared on the issue of apostasy, I usually get a lot of glazed looks from people who don’t want to believe that a preacher, a brother or sister in Christ can fall into deception. My friend, are you one of them? You shall know the truth and be free!
I do not know it all, neither have I attained the peak of the ultimate goal of the high calling of God. However, I don’t need any more explanation when I see, discern or sense an apostasy, heresy or deception. My friend, how would you respond to preachers who are occultist and still performing miracles? Those that profess to say God has told them not to marry, yet they sleep with their adherents? Those that operate in Jezebel spirit with the aim to abusively control people, intimidate and manipulate them to get their money in the name of Jesus for personal enrichment?
We Christians are so nice to the extent we don’t know how to handle it when the Bible requires tough love. Let’s remember that when it comes to heresy, deception and apostasy, God does not require us to be nice. My friend, it’s time for all leaders, congregations, denominations and church networks to raise the bar and defend the faith from those who pervert it. Beware of dogs! They are not voices but noises. They are around barking louder and louder. Let’s beware and also do our best to stop them. Remain blessed!
Jesus is Lord!
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