Beware of Fake Benefits

Be Discerning! "By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words" (2 Peter 2:3a). False teachers in the church will exploit believers with deceptive words. They are greedy. "Covetousness" (v. 3a) is literally "greed" (NASB). For false teachers, their primary motivation is a love of money.

The Greek word for "greed" refers to an out of control, covetous desire for money and wealth. You will see in 2 Peter 2:14, how Peter describes false teachers as "having a heart trained in greed" (NASB). They crave money, seeking to gain as much wealth as possible. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Tim. 6:10). Be discerning! False teachers are known by their fruits.

Two Scriptures come to mind: First, "Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches" (Gal. 6:6); and second, "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, 'You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,' and, 'The laborer is worthy of his wages'" (1 Tim. 5:17-18). Be discerning! Honor those who preach and teach well.

Financial support for your pastor or pastors is biblical and therefore the right thing to do. That goes double for the pastor who preaches and teaches well. But, the pastor's motivation should never be mercenary. He should be content in want, or in plenty, or in whatever circumstances he finds himself, knowing the Lord will take care of him. The false teacher, however, is never content. He is always seeking more and more. Be discerning! You will know them by their lack of contentment.

Be wise! "They will exploit you with deceptive words" (v. 3a). False teachers in the church are controlling. To gain wealth, false teachers will "exploit" people with "deceptive" or false words (v. 3a). "Exploit" means "to traffic in" or "to realize gain from" (John MacArthur, Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Press: Chicago, 2005], 78). They want to get rich from the people they serve. They claim to serve others, but their only interest is serving themselves. They use false words to line their own pockets. Be wise! Be on guard against such charlatans.

John MacArthur points out an interesting fact from the Greek language as related to English: "Interestingly, the English word plastic is derived from the term 'false' (plastos). In keeping with its etymological roots, plastic originally had the connotation of something not completely authentic. After all, plastic items often look as if they are manufactured from another substance, such as wood, metal, china, and so forth. Thus, plastic at first glance 'deceives' consumers. In a similar way, false teachers deal in phony doctrine. Their theology is not really based on biblical truth, but only molded by false reasoning to appear genuine" (Ibid). Be wise! Don’t be fooled.

"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ" (Col. 2:8). "But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness" (2 Tim. 2:16). Be wise! Shun the idle babblings of false teachers.

Be Watchful! "For a long time their judgment has not been idle" (2 Peter 2:3b). They make promises they can't keep. False teachers in the church are identifiable. They're known by their fruits which bring judgment. False teachers won't remain popular forever. Their prosperity will come to an end. Their judgment and doom was declared long ago. "Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish" (Psa. 1:5-6). Be watchful! The Lord knows those who are His. Remain true to Christ.

In the end, the false teachers will be revealed and judgment will fall. It is coming. It "has not been idle" (v. 3b). Judgment is coming, so don't fall prey to false doctrine. Stick close to the Word. Know it and live by it. Be watchful! Walk close beside Jesus. Live your life for Him.

Be shrewd! "And their destruction does not slumber" (v. 3c). False teachers in the church are shrewd and opportunistic. So, you must be just as shrewd in sticking to the truth of the Word of God. Remember, their "destruction" (v. 3c) will be swift. It does not sleep. God will judge the ungodly in His time, but not so for you if you know Christ. Be shrewd! Remain true to God's Word.

"Destruction" (used twice in verse 1, once more in verse 2, and now again in verse 3), is personified here in verse 3 as "not sleeping" or "has not been sleeping" (NIV). NKJV says, "does not slumber." The NEB translates it "perdition waits for them with unsleeping eyes." Be shrewd! Watch out for false teaching and false doctrine.

For false teachers, the end is near. Don't get caught up in their babblings, no matter how good it sounds. To guard against it, you must be in the Word, studying the Word, and living by the Word faithfully. Be shrewd! Be true to Jesus. Walk with Him daily. Amen.

Beware of Faulty Behaviors

Be Diligent! "And many will follow their destructive ways" (2 Peter 2:2a). False teachers in the church do all they can to draw people away from God, and they will have a following. False teaching is always made to sound good, but it leads to destruction. Matthew 7:13-14 says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Be diligent! Follow that narrow way.

A few verses later in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter" (Matt. 7:21). Just claiming to be a follower of Jesus isn't good enough. A true follower of Jesus follows through by walking with Jesus and living for Him. Superficial claims to be followers of Christ, claims that are no more than skin deep, claims that are insincere and only for show, are meaningless. Only when you fully submit to His lordship and obey His will do you demonstrate that you truly belong to Him. Be diligent! Follow Him as Lord.

"Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked" (1 John 2:3-6). Be diligent! Walk as He walked.

Be Strong! Peter spoke of "their destructive ways" (v. 2a). False teachers in the church bring destruction on all who follow. "Their destructive ways" (v. 2a) is literally "their shameful ways, their vices, or their sexual debaucheries" (Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 12, [Zondervan Publishing Hiouse: Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1981], 276). The false teachers bring their sinful ways into the church, causing others to fall into their trap. It only leads to destruction. Be strong! Stand firm against their sinful ways.

Because they have rejected the lordship of Christ, their lives are marked by unrestrained sin. They refuse to restrain their fleshly desires in any way. As a result, Jude compared their sins with those of Sodom and Gomorrah: "For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jude 4); and, "as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire" (Jude 7). Be strong! Resist the false teachers and follow Jesus.

Be cautious! Peter continues, "because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed" (2 Peter 2:2b). False teachers bring reproach on the name of Christ. False teachers in the church are misleading. Because of false teachers, people get the wrong picture of Christianity. They are often led to believe that there is nothing special about the church because they see it as no different than the world. And it often isn't different because of the false teachers who have taken over. They leave behind much spiritual wreckage, causing the biblical message to be lost in the eyes of the world. Be cautious! Live by faith and let the world see the difference Christ makes in your life.

As R.C.H. Lenski wrote in his commentary: "True Christianity is blasphemed, reviled, cursed, condemned by outsiders who see professed Christians running to all manner of excesses. 'If that is Christianity,' they will say, 'curse it!' When many follow such excesses, outsiders are unable to distinguish and so blaspheme the whole 'way.' These false exponents seem true products of the way to them" (R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the Epistles of St. Peter, St. John, and St. Jude [reprint, Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1966], 307). Be cautious! Guard the faith. Protect the truth.

Be Grieved! As Peter said, "the way of truth will be blasphemed" (v. 2b). False teachers in the church dishonor Christ. They bring their lies and deceit into the church, along with their sinful ways, causing "the way of truth" (v. 2b) to be maligned. "The way" was an early common name for the Christian faith. Understand, then, that the Christian faith is "the way of truth" (v. 2b). It is not only correct thought or "truth," but it is the "way" of life that responds to and is determined by the truth. True doctrine must issue in true living. The knowledge of God should lead to a godly life. Be grieved that the Christian faith is maligned because of the false teachers. Live your life for Christ as a light to the world.

Whether by deceptive teaching or by immoral behavior, false teachers have maligned the gospel. Literally in the Greek, they have "blasphemed," "slandered," or "defamed" the gospel. Their way of operating is consistent with Satan's mission, which is seeking to undermine the church from the inside by introducing deceptive heresies and false doctrines, or seeking to damage the church's reputation from the outside by revealing the behavior of the false teachers before a watching world. When the conduct of false teachers is associated with the practice of the true church, the name of Christ becomes defamed. Be grieved that this could ever happen! Be faithful to Christ and guard the church against the infiltration of false teachers.

To counter the relentless assault on the church by false teachers, the church must be doctrinally pure. Christians must live in such a way as to make the transforming power of Christ both seen and believed. Paul said, "Prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:15, NASB). Be grieved! Live right! Amen.

Beware of False Beliefs

Be aware! "But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you" (2 Peter 2:1a). False teachers in the church parallel the false prophets of Israel. "The people" (v. 1a; Greek laos, from which we derive our word "laity") is a common reference to Israel. While Israel had a long and glorious history of true prophets, false or lying prophets often arose and plagued the people. They were well groomed to look the part, and they sounded both good and believable. What they said was couched in terms that seemed biblical, though it was not. What they taught was filled with lies and innuendos, intended only to deceive and mislead the people. So, be aware!

"Even as," or "in like manner" (NASB), Peter warned, "there will be false teachers among you" (v. 1a). It must be expected. Do not be caught unaware. As Paul warned the elders of the church in Ephesus, "For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves" (Acts 20:29-30). Be aware! Do not get caught off guard only to be led astray by false teaching.

Throughout history, true prophets have spoken the truth of God's Word to His people. Yet throughout history, Satan has used false prophets to try to obscure or contaminate the message God has for His people. As messengers of Satan, false prophets use lies and deception in their calculated, systematic attack on the truth. Unfortunately, throughout history, false prophets, or false teachers, have always plagued God’s flock. So, be aware!

Jesus warned His disciples that in the last days the church would have to endure many false teachers: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many" (Matt. 24:4-5). And Paul instructed Timothy, "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Tim. 4:2-4). Be aware!

John MacArthur explains: "False teachers arise when the church begins to embrace the worldly culture around it. As a result, congregations no longer desire to "endure [hold to] sound [healthy] doctrine." God-centered worship and preaching is replaced by man-centered antics and entertainment. A biblical emphasis on sin, repentance, and holiness is replaced by an emphasis on self-esteem and felt needs. People look for teachers who proclaim only pleasant, positive ideas "in accordance to their own desires" because they want "to have their ears tickled." As a result, these popular teachers (whom "they will accumulate for themselves") will "turn" the minds of the people from the truth, leaving them vulnerable to Satan's deceptive influence." (John MacArthur, Jr., MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 2 Peter & Jude, [Moody Press: Chicago, 2005], 70)

Be aware! False teachers will arise in the church. It is a matter of biblical fact. The church is actually one of Satan's main spheres of operation. Because that is true, every true shepherd, every true pastor, every true elder, must always be on guard—always studying the Word, preaching it faithfully, and defending the truth, and always "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict" (Titus 1:9). Be aware!

Be Alert! These false teachers are those "who will secretly bring in destructive heresies" (2 Peter 2:1b). False teachers in the church operate covertly (in secret). They secretly infiltrate the church and "secretly bring in" (v. 1b), or literally in the Greek, "secretly introduce" (NASB) or "smuggle in" their false doctrines. They are dishonest, never revealing anything about their agenda. If known, the church would reject them and their teaching outright. They secretly enter the church and work their way into positions of leadership. Jude describes them as "certain persons [who] have crept in unnoticed" (Jude 4). Literally in the Greek, they "slip in without being seen," or "sneak in under false pretenses" (Ibid). Be alert! Judge everything by the Word, exposing falsehood.

Once in positions of leadership, false teachers introduce "destructive heresies" (2 Peter 2:1b), or literally, "heresies of destruction." "Destructive," in Greek, means "utter ruin," referring to the final and eternal condemnation of the wicked. In this context, it indicates that the false teachings have eternal consequences that are disastrous, both for them and their followers (Ibid, 71). Be alert! Expose heresy!

"Heresies" (v. 1b) denotes "an opinion, especially a self-willed opinion, which is substituted for submission to the power of truth, and leads to division and the formation of sects" (W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, Volumw 2, [London: Oliphants, 1940; reprint, Chicago: Moody, 1985], 217). The false teachers had exchanged the truth for their own opinions. They had distorted the truth to their own ends, and had convinced the gullible to believe their lies. Their teaching was a religious counterfeit—a pseudo-Christian knockoff that claims to be biblical but is quite the opposite. Be alert! Don’t be fooled by counterfeit doctrine.

Be separate! False teachers are known for "even denying the Lord who bought them" (v. 1c). False teachers in the church deny Christ. "Denying" (v. 1c) is a strong term meaning "to refuse, to be unwilling, to firmly say no" (MacArthur, 72). Final answer? No! Christ is firmly rejected, along with the gospel. The false teachers have a habit of refusing Christ and rejecting God's authority. Be separate! Remain true to Christ.

"Lord" (v. 1c) is a word that refers to sovereignty. It is the sovereign Lord of creation whom they reject. The false teachers adamantly deny the lordship of Jesus Christ. They reject the very one who paid the penalty for their sins—the one "who bought them" (v. 1c). Be separate! Remember who it is that paid the penalty for your sin.

"Who bought them" (v. 1c) refers to the fact that Jesus "bought" the false teachers, in that He died for the sins of the whole world, though that does not mean they were saved. Salvation does not occur until the benefits of Christ's work on the cross are applied to someone by the regeneration of the Spirit and belief in the truth. Salvation comes when the work of the cross is applied to those who believe. Be separate! Believe on Jesus, that He died for you and rose again for you. Believe and be saved!

Be Patient! The false teachers "bring on themselves swift destruction" (v. 1d). False teachers in the church are being judged. The false teachers, by rejecting the sovereign lordship of Jesus Christ, will face "swift destruction" (v. 1d) unless they repent. "Swift" (v. 1d) means “quick or imminent," and "destruction" (v. 1d) refers to eternal damnation in hell. Be patient! False teachers will meet their end.

To "bring on themselves swift destruction" (v. 1d) does not refer to the extinction of existence. It refers to an everlasting state of death where one is in constant torment. It will be "swift" because it will descend suddenly, either at death or at the return of Christ. Be patient! Their destruction will be swift!

So, beware of false beliefs. Don't fall into the trap of false teaching. It may sound good, but in the end it is destructive. Know the Word thoroughly, and you will reccognize false teaching. Then expose it so others don't get caught in the trap. Amen.

Lies, Deceit, and Destructive Heresies

A pastor told his congregation, "Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17 this week. The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the pastor asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The pastor smiled and said, "Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying." (family-times.net/illustration/Lying; from Christianstories.com)

Lying seems to be a way of life for many people. The book, The Day America Told the Truth, says that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial; 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents; 75 percent lie to friends, 73 percent lie to siblings; and 69 percent lie to spouses. (Our Daily Bread, August 28, 1992; truthchasers.com)

The so-called trivial things, little lies tossed out on a whim, are what helped make lying no big deal today. But let me tell you something. Lying is a very serious sin and should never be taken lightly. Consider these Scriptures, to mention just a few:

"You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another" (Leviticus 19:11).

"Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight" (Proverbs 12:22).

"A faithful witness does not lie, but a false witness will utter lies" (Proverbs 14:5).

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:1-2).

Speaking to those who sought His life, Jesus said, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44, NASB).

From the beginning in the Garden of Eden, Satan used lies and deception to draw people away from God and into sin. From early on, Satan twisted and distorted the Scriptures to deceive, if possible, even believers. That is how Satan approached Eve in the Garden.

You will find the story in Genesis 3:1-8: "Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, 'Has God indeed said, "You shall not eat of every tree of the garden"?' And the woman said to the serpent, 'We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die."' Then the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.' So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden."

Note a few things here: First, right off the top, Satan twists the Scripture to distort the meaning, yet still sound like Scripture. "Has God indeed said, 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" (v. 1b). "Every tree?" No, He did not. Just one tree. Second, Eve corrected Satan, but got defensive and expanded on what God had said. "Nor shall you touch it" she added (v. 3b). Third, then Satan lies, "You will not surely die… you will be like God" (vs. 4b, 5b). Fourth, Eve fell from grace and Adam willingly followed her (v. 6). And fifth, what did they do? They hid from God (v. 8). They fell into Satan's trap. Their fellowship with God was broken, and they ran and hid. Not an uncommon experience.

False teachers are known for their lies, deceit, and destructive heresies. It is what they do. Oh, they make sure everything is couched in biblical, or at least in biblical sounding terms, as Satan did, but they are lies all the same. We must come to know the Scriptures so well that we can easily decipher these lies and avoid falling into their trap.

The Lord God doesn't take kindly to His Word being twisted and distorted. Some people deliberately take away from or add to God's Word, trying to rewrite it to say what they want it to say. They refuse to believe God's Word as God gave it to us, so they rewrite it instead. That is what false teachers do. They teach things contrary to God's Word to try to deceive people into believing a lie, and they teach their lies as though they are Scripture.

Well, God has something to say to such people: "For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Rev. 22:18-19).

That is what Satan did in the Garden of Eden. That is what his servants, the false prophets and the false teachers are doing today. They make up lies and devise elaborate schemes, making sure to sound biblical, to deceive people and lead them away from God, even the people of the church. They infiltrate the church and move into positions of leadership and teaching to accomplish their agenda.

"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works" (2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Moses warned the people of Israel about such pretenders: "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'—which you have not known—'and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has spoken in order to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of bondage, to entice you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall put away the evil from your midst" (Deut. 13:1-5)

"Put away the evil from your midst!" Doctrinal purity must be a high priority in the church. But all too often today, many people in the church tend to do the opposite—they tolerate any teacher who claims to be Christian, regardless of what they teach! They tolerate false teachers in the name of love and unity. "It's okay. They are sincere in what they teach," people are heard to say. These people find biblical absolutes to be embarrassing, choosing to embrace the false teachers instead, despite the protest of Scripture!

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned His disciples to watch for false teachers rising among them: "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves" (Matt. 7:15). False teachers come into the church unawares, or without detection. Keep your eyes and ears open. Don't let false teachers creep in unnoticed and deceive you, leading you away from God.

In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter concerns himself with three negative characteristics that these false teachers are known for: false beliefs, faulty behaviors, and fake benefits. We will take a close look at these negative characteristics over the course of the next three weeks. In the meantime, be warned and beware! Don't let false teachers deceive you! Amen.