The Danger from Within

The greatest threat to Christ’s disciples comes from the deceivers inside the Church who spread false teachings and generate false expectations.

It is not the surrounding society, its culture, or the political system that will destroy the Body of Christ, but the satanic forces working feverishly inside the Church to mislead believers, especially false teachers and false prophets driven by the “Spirit of Antichrist you heard was coming, and even now it is in the world” – (1 John 4:1-3).

In contrast, any church filled with God’s Spirit and firmly committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ and his Apostles will not succumb to Satan’s attacks. Its members will become beacons of light in this dark world. They will withstand persecution when those whose feet are not planted firmly in the Word crumble.

[Photo by Stephan Heißmann on Unsplash]

The growth of sin in society is not a direct threat to Christ’s people, but evidence that the nation is under the “wrath of God.” Having refused to “acknowledge God as God,” He delivered humanity over to the very sins for which men lusted. “Therefore, God delivered them to the lusts of their hearts…” – (Romans 1:18-25).

The “breakdown of society” occurs because the existing world order is winding down to its inevitable demise, and it engages in an orgy of self-destruction along the way that ends in the “Day of Wrath.” Paul taught that the “forms of this world are passing away.” So, why are we surprised by the sins and unrighteousness of our nation? – (Romans 1:18-25, 2:1-11, 1 Corinthians 7:31).

In the meantime, the Church’s mission is not to fix society but to call men and women to “save themselves from this crooked generation” by joining the Kingdom of God while time remains – (Acts 2:40, Matthew 28:18-20).

Yes, the New Testament speaks of persecution from without. After all, “all those who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” Perhaps Paul’s words provide a clue as to why Christians are persecuted in some countries but not others. Be that as it may, the Bible consistently and loudly warns us of the coming infiltration of the Body of Christ by deceivers.

When John referred to the “Spirit of the Antichrist” at work in the world, for example, he pointed to the false teachers disrupting his congregations from within to prove his point. Satan may not bypass opportunities to persecute the Church, nevertheless, deception is by far his most effective weapon, and he knows this!

WE WERE WARNED!

Jesus warned that “many deceivers will come and deceive many,” causing the love of believers to turn cold. Thus, today, deceivers of this very sort are targeting the “elect” for deception and exploitation with their false teachings, financial scams, phony prophecies, and hollow promises as they work overtime to “make merchandise of God’s sheep, whose sentence now from of old lingers not, and their destruction slumbers not” - (Matthew 24:4-11, 24:23-24, 24:26, 2 Peter 2:3).

Likewise, Paul wrote of the coming “Apostasy” and the “Lawless One” who will appear in the “Sanctuary of God,” and he applied the latter term to the Church. This “Lawless One” will use “lying signs and wonders” to deceive those “who do not welcome the love of the truth,” and if we wish to know what Paul meant by “the truth,” we need only read a little further – The “traditions taught” by Jesus and his Apostles.

To avoid this coming apostasy, and to have the necessary discernment to recognize this “Man of Lawlessness” when he appears in the Church, we must learn, cling to, and follow the teachings of Scripture. Every voice contrary to Scripture must be ignored:

• “God chose you from the beginning for salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth to which He called you through our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers, stand fast, and hold fast to the traditions you were taught” - (2 Thessalonians 2:13-15).

Peter warned of coming false prophets and false teachers in the Church who would teach heretical doctrines. Many believers will “follow their pernicious ways; and by whom the way of truth will be defamed. And through covetousness will they with feigned words make merchandise of you.”

Peter’s words fit today’s Word of Faith preachers quite snugly. They are charlatans who exploit unwary believers for personal gain, pervert the Gospel, and discredit the gifts and baptism of the Holy Spirit through their silly antics, false prophecies, and money-generating schemes. The “Word of the Cross” has been perverted into another get-rich-quick scam.

It is not the further degradation of an already fallen society’s morals or even persecution that will destroy the Church, but the deceivers working inside the Body of Christ. When we embrace their lies deception and disaster become inevitable. More ominously, persecution becomes necessary to separate the sheep from the goats.

The warnings and predictions of the New Testament are no longer that. They have become all too real in our churches where true prophets are rare, and the voice of the teacher who knows God and His Word struggles to be heard over the noise of Satan’s invading horde. The proverbial “famine for hearing the words of God” is today’s reality in far too many churches - (Amos 8:11).

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SEE ALSO:

• Misdirection and Apostasy - (Believers watching for apostasy to occur outside the Church will miss the real thing since it is operating stealthily inside our congregations)

• The Spirit of Antichrist - (The Antichrist Spirit works to destroy the church from within, especially through deception propagated by false teachers and other deceivers – 1 John 2:18-22)

• Trompeurs dans l'Église - (La plus grande menace pour les disciples du Christ vient des séducteurs à l'intérieur de l'Église qui répandent de faux enseignements et génèrent de fausses attentes)