No one wants to be lied to. Plain and simple, we all want the truth. However true that may be, we sometimes choose a lie and deceive ourselves into believing the lie. Many believe they can find their way, and while it may sound good for everyone to “find their own way,” our own way is the wrong way. If you choose to believe in the God of the Bible, the one true eternal God, then you must take all or nothing. You can’t pick and choose what to believe. If any part of the Bible is not true, then God himself is a liar, and you can’t believe a liar. A false teacher is someone who takes the truth and mixes it with a lie. It may sound good and appealing, but it’s still a lie. The Bible makes it clear that God cannot lie and that lying is a sin He hates. Therefore, God hates false teachers, so beware!
A characteristic of a false teacher is one who places his teaching above that of scripture. They don’t proclaim that they are above the Bible; instead, they teach verses out of context to support their teaching. Some teach rebellion against authority, that if you disagree with authority, rise up and rebel. This promotes riots and prideful actions, and it hurts others. This is not what scripture teaches. Paul was very clear in I Timothy 2:1-2 that we are to pray and give thanks for those in authority. I understand this is sometimes hard to do because most leaders in our present world are not followers of Jesus Christ. Many who say they are followers are living a very hypocritical life when compared with the Bible. They say they believe; however, they do not obey the law. Unless our government asks us to do something against what the Bible teaches, we are to obey. If all who proclaim the name of Christ would pray more for our leaders, we would see a very different leader. Obedience shows our love for Christ, and God answers the prayers of a righteous person who prays fervently.
I Timothy 2:1-2 “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.’
Satan has always used a prideful heart to trick people into rebellion. After all, that is how we inherited our sinful nature. Satan rebelled against God, causing one-third of the angels to rebel against God, and was cast out of Heaven. Satan tempted Eve by lying to her in the garden. In essence, he told her God was lying to her. He first argues with Eve about what God said. Satan’s response to her, concerning God forbidding them to eat of the tree, was to reason with her about God’s intent. Satan convinced her that God’s purpose of forbidding her to eat was so that they would not become as wise and knowledgeable as God. Anytime someone starts rationalizing and reasoning how they can do what God forbids, they have crossed the line into false teaching.
Genesis 3:1-5 “Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”
Satan’s tactics are not new. He may use different tools, such as a disease or a mandate to wear a mask, but his goal is to get us to seek our own reasoning rather than the truth of the Bible. He wants children to think they know more than their parents so they can rationalize their disobedience. He wants wives to usurp the authority of their husbands, and, yes, he uses our pride and our freedom to nudge us toward rebellion against the government. When we become disrespectful toward authority, we have sinned.
I Peter 2:17 “Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.”
Those teachers who promote this behavior are setting themselves up as the authority. These teachers are hurting their followers in many ways, but there is a greater problem with this teaching. They are teaching their followers that they know best. They want them to follow their leadership, not God’s. When we start rebelling against authority, we are rebelling against the one true authority: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Satan whispers to us through false teachers, just like he used the serpent to speak to Eve. He says to us, “You can be your own authority,” “You can be like God!”
