Pleasant Lies

Jesus warns us in Matthew 7:15-20 about false teachers or false examples which abound in churches today:

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them"

Your first impression of the false teacher (be it a preacher, teacher, or other so-called Christian) is that all is right in them. They are nice and very pleasant. They seem to be a good Christian. They say the right things, their teaching and beliefs seem in general quite right and they use many words that should be spoken by a true Christian teacher. They talk about God and Jesus, and they emphasize the love of God.

So what’s wrong with that? How can we tell there is a problem? Jesus said: "By their fruit you will recognize them. " We need to see all that they are saying or living or all that they are NOT saying or living. We must closely examine the fruit of their life.

Remember the small gate, the narrow path? It’s not an easy road. Listen to what the false teacher or example doesn’t say. He has nothing which is offensive to the lost man. He pleases all. He is in sheep’s clothing, so attractive and pleasing. He has a nice and comforting message. He pleases everybody and everybody speaks well of him. He is never persecuted for his teaching. He is never criticized severely. It just doesn’t match up with the teaching of the apostles. Everyone didn’t like them. In fact most of them were killed for their teaching. Different than our churches today. And the result is different.

The “offensive teaching” that is missing is this:

The false teacher rarely tells you anything about holiness or purity, obedience to God's Law. About righteousness and living as Jesus did, including being willing to suffer any consequence to do so. Telling you that persecution is not optional. About God being just and that being why Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice to atone for your sins. There is no emphasis on our utter sinfulness and our inability to save ourselves. Jesus saves us wholly through His work in our lives, not through anything we can do to earn it. We are saved by grace. Once saved though, he expects us to walk the narrow path.

The false teacher spends all his time teaching you about God’s love and not much else. He wants you to feel good and be comfortable. There is no challenge to holy living. There is no understanding of the cost of Christianity. No doctrine of sin, of hell, of Satan.

Failing to teach the whole truth, and in fact concealing the truth is just as damning as speaking heresies. His teaching is so pleasing to the undiscerning ear that it leads men to hell because it has never confronted them with the holiness, obedience, righteousness and justice that God demands. This is true of a false Christian’s life. No wonder God spits them out. (Revelation 3:16).

He doesn’t teach real repentance either. He leaves a very wide gate leading to salvation and a very broad road leading to heaven. You need not feel much of your own sinfulness. You just ‘decide for Christ’ and join the crowd on the way to heaven.

What is real repentance? Real repentance means that you realize that you are a guilty sinner in the presence of God, that you deserve the punishment of God and that without Jesus you are hell-bound. You see the sin in you and want it out. You are willing to renounce anything in the world to get rid of it. No matter what the cost. Your friends may think you crazy and abandon you, but you care not. You may have to suffer financially, but you care not.

The Bible is full of warnings about false teaching. It is a major topic in the Bible. Look through the Gospels, the Epistles and so forth. [1 Timothy 1; 2 Peter 2; 2 John 2:11]

The false teacher does not emphasize the necessity of entering the small gate and walking the narrow road. He doesn’t tell you the necessity of living in obedience to Jesus. He allows you to accept “easy” salvation and walk an “easy” road. He discourages self-examination.

Why is the church in America so weak today? Because it is full of false teachers, false preachers, false Christians and false examples. Are you one? Examine yourself.