Nov 14
15
BEWARE OF FALSE TEACHERS
2 Peter 2: 1
There are false teachers today as there were before Christ came, as there were during our Lord’s earthly ministry and as there were during the days of the apostles. (Deut 13: 1-5; MT 24: 24-25; 2 Cor 11: 3-4; Phil 3: 1-3; Col 2: 
First, false teachers come appearing as God sent messengers (Mt 7: 15) but they preach craftily, bringing in damnable heresies. They may preach redemption by the blood of Christ, that the Lord bought them, but they deny the successful redemption of the elect of God accomplished by our Lord. They will not declare in simple, clear words that Christ died for the elect, only for the elect, accomplished putting away the sins of the elect and that all the elect of God shall be called through the truth of the gospel.
Christ is the Prophet, Priest and King. He is God who cannot fail. From the foundation of the world our King has moved all things to bring the true word of the gospel to each of his elect. Christ is the Prophet who teaches the truth in the heart of each one of his elect. Christ is the Priest by whom atonement is fully accomplished. In private, they may tell you Christ died for the elect. They may even put it in a statement of faith. But what do they preach before all men? (1 Cor 1: 17)
Secondly, they make sinners think sinners contribute in some small way to salvation. They exalt the sinner to be a god by taking away the offensive truth that sinners are helpless maggots unable to do one thing to save themselves. (Gal 5: 11) The unregenerate religious man cannot bear to hear that salvation is of the Lord, apart from the works of men, because it diminishes man; the regenerate man cannot bear to hear man exalted because it diminishes his Lord and Savior. False prophets really believe that the gospel will lead men into sinful lives (Jude 1: 4) The truth makes a man cleanse himself of the idolatrous, garbage man peddles but it only leads him to Christ. (Rom 6:1-15; Gal 2:17-18) Paul was labeled an evil doer, even bound in prison, for preaching that the believer is complete in Christ, apart from works. (2 Ti 2: 9) All false preachers and heresies deny, in some way, the redemptive work Christ accomplished (1 John 4:1-3).
Set all preaching in the light of Christ’s eternal Sonship and humanity, his sovereignty and suretyship, his perfect righteousness and effectual sacrifice, his high priestly work and intercession, his exaltation and second coming, and beware of false prophets! (1 Cor 1: 29-31) Clay Curtis.