TURNING AWAY FROM TRUTH

For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV)

Many in our churches are often deceived by some new teaching that promises shortcuts to the victorious Christian life. These teachings seem to always focus on success, prosperity, and health as being the primary ideals of this victorious life. Most of these teachings simply rehash the “word-of-faith” movement mixed with the heresy of the month. They offer rituals for increasing faith and prayer formulas which are guaranteed to get results – if you have enough faith. We are deceived by our own sinful passions and the lust for “effortless success”.

How quickly we accept a little heresy mixed with the strong drink of true Christian doctrine to make religion more suitable to our current frame of mind and desires. Immature Christians are easy prey for the deceitful doctrines of false teachers and thus make themselves useless for proper service to God. In this way, they pervert the grace of our God (Jude 1:4 ESV) and the way of truth is blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1-3 ESV) Be ready for ravenous wolves whether they come in the form of cunning people or devious books. “Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:10-11 ESV)