Friday, November
3, 2017
But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there
will be false teachers among you. They
will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought
them. In this way, they will bring
sudden destruction on themselves. Many
will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of
truth will be slandered. In their greed
they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their
destruction will not be delayed. 2 Peter
2:1-3(NLT)
I’ve
got to confess this text has always worried me.
As one who is a pastor, under-shepherd to God’s flock, and stands behind
the sacred desk each week teaching and preaching God’s Word, the weight of
truth-telling is sometimes excruciating.
To be sure, I’m not worried about God’s Word being true; that’s been
settled in my soul for many years. I
worry about me; I’m always concerned about my ability to not mix-in anything that will
turn the truth into fable, and in so-doing, slander the Gospel.
I have
a good friend to whom I confided this irksome fear; he told me that he would be
worried about me if I wasn’t concerned about that. He said:
The Gospel is too important to
take lightly. Always check your motive
for what you preach.
On
the other side of this thought lurk two other types of teachers, both
false. There are those who teach from
ignorance, not understanding the truth, perhaps because of naivety or lack of giftedness. But the worst kind of false teacher is
intentional; truth is known, but replaced with whatever lie will bring the
highest payoff.
What’s
odd about our culture is that false teachers hyping the biggest lies are the
ones we seem to elevate the most. The
fame and fortune which false teachers have as their target rolls-in like ants
sticking to an anteater’s tongue. It’s
just wrong, but it’s also understandable, considering the way success is idolized and
worshipped in American life. We want our
leaders slick, smiling and smoothly telling us the lies we want to hear.
Peter
said the legacy of such liars is destruction.
We may not see it, but it is happening!
James Russell Lowell wrote:
Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own.[2]
Behind
the dim unknown cloud
of lies permeating culture, relationships, and even the church, there is JHWH,
Jehovah-God, the One who is everlasting, all-knowing, and everywhere moving the
events of history and human beings towards His will and purpose. In the end God’s watch over his own will produce justice. The legacy of lies is death…and that in God’s
own timing.
For You
Today
Moving
into the light of God’s life means turning your back on a legacy filled with
lies, and beginning a life-long love affair with truth.
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