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Gamaliel's Desk
Friday, July 23, 2004
 
Lying Lies and the Liars Who Lie Them

Christians today are leaving the “faith once delivered to the saints” in droves. I have never seen the like. People are abandoning their place in the True Pharisee Church and joining the “mixed multitude” that celebrates the spirit of compromise so prevalent in carnal Christianity. Why are people deserting their dedication to the higher calling to be a sacred remnant? In a word – false teachers. The influence of evil teachers lures many weak God-fearing Christians into the clutches of conciliation with the world instead of practicing Biblical Separation. Let me state up front that it is the duty of every good Pharisee pastor to do the following:

This column is too small to list all of the popular deceivers but suffice to say that if they are on the television, radio or are being sold in a Family Christian bookstore, the chances are pretty good that they are false teachers. The Bible says that man is a liar -- "with their tongues they have used deceit" (Romans 3:13). Paul proclaimed, "Let God be true, and every man a liar." Jeremiah says man's heart is "deceitful above all things and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9). It should be abundantly clear that all men are liars. It is only by God’s grace and my superior spiritual fortitude that my fellow Pharisee pastors and I have overcome this egregious human flaw. Generally, if someone who is not a sound Bible-believing Pharisee says something then it is most likely a lie. If a Pharisee says it, then it is most assuredly true.  

Even more dangerous than the lies that theses false teachers tell, is their spirit of deception. Many folks are taken in by their apparent sincerity and seeming devotion to God. But see what the Bible says about such teachers: "For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works" (2 Cor. 11:13-15). A calculated deception on their part is that they appear to be honest, truth-loving folks. These spiritual hustlers are not going to come to you and say, “I am a liar and am trying to deceive you.” Instead, they will try to convince you of their earnest dedication to the Lord and how much they love God. Undoubtedly, some of these folks may be sincere but they are sincerely deceived if they hold to false doctrine.  

And this is the greatest danger of false teachers: they lie. They lie to others; they even lie to themselves. Of these Paul said, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:13). This is even more insidious than their lies to us. It is one thing for them to try to deceive their followers but they are lying to each other and believing one another’s lies. They are deceived by their own deception. What’s worse, they are so deceived that they don’t even know they are deceived. Unlike us wise Pharisees who have had our eyes opened to the Truth of God’s word, we are under no delusions that we are deceived. We know the Truth and we know with utmost certainty that we know the truth. False teachers may think they know the Truth for certain, but they lack the discernment we have to recognize that they are thoroughly deceived by their own error. 

Every good Pharisee knows and teaches that God demands that His people separate from false teachers. The Bible tells us, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." (Romans 16:17,18) Let me illustrate the depth of their perversion and dishonesty. False teachers would say that our strict practice of separation fosters division and that we are the ones Paul is warning against in this verse. The truth is that Pharisees are not the ones who cause division by separating from false teachers. Because false teachers insist on teaching their heresies, the Bible forces us to separate from them. They are causing the division by not holding to the truth like us good Pharisee churches. 

And why should Christians be so concerned about being lured into falsehood? It is because the stakes are so high. Just look at the cost to Christians who mingle their pure faith with those who would sprinkle just a tiny little bit of error into it:

Every good Pharisee should make sure that they maintain a pure faith by listening only to Pharisee preachers, reading only Pharisee authors and going only to Pharisee churches. We all know better than to attend any church that is not of the Pharisee denomination but we sometimes forget that para-church ministries are every bit as evil and insidious as their denominational counterparts. This is why good Pharisees don’t send their dollars to World Vision, don’t attend Promise Keepers rallies, don’t work with Habitat for Humanity, and never listen to Focus on the Family.


Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:10 (NIV)

Gamaliel/rjp

 


Comments:
Preach it. Don't forget: We mustn't even fellowship Pharisees that take part in the multitude. And I guess we shouldn't have anything to do with otherwise good Pharisees who even think that there are true believers in the denomonations. Just to be safe, I won't even speak with a brother(?) who continues to fellowship those Pharisees who recognize the faith of the sectarians.

danny.brendoman.com
 
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