The False Prophet's Method

Since it is true that the false prophet’s motive is quantity and not quality (their motto is: “you have to get them there however you can”), then it is also true that his message will be one of easy salvation and easy discipleship – he will preach a message of a wide gate and broad way false gospel. But what also is logically true of the false prophet, are his methods. Since the false prophet is after quantity and not quality, his methods are out of line with God’s word.

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells us the differences between the false prophet’s methods and the true prophet’s methods by comparing a wise man (true prophet or true Christian) to a foolish man (false prophet or false Christian). The wise man hears the words of Jesus and acts on them while the foolish man hears the words of Jesus and does not act on them. The meaning and understanding of the passage is simple – the true prophet follows instructions and the false prophet ignores instructions. The true prophet trusts in the Lord with all his heart and does not lean on his own understanding while the false prophet trusts in himself with all his heart and leans on his own understanding. The true prophet goes by the Book while the false prophet does it his way. The true prophet says that you are to do nothing on your own initiative, but you are to look to see where God is at work and join Him there in His strategy for His purpose while the false prophet says that you are to discover the purpose of God and then you strategize how to fulfill it. The true prophet teaches you how to walk in faith – trusting the Lord with all your heart. The false prophet teaches you how to walk in the flesh – leaning on your own understanding.

So the first and most obvious method of the false prophet is he does not follow instructions – he does it his way leaning on his own understanding. He attempts to do the will of God his own way not following the Lord’s instructions. He uses his own ingenious ideas and thinks that the Lord is going to be pleased with his ingenuity. He has no time for instructions – he can figure this thing out. He is interested in quantity and not quality so the instructions only serve to hinder his efforts.

Another comparison between the methods of the true and false prophets is the true prophet isn’t in a hurry and doesn’t take short cuts while the false prophet is in a hurry and does take short cuts. The false prophet does not take the time to dig deep and lay a solid foundation taking whatever time is necessary to get the job done right. The false prophet isn’t interested in quality – he just wants quantity. The false prophet does not take the time to find out all he can from the Word of God and from history – his is a shallow foundation on sand. He is in a hurry and takes shortcuts in order to get “results.” For the false prophet, “if it works it must be right” so any method that seems to work he will use – even if it reeks of the flesh and the world. The false prophet thinks that God will allow any method as long as it works – but he has forgotten to check the instruction manual to see that that isn’t so.

The false prophet ends up deceiving himself and others because of his results. Men are prone to judging by appearance instead of making a righteous judgment and because the false prophet has “results” (quantity) he appears to be the true man of God when in reality he is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The true prophet is not in a hurry and takes the time to build on a solid foundation regardless if the false prophet appears to be a better and faster builder. The true prophet knows that the storm of the trying fire of God’s judgment is coming!

One last comparison between the methods of the true prophet and the false prophet leads us to the true prophet’s method of completing his assignment from the Lord while the false prophet’s method is of competing to see who can build the biggest, the fastest, and the most.

The true prophet doesn’t care what men think about his progress, he is only concerned with what God thinks and is interested in bringing glory to God by building God’s way. The false prophet does care about what men think about his progress, and believes that if men are pleased then surely God will be pleased also. But the sad reality is, the false prophet, is seeking his own glory, and not the glory of God. If he were seeking the glory of God, he would follow God’s instructions and take the time necessary to lay a proper foundation so that God would have the quality He is after and then God would receive the glory for His wisdom in the correct way to build. But the false prophet is too busy competing and never ends up completing God’s assignment because he believes that God is interested in quantity and not quality.

All through this passage of Scripture the truth jumps off the pages that God is interested in quality and not quantity. That is why the true man of God uses the narrow gate and the narrow way and the true man of God listens to and follows instructions, is not in a hurry, and is seeking after God’s glory and not his own.

Jesus' litmus test to determine a false prophet is this – is he interested in quantity or quality. If he is interested in quantity then he is a false prophet. If he is interested in quality then he is a true prophet.

The False Prophet's Motive

The false prophet’s message as found in Matthew 7:13-14 is one of easy salvation and easy discipleship. He uses a wide gate and a broad way that leads to destruction. It is from the false prophet’s message that you can begin to understand the false prophet’s motive. The false prophet uses the wide gate and the broad way because his motive is quantity and not quality. The false prophet wrongly assumes that God is more interested in quantity than He is in quality and therefore he brings many people through the wide gate false gospel.

Jesus is saying in Matthew 7:15-20 that the false prophet’s motive is quantity. Jesus said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits.”

Notice that our Lord Jesus Christ said that the false prophet has no quality of fruit – He did not say that the false prophet didn’t have quantity. Jesus made a “qualitative” statement when He called the fruit either “good” or “bad”. The Lord is interested in quality and not quantity but the false prophet is interested in quantity and not quality.

Jesus said the way to know a false prophet is by his fruit – if you want to know whether or not a man is a false prophet who is a wolf in sheep’s clothing, look at his fruit; look at his church members.

The false prophet proclaims a wide gate false gospel and a broad way false discipleship that perpetuates false Christianity, producing church members who are powerless professors of the faith, holding to a form of godliness (Christianity), although they have denied its power (2 Timothy 3:1-5).

The false prophet may have quantity but he will not have quality. Jesus didn’t say that he wouldn’t have fruit, but that he would have “bad” fruit. The way to find out what kind of fruit a man is producing is to ask, “Are his church members more interested in pleasure than they are in purity?” – “They will be lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” Are His church members more interested in the lottery than they are the Lord? – “They will be lovers of money” Are his church members more interested in their comfort than they are their character? – “They will be lovers of self.” Do his church members know that God’s top priority for the Christian’s life is his or her purity? “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Do his church members know that God’s top priority for His church is its purity? “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27). Do his church members know that Christ died for purity (quality)? – “Looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:13-14).

The false prophet’s motive is quantity and not quality – but God desires quality and it can only be obtained through the narrow gate and narrow way which produces the quality God wants.

The False Prophet's Message

Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it (Matthew 7:13-14).

Since it was Jesus the Son of God, the True Prophet, who told us that the true gospel was the narrow gate and the narrow way that leads to life then it is of necessity that all true prophets preach the narrow gate and the narrow way and that all false prophets preach the wide gate and broad way that leads to death. Simply put, this means that in the false prophet’s message there is no narrow gate and no narrow way. The false prophet preaches a wide gate (easy salvation) and a broad way (easy discipleship).

The false prophet’s message is one of a wide gate easy salvation. With the false prophet you can respond to Jesus without genuine repentance. With the false prophet you can be saved and still be your own lord doing your own thing. The false prophet’s message seeks to improve the “old-self” instead of crucifying the “old-self”.

Here is where the false prophet tricks people. He claims to be preaching the narrow gate because he is preaching Jesus Christ as the only name under heaven given whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). But in all honesty, he is preaching another Jesus, not the Jesus of Scripture. He is preaching a Jesus that will save you and allow you to be the lord of your own life or else he is preaching a Jesus that will be your Lord and let you be your own savior. He may even use the terms, “Jesus is Lord and Savior” but he is certain that you can be saved without having to die to sin and self.

The false prophet preaches an easy salvation of just turning to the Lord without turning from sin and forsaking all idols. Jesus Christ knew nothing of saving someone who was unwilling to turn from self and sin. “And someone came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?’ “And He said to him, ‘Why are you asking Me about what is good? There is only One who is good; but if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.’ Then he said to Him, ‘Which ones?’ And Jesus said, ‘You shall not commit murder; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and mother; and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ The young man said to Him, ‘All these things I have kept; what am I still lacking?’ Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to become complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow Me.’ But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property” (Matthew 19:16-22).

Jesus would not let the rich young man be saved and still hold onto his god of gold (riches). The narrow gate requires death to self and sin in order to enter and the person who dies holds on to nothing. Today’s false prophet would have said to this young man, “Just add Jesus to your life and you can enter in.” He would have told him, “The gate is wide enough that you can bring your love of self and your love of money and your love of pleasure right on in."

The false prophet offers turning to Jesus without turning from sin. That is a false repentance that will not save. True salvation requires the forsaking of self and sin and idolatry. The false prophet’s repentance isn’t actually repentance but instead is response without repentance. His is an easy salvation through a wide gate.

The apostle Paul knew nothing of an easy salvation. He knew that true salvation meant coming through the narrow gate with true repentance. He told the Thessalonian believers that they had “turned to God from idols” to serve a living and true God. The false prophet’s message is a wide gate false gospel that says turn to God but fails to mention turning from idols. In essence, the false prophet’s message says that you can be saved and still have your sin and still have control of your life. There is no narrow gate in the false prophet’s message although there appears to be one because he offers a counterfeit and false repentance that turns someone to God without demanding the death of self and sin.

If you will listen closely you will discover that the majority of today’s evangelism is of the wide gate false gospel variety that leads to destruction and perpetuates the apostasy that the Bible says must take place before the Lord returns.

Not only is there no narrow gate in the false prophet’s preaching, there is also no narrow way in the false prophet’s preaching. The false prophet offers a wide gate easy salvation and a broad way easy discipleship. The false prophet will not dwell on or deal with the hard and negative teachings of Scripture. The false prophet only preaches partial truths – the ones that make people feel good or comfortable. He will not proclaim the whole counsel of God.

The false prophet is never persecuted for his preaching. He has a comfortable and comforting message which is not offensive to the natural man and is especially not offensive to deceived religious people. The false prophet is praised by just about everybody. The false prophet is all things to all men in the sense that he makes it “easy” for people to enter and easy for people to follow because in his preaching there is no narrow gate and no narrow way. The false prophet preaches without the offense of the cross. He preaches comforting self-help messages. In his book, An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, Arthur Pink (1886-1952) said about false prophets, “There is nothing in their preaching which searches the conscience and renders the empty professor uneasy, nothing which humbles and causes their hearers to mourn before God; but rather that which puffs up, makes them pleased with themselves and to rest content in a false assurance” (Arthur W. Pink, An Exposition of the Sermon on the Mount (Baker Book House: Grand Rapids, Michigan) 1959 [First printing 1950]).

The false prophet preaches about good things that are non-confrontational and non-threatening while leaving out that best things that are at the top of God’s priority list for His people. The false prophet is interested in getting large crowds through the wide gate and not in growing loyal Christians. He is interested in people's happiness and not their holiness; he is interested in people's pleasure and not their purity; he is interested in quantity and not quality and therefore he omits major parts of God’s Word.

The Bible says that the false prophet’s message never disturbs and never makes you feel uncomfortable – that it is a message of comfort and hope and not a message of conviction and holiness. The Bible makes it plain that in the last days – during the age of apostasy – people will desire the preaching and teaching of the false prophet and the true prophet will not be liked but will be looking for a place to preach. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

False believers don’t like true preaching that has sound doctrine that disturbs. Instead of enduring sound doctrine, the so-called believers in the last days (which we are in) will heap to themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires who will “tickle” their ears. This is exactly what happened in the Old Testament too and we are told in the New Testament to look at the false prophets of the Old Testament because New Testament false prophets will be the same type as the Old Testament false prophets, preaching the same kind of messages. “But false prophets also arose among the people (the Israelites of the Old Testament), just as there will also be false teachers among you (2 Peter 2:1).

So, what were they like? This is how they are described:

They were preachers of comforting messages – “They have lied about the Lord and said, ‘Not He; misfortune will not come on us, and we will not see sword or famine’” (Jeremiah 5:12). They were no different from the lying false prophets today who only preach comforting messages and never deal with the depravity of man, the sin of God's people, and the wrath of God against all unrighteousness.

They were preachers of superficial healing – “They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14). They put band-aids on cancer. They deal with the fruit but never the root.

They were preachers who preached the kind of messages people like – “An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule on their own authority; and My people love it so! But what will you do at the end of it?” (Jeremiah 5:30-31). They tickled people’s ears.

They were preachers who preached without any disturbing doctrines – “For this is a rebellious people, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord; who say to the seers, ‘You must not see visions’; and to the prophets, ‘You must not prophesy to us what is right, speak to us pleasant words, prophesy illusions. Get out of the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel’” (Isaiah 30:9-11). They preached on the love of God but not the wrath of God. They preached on God’s mercy but not His justice.

They were preachers who preached response without repentance – “They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The Lord has said, “You will have peace”’ and as for everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart, they say, ‘Calamity will not come upon you’” (Jeremiah 23:17). “I did not send these prophets, but they ran. I did not speak to them, but they prophesied. But if they had stood in My council, then they would have announced My words to My people, and would have turned them back from their evil way and from their evil deeds”” (Jeremiah 23:21-22).

The false prophet’s message is one of easy salvation (no narrow gate but a wide gate) and easy discipleship (no narrow way but a broad way).

Adulterating the Word of God

•  “We have renounced the things hidden because of shame, not walking in craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but by the manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God” (2 Corinthians 4:2 NASB). There are several movements among evangelicals today that have the “hidden agenda” (secretly introduced destructive heresy) to depart from the Word of God by adulterating (watering down) the Word. The word “adulterating” is the Greek verb doloo, from dolos, which means deceit (to catch with bait), to ensnare, to corrupt with error. Used of adulterating gold or wine (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament, pg. 436). Wine would be adulterated, corrupted with error, by “cutting” it with water. It was the “crafty” businessman who “deceitfully handled” his clients by “watering down” the wine that he sold them. O the shame of evangelicals who think that they must dilute, water down, and adulterate God’s Word in order to make it acceptable. The so-called logic behind this lunacy is “cultural relevance.” This is the false idea that the Word of God is “irrelevant” to today’s culture and that the “minister” has the responsibility to “understand the times” and make God’s Word relevant, as though God is incapable of communicating in this present cultural context. According to this philosophy (doctrine of demons) our culture no longer accepts truth as absolute so God’s Word has to become ambiguous without a clear “Thus says the Lord.”
  

The New Gospel: Appealing But Not Revealing By Jim Elliff

It cannot be overstated that the most pressing issue in the American church at present is the prevalence of unregenerate church members within our ranks. When the current surveys of American life place those who call themselves believers in Christ about the seventieth percentile and climbing, conservative Christians ought to finally awaken to the immensity of the problem. Deception is pandemic. It is as if a modern Constantine christianized the masses while we were asleep.

Spurgeon said, “Everyone has a religious spasm or two.” More “spasms” have been taken to be true conversion in our day than perhaps in any other day of our existence as a nation, notably within evangelicalism. We have never looked fatter. But our corpulent appearance is like cotton candy: when you melt it down, there is not much to it. Now we find ourselves struggling over the meaning of conversion. But we have not done our homework early enough and the problem is already out of hand. In message and method we have, in fact, often erred. The sowing of bad seed has produced massive crop failure yet unprecedented statistics. It is getting harder to find wheat among the tares.

It is the complicity of the evangelical church in this deception, either through misinformed enthusiasm or love for repute, that is the most disturbing. We have poured over materials on methodology for bringing people in and used our theology books for doorstops. We have entertained more cleverly than ever before and made the outside world feel good again about the idea of church. We have been quiet enough about sin to make it worth their while to show up repeatedly and perhaps even to join. We have taught them how to act Christian without conviction, to praise God without loving holiness, and, as one has said, to say “Amen” without saying “Oh me!” Is it any wonder that when our converts leave the services, they take the pastor’s hand and say, “It surely is fun to be in this place” rather than “Surely God is in this place”?

I am not saying that God disallows laughter and fun in our lives or that Christians cannot come together to enjoy each other. But I am saying that seeking the face of God turns us in a definite direction which cannot be confused with entertainment or superficiality. Our approach to worship in the States has not only entertained us but unfortunately has presented to unbelievers around us a view of God that is not true. It is a fatal flaw.

There is a product, I am told, called “Near-Beer.” I am not a beer drinker and have never personally seen a can of this variety. I assume it is a type of drink that tastes like the real but lacks the effects. Perhaps a similar way we have created a “Near-God.” Can we not say that the God we have created is somewhat like God in appearance but without the effect? He is a “chummy” God without the “bite” of holiness. He indulges and never inconveniences. He forgives and never disciplines. His name is Savior but not Lord, except as a title of respect.

Our appeals to the unconverted naturally flow out of our views. We invite them to a happy life without passing on the direct message from the true God that he “commands all people everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30) and that he categorically declares “...without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). We are preaching a one-sided gospel. Should we not press home the fact that “Lord” is not just a title but has been carefully defined by Jesus in Luke 6:46 when he said, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?”

Just how far do we accommodate the sinner before we compromise the gospel? Whatever this relationship is between “being all things to all men” (which seems to draw more people up to conversion) and holding up the standard of holiness (which seems to drive them away), we know that all true evangelists experience the push and pull of it. Such a pattern can be found in Christ’s ministry. He brought them close by food and miracles and then scared them off by the demands of discipleship and the stark nature of the truth itself (Lk. 14:25-33). That is, he scared off all but the called.

The disturbing thing about the American church in general is that our mentality about evangelism does not reflect Christ’s. We often correctly lead the unbelievers up to the door of salvation but then reconstruct the door wide enough for them and their rebellion. We cannot stand for the truth to create resistance. We have a hard enough time with our image anyway. (Nobody wants to be a leader in the Church Loss Movement!)

For our American churches, the absence of two defining negatives should make us think something is awry:

1. Few, if any, hate us for the right reasons.

Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.“ (Jn. 15:18-19).

Now I am not saying that we are not hated at all. But for the most part, we are hated for our clownish behavior on some T.V. programs, our constant fleecing of the people, our nineteenth century traditions, and our notorious sins and hypocrisy. We assume that outsiders know much of what appears to be Christian is not really so...but do they?

We have become despised for a few political and social reasons. This is as it should be. It illustrates the point. Conservatives have taken a stand on abortion, for instance. It is of extreme importance. But how many people have hated the church for godliness in our everyday lives? Yet Paul said, “...everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted...” (2 Tim. 3:13). For such separated living, “they heap abuse on you,” Peter states (1 Peter 4:4b). We must live at peace with all men “if it is possible” (Rom. 12:18), but godliness increases the friction often faster than we can oil the friendship. We can thankfully escape the provocations of legalism, but godliness, like it or not, remains a rebuke.

2. Few, if any, are offended by the message we preach.

Polite and clever homilies may comfort sinners, but they do little to convert sinners. We are in danger of making everybody feel so good by our messages that they no longer perceive a need for regeneration. Do outsiders need salvation (that is, deliverance from the penalty and practice of sin and its judgment) or merely sanctified “how to’s” on becoming more successful? Such messages are appealing but not revealing.

Let me restate this: Our message has paled and become effeminate because it fails to expose the dilemma of the human condition in any convincing way and virtually forgets the judgment to follow. We have preached in such a way as to cause people to say, “Saved from what?” All that is left is to appeal exclusively on the basis of the proper (indeed, pleasing) psychological adjustment Christianity gives to life. To the degree we move the fulcrum in our presentation so as to give the weight to the psychological benefits, to that degree we remove the offense. No wonder the people want it. It ruffles no feathers. “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3). The biblical answer to this predicament is to “preach the Word...correct, rebuke, and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2).

Let’s face it: our gospel is offensive. The cross and faith are offensive because they take meritorious works and send them packing. Repentance and the call to holiness are offensive because man prefers to run from the light. The narrowness of the door is offensive because it sours people on God’s open-mindedness. God’s sovereignty is offensive because humans like to call the shots. No wonder Paul was straight with Timothy from the outset and said, “...join me in suffering for the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:8b). It makes sense now why he said, concerning faithful gospel expression, that “it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him...” (Phil. 1:29). If you are looking for a challenge, join up. Giving the true gospel in its pure form is like feeding liver to a preschooler—no way!

When is the last time you heard or spoke the gospel in such a way that the people said, “This is a hard teaching—who can accept it?” and then watched them turn on their heels and walk out? Yet that is what they did to Christ (see Jn. 6:60-69). This was not an isolated experience for the greatest evangelist. This persistent clashing of words and world-views continued unabated all the way up to the cross! He brought a sword, not peace. Self-manipulating such violent rejection of the gospel for the sake of proving one’s spiritual verve is unthinkable. Yet we must ask the question: Could it be possible that we have improved the gospel beyond what Jesus ever knew? Can we now outsell the Master?

But this must be seen: On that day, when Jesus “lost his crowd,” twelve men did stay behind (though Judas for his reasons). They said what every true believer says: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” (Jn. 6:68-69). And that is the amazing thing. The gospel which is always offensive, mitigating against the fallen nature of man, this holy gospel which is always repelled by the world, found willing admission. Here we find the exception. Here we see some who find this resisted Gospel irresistible...indeed, in it alone they say they find life!

I think we have missed the idea of the gospel. It is not a big flypaper to catch busy executives and unsuspecting children. The objective is not just catching men but glorifying God. We have not said all of what the gospel means when we convince people that our way makes more people genuinely happy than theirs. These gospel words go down hard, and, correctly stated, often seem to be utterly foolish. They appeal to no one except those who are prepared by God. Christ plainly stated: “No one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him” (Jn. 6:65).

Is it not time to speak as viscerally as Paul did, holding back nothing, but lovingly and accurately setting forward the offensive cross? He didn’t give them what they wanted: he gave them what they needed. We can risk such boldness as well. “Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:22-24). Do not worry: the called will find the cross appealing even if the world cries foul.

Must we expect small numbers and churches that are martyrs’ hospitals? Yes and no. Yes, if God so chooses, if God allows the spirit of the age to prevail. No, whenever God grants any measure of awakening, however widely, so as to open hearts “en masse.” God has His seasons for each and His reasons for all.

Have we no longer a category for spiritual giants who have been true to God without all that registers as signs of success in corporate America? Think through our history. There have been sturdy men in shaken times (have there not?), tender men in calloused times, revived men in reviling times. Compelling men in repelling times. We have honored them and the God who made them. We stand upon their shoulders.

Now even though most giants of Christian history would appear short of the goal on church growth charts due to the absolute strictness of their gospel, in all our emulation and reverence for them, there can be no excuses on our part for a lack of zeal or freshness in evangelism. We must not try to reach less people in order to prove our doctrinal correctness. We are not called to be “soft men in fine raiment,” refusing to soil our hands in the business of knowing and loving sinners just because the gate is narrow.

On the other hand God will not permit the preaching of a half-gospel in this wholly pagan age out of deference to the sinner. The gospel remains a serrated and sharp knife, killing, not just wounding, sinners before the balm is applied. It is not our prerogative to let divine opportunity go unused; nor do we have liberty to dribble out gospel half-truths.

A primitive and unaltered gospel must be preached; the pure and potent God must be known. There must be no more sitcom sermons. We must not reduce the foolishness of preaching to the foolishness of man. Our services can no longer be staged plays to entertain or even moralize in comfortable categories only. We cannot continue to forget sin and hell and repentance and justice and conviction and holiness as if we are more sophisticated than Christ. We must ask again, “What are sinners supposed to feel in the presence of a holy God?”

Copyright 1994 Christian Communicators Worldwide, Inc.201 Main, Parkville, MO 64152 USAPermission granted for not-for-sale reproduction in exact form including copyrightOther uses require written permission. Write for additional materials. http://www.ccwonline.org/appeal.html

The Nature of Christ's Salvation Misrepresented by the Present-day "Evangelist."

The nature of Christ's salvation is woefully misrepresented by the present-day "evangelist." He announces a Savior from hell rather than a Savior from sin. And that is why so many are fatally deceived, for there are multitudes who wish to escape the Lake of fire who have no desire to be delivered from their carnality and worldliness. The very first thing said of Him in the New Testament is, "Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people (not "from the wrath to come," but) from their sins." (Matt. 1:21) Christ is a Savior for those realizing something of the exceeding sinfulness of sin, who feel the awful burden of it on their conscience, who loathe themselves for it, who long to be freed from its terrible dominion; and a Savior for no others. Were He to "save from hell" those still in love with sin, He would be a Minister of sin, condoning their wickedness and siding with them against God. What an unspeakably horrible and blasphemous thing with which to charge the Holy One! Arthur W. Pink

The Coming Counterfeit Revival is Clarified

We have seen the problem, the product and the procedure of the coming counterfeit revival and that brings us to a very important theological question: What is the purpose of the coming counterfeit revival?

The coming counterfeit revival is a just and judicial judgment of God on all who will not believe the truth but takes pleasure in wickedness – “For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). This is the same truth expressed by Jesus when He gave His purpose for speaking in parables – “To you (who have received the truth) it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (who have rejected the truth) it has not been granted” (Matthew 13:11).

People who would dare fashion Christ into their own liking and not receive the truth revealed about Him in the Scriptures are sure to fall for Satan’s counterfeit and be judged by God. And rightly so – they have rejected God’s truth about Jesus and themselves and have in essence called God a liar. By examining the coming counterfeit revival we actually get to glimpse the wisdom and glory of God who is not mocked. There is coming a great divide between the true church and the counterfeit church and it will happen when the counterfeit revival gathers up and bundles up the counterfeit Christians – and millions will think it is a real revival! And then – the rapture! God will have used the devil to clean up His church and Jesus will come and get His bride in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; and she will be holy and blameless (Ephesians 5:27). What a mighty God we serve!

Have you understood and received the love of the truth that Jesus the sinless died for you the sinner in order that he might sanctify you and that you might love Him as your supreme treasure? The gospel tells us how worthy He is and how unworthy we are – and yet He died for us while we were yet sinners! Has that truth revealed to you His glory and broken your heart over your wretchedness to the point that you are willing to see yourself as dead with Christ on the cross and buried with Christ in the tomb so that you can be raised up to walk in newness of life under His Lordship – with Him taking control of you and living His life through you to the glory of God? Can you honestly say, “I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” (Galatians 2:20)? Receive the Jesus of the Bible and love Him – not the one that Satan offers and is after your own making and liking. Therefore take heed that the thing spoken of in the Bible will not come upon you!

The Coming Counterfeit Revival is Classified

The coming counterfeit revival is not only prophesied, it is also classified. In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the elements of the counterfeit revival are classified. These elements are there but they are not understood by all because of their classification. Jesus said, “To you (you who have received the truth) it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them (those who have rejected the truth) it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand” (Matthew 13:11-13). These truths are classified for the purpose of judgment.

First we notice that there is a contrast between two sowers and two kinds of seed. One sower sows good seed. This is the Son of Man and the good seed are the sons of the kingdom. The Son of Man sows the true gospel, good seed, and it produces true Christians, sons of the kingdom. The other sower sows tares (weeds that look like wheat). This is the devil and the weed seeds are the sons of the evil one. The devil sows bad seed, weed seeds, a false and degenerate gospel, and it produces children of the devil – counterfeit Christians. So there we have the problem – a counterfeit gospel and a counterfeit preacher – and its product – counterfeit Christians – children of the evil one who believe that they are children of God. Don’t forget that these truths are classified for the purpose of judgment. Men and women who want nothing to do with the glorious God of the Bible but instead want to believe in a God after their own making will believe in the devil’s alternative and counterfeit and will be judged and condemned.

Next we notice the classification of the procedure of the coming counterfeit revival. “Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, ‘First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn’” (Matthew 13:30).

This procedure of gathering up the tares and binding them in bundles – first – speaks of the apostasy; the coming counterfeit revival. Before the wheat (sons of the kingdom) are gathered into the barn, the tares (sons of the evil one) are gathered up in bundles. Before the rapture – the gathering of the wheat into the barn – the apostasy must come first – gathering and bundling of the tares.

The coming counterfeit revival is prophesied in God’s Word and the problem – a counterfeit gospel and counterfeit preachers; the product – counterfeit Christians; and the procedure – counterfeit revival – are classified in God’s Word.

The Coming Counterfeit Revival is Prophesied

The Bible tells us of a coming counterfeit revival before the return of the Lord that will be both of such magnitude as to deceive the whole world and of such persuasion as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. This counterfeit revival will be a judgment of God on those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. God has not hidden the truth that there is coming a counterfeit revival – He has warned us of its coming – and it is every person’s responsibility to know what God has said in the Bible on this subject. It is to this end that we examine the Scriptures to see whether these things are so. This coming counterfeit revival is prophesied, classified and clarified in the Bible. Therefore take heed that the thing spoken of will not come upon you.

The Coming Counterfeit Revival is Prophesied

The Bible doesn’t hide the fact that the last days will be days of great deception. We are told of an increase in false prophets, false Christs, deceiving spirits, and doctrines of demons. The outcome will be a counterfeit revival and this too is prophesied in the Bible. “Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

The apostasy the Bible is talking about is the counterfeit revival. The apostasy is a turning away from the truth and turning to lies disguised as the truth. The last days will seem like days of great revival with multitudes holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power.

This apostasy, this departure from the true gospel, will culminate in a counterfeit revival to the extent that it will appear to be a turning to truth instead of a departure from truth. And because men are prone to judge by appearance rather than make a righteous judgment, pragmatism (if it gets results it must be true) will rule the day and many will turn to lies disguised as truth and believe this to be revival.

The apostasy that must come first before the Lord comes and we are gathered together to Him is tied in the Bible to the man of lawlessness – the antichrist. This apostasy, this counterfeit revival, will result in the manifestation of the man of lawlessness, the counterfeit Christ. Many fancy that they would never be deceived by the antichrist but the Bible prophesies that many will be deceived and that many of those believe themselves to be true Christians when they are in fact counterfeit Christians.

For there to be a counterfeit revival presupposes that there will be a counterfeit gospel and counterfeit preachers and counterfeit Christians and a counterfeit Christ; all of which the Bible clearly and unmistakably prophesies. We are told of another Jesus, a different spirit, a different gospel, and false apostles disguising themselves as apostles of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:3-15). This being true, we would be wise to heed the admonition of the Scripture and “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints. For certain persons have crept in unnoticed…ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4). “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

The Bible’s prophecy of the coming counterfeit revival is so strong that we read these words: “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance” (Matthew 24:24-25). “Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness” (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). This is the apostasy; this is the coming counterfeit revival that is prophesied.

The Eschatology of the Postmodern Movements

The soteriology (doctrine of salvation) of the Postmodern Movements is man-centered and not God-centered, and is at its root either Pelagianism or semi-Pelagianism, denying the fallenness of man or affirming that man has fallen but not completely. In essence, both Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism, claim that man isn't really all that bad and he just needs a little help. But that isn't what the Bible teaches on the subject! The Bible teaches that man is "dead in trespasses and sin", "there is none good, not even one", and "no one can come to Me unless it is granted to Him by My Father." So in the foundational doctrine of salvation the Postmodern Movements depart from the Word of God which is the first symptom of apostasy.

What people believe about soteriology will affect their ecclesiology (doctrine of the church). In their attempt to "give man who isn't really all that bad the help that he needs," the Postmodern Movements of our day highjack God's design for the church and defile themselves with the world which is the logical and second symptom of apostasy. These apostate movements have no idea what God's design for the church really is! But do we really expect them to understand ecclesiology when they don't understand soteriology? Having departed from God's Word in soteriology they have departed from God's Word in ecclesiology and are defiling themselves with the world.

Not only does what people believe about soteriology affect what they believe about ecclesiology, it also affects what they believe about eschatology (doctrine of end-times). This is how it works with these Postmodern Movements: (1) believing that man isn't really all that bad and just needs a little help, (2) they hijack God's design for the church and turn it into a "gathering place for man who isn't really all that bad but just needs a little help, therefore defiling themselves with the world as they use "man-centered" approaches to get them to come, and (3) using these worldly methods to meet the needs of men is a form of "utilitarian religion" (uses God for selfish and sinful reasons) and appeals to the flesh. These worldy methods will work to "bring men in" and this is why the Postmodern Movements believe that they are working toward a world-wide revival!

But again, the Bible doesn't teach a coming world-wide revival before the Lord returns. On the contrary! The Bible actually teaches a coming world-wide delusion disguised as a revival before the Lord returns "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him...Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first..." (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 3). The apostasy that must come first is the coming counterfeit revival that is a result of apostates deceiving themselves with their works which is the third symptom of apostasy!

This is also what the Lord Jesus taught in His parable of the tares of the field. He taught a coming counterfeit revival (apostasy) that would precede our gathering together to Him - "And in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 'First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up, but gather the wheat into my barn'" (Matthew 13:30).

Notice that the tares (counterfeit Christians) are gathered up first in bundles - this speaks of the counterfeit revival that comes first before the wheat (true Christians) are gathered to Jesus. This counterfeit revival will serve a two-fold purpose: (1) it will separate the tares from the wheat, and (2) it is the judgment of God on pragmatic, philosophic, and humanistic rejecters of the truth of God - "Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness" (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12).

The soteriology of the Postmodern Movements is wrong; the ecclesiology of the Postmodern Movements is wrong; and the eschatology of the Postmodern Movements is wrong! They depart from the Word of God, defile themselves with the world, and deceive themselves and others with their works. They are apostates ushering in The Apostasy! Let no one in any way deceive you!

The Ecclesiology of the Postmodern Movements

The soteriology (doctrine of salvation) of the Postmodern Movements is man-centered and not God-centered, and is at its root either Pelagianism or semi-Pelagianism, denying the fallenness of man or affirming that man has fallen but not completely. In essence, both Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism, claim that man isn't really all that bad and he just needs a little help. But that isn't what the Bible teaches on the subject! The Bible teaches that man is "dead in trespasses and sin", "there is none good, not even one", and "no one can come to Me unless it is granted to Him by My Father." So in the foundational doctrine of salvation the Postmodern Movements depart from the Word of God which is the first symptom of apostasy.

What one believes about soteriology will affect their ecclesiology (doctrine of the church). In their attempt to "give man who isn't really all that bad the help that he needs," the Postmodern Movements of our day highjack God's design for the church and defile themselves with the world which is the logical and second symptom of apostasy. These apostate movements have no idea what God's design for the church really is! But do we really expect them to understand ecclesiology when they don't understand soteriology? Having departed from God's Word in soteriology they have departed from God's Word in ecclesiology and are defiling themselves with the world.

God reveals His design for His church in His Word. For a sound doctrine of soteriology one needs to study the book of Romans and for a sound doctrine of ecclesiology one needs to study the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians we come to understand that God's design for His church is the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry. We also come to understand what an equipped saint is like - "As a result (of being equipped), we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming (Ephesians 4:14). And we also have the picture of the equipped saint as one that has on the full armor of God - "so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:11-12).

This is not the goal of the Postmodern Movements in ecclesiology! Their goal is to "be like the world to win the world" and use every "gospel gimmick" under the sun to bring people to church. They believe that the church is the "evangelizing place of sinners" rather than the "equipping place of the saints." The evangelizing of sinners is primarily to take place by the equipped saints as they go into all the world.

You cannot equip the saints while evangelizing sinners - the saints have already been evangelized and that is why they are saints. You cannot evangelize sinners while equipping the saints - sinners have not been evangelized and therefore cannot be equipped. The church is not the evangelizing place it is the equipping place so that equipped saints go and evangelize sinners. To do so means that one is entering enemy territory and he or she must be properly equipped for the battle that will ensue. That is God's true design for the church.

The Soteriology of the Postmodern Movements

What one believes about soteriology (the doctrine of salvation) is foundational to every other theological category and will affect those categories accordingly! If the foundation is wrong then everything else built on it will not be right. In the next several posts I want to show how the Postmodern Movements of our day have a philosophy of salvation and not a theology of salvation and how that affects their ecclesiology (doctrine of the church) and their eschatology (doctrine of end-times).

As to the soteriology (doctrine of salvation) of the Postmodern Movements, they are man-centered and not God-centered. The movement as a whole can be traced back to bad roots in the area of soteriology. Primarily it is Pelagian and/or semi-Pelagian at its roots. "Pelagianism denies the fallenness of our nature; it denies original sin."

Semi-Pelagianism says, "Yes, there was a fall; yes, there is such a thing as original sin; yes, the constituent nature of humanity has been changed by this state of corruption and all parts of our humanity have been significantly weakened by the fall, so much so that without the assistance of divine grace nobody can possibly be redeemed, so that grace is not only helpful but it’s absolutely necessary for salvation. While we are so fallen that we can’t be saved without grace, we are not so fallen that we don’t have the ability to accept or reject the grace when it’s offered to us. The will is weakened but is not enslaved. There remains in the core of our being an island of righteousness that remains untouched by the fall. It’s out of that little island of righteousness, that little parcel of goodness that is still intact in the soul or in the will that is the determinative difference between heaven and hell. It’s that little island that must be exercised when God does his thousand steps of reaching out to us, but in the final analysis it’s that one step that we take that determines whether we go to heaven or hell — whether we exercise that little righteousness that is in the core of our being or whether we don’t."

In essence, both Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism, claim that man isn't really all that bad and he just needs a little help. But that isn't what the Bible teaches on the subject! The Bible teaches that man is "dead in trespasses and sin", "there is none good, not even one", and "no one can come to Me unless it is granted to Him by My Father." "The semi-Pelagian doctrine of free will prevalent in the evangelical world today is a pagan view that denies the captivity of the human heart to sin. It underestimates the stranglehold that sin has upon us."

Also inherent in Pelagianism and semi-Pelagianism is the idea that "God helps those who help themselves." And again that is not what the Bible teaches. The Bible teaches that "God helps those who cannot help themselves."

Salvation is by grace alone! Only the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and therefore all the man-centered gospel gimmicks are doomed to failure. There may be those caught up in the Postmodern Movements that claim to be "reformed in theology" but their methods betray them - "They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him" (Titus 1:16).

The Symptoms of Apostasy (part 3)

In Hosea 8:1-14, God reveals the symptoms of apostasy as seen in the apostasy of His people in that day. The symptoms are: (1) Apostates depart from the Word of God (1-7), (2) Apostates defile themselves with the world (8-10), and (3) apostates deceive themselves with their works (11-14). As we reason from the Scriptures and search them daily to see if these things are so we will begin to see and understand the dangers of the Postmodern Movements of our day that are fanning the flames and fueling the fires of apostasy in our days.

Apostates Deceive Themselves with their Works (Hosea 8:11-14)

Since apostates depart from the Word of God which is the first symptom of apostasy, the next logical outcome is that they defile themselves with the world which is the second symptom of apostasy, and the next and final logical outcome is that they deceive themselves with their works which is the third symptom of apostasy. God's Word shows us how this dangerous and deluding deception works!

First, apostates multiply worship centers (8:11). Apostates confuse the multiplication of false worship with the blessings of God – “Since Ephraim has multiplied altars for sin, they have become altars of sinning for him.” Today it is all about the numbers gained and the churches started. Apostates have forgotten the laws of God in the physical realm and the Word of God in the spiritual realm – weeds are more proficient in multiplication than useful fruit plants, dangerous organisms multiply faster than useful ones, and only a little leaven leavens the whole lump – the mystery of iniquity.

Next, apostates misapply God's Word (8:12). "Though I wrote for him ten thousand precepts of My law, they are regarded as a strange thing." To apostates, God's Word is to be twisted and toyed with in an attempt to make it relevant and not strange. Apostates believe that the Word of God applies to those outside the church and not to the church. Apostates want to impose God’s demands in the courthouse but not in the church-house. Apostates believe that the judgment of God does not pertain to the church but to the pagan, forgetting that judgment begins with the household of God first!

Then, apostates misapply God's sacrificial gift (8:13). Apostates partake of God’s sacrificial gift with no intention of changing and with no deep heart gratitude for God and His Provision for the forgiveness of sins. Apostates offer a Jesus who will save you but not rule you. Theirs is a utilitarian Christ - a "magic genie" to get you out of hell and let you remain in your sin and idolatry. Therefore, they turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (Jude 4). Misapplication of God’s sacrificial gift results in sins not being forgiven and the anger and wrath of God still abiding on the apostate. "But the Lord has taken no delight in them. Now He will remember their iniquity, and punish them for their sins; they will return to Egypt." Because apostates misapply God’s sacrificial gift, they are still lovers of self, lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God; holding to a form of godliness although they have denied its power (see 2 Timothy 3:1-5).

And finally, apostates multiply bigger buildings (8:14). Apostates think that “bigness” equals “blessing.” If it is big then God must be pleased and the bigness is a sign of God’s blessing. Apostates judge by appearance rather than making a righteous judgment based on the Word of God. Apostates are very pragmatic - they have no other recourse for determining truth. Apostates believe that quantity is everything and they strive to obtain it - even resorting to opening a "wide-gate" that is warned about in Scripture!

Because apostates "get results" by departing from the Word and defiling themselves with the world, they deceive themselves and many others also with their works. This in turn produces a counterfeit revival of which we are warned in the Bible - "Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him....Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed...." (2 Thessalonians 2:1-3).

There is a coming counterfeit revival!

The Symptoms of Apostasy (part 2)

In Hosea 8:1-14, God reveals the symptoms of apostasy as seen in the apostasy of His people in that day. The symptoms are: (1) Apostates depart from the Word of God (1-7), (2) Apostates defile themselves with the world (8-10), and (3) apostates deceive themselves with their works (11-14). As we reason from the Scriptures and search them daily to see if these things are so we will begin to see and understand the dangers of the Postmodern Movements of our day that are fanning the flames and fueling the fires of apostasy in our days.

Apostates Defile Themselves with the World (Hosea 8:8-10)

Since apostates depart from the Word of God - the first symptom of apostasy - the next logical outcome is that they defile themselves with the world - the second symptom of apostasy.

These verses show us in reverse order the influence of the world on people who compromise with it! The order of being influenced by the world is shown to us in the Bible as first, becoming friends with the world (James 4:4); second, becoming lovers of the world (1 John 2:15); and third, becoming conformed to the world (Romans 12:2). We will take them in the reverse order as seen Hosea 8:8-10.

Apostates conform to the world (8:8). Against the clear admonition of the Scriptures, apostates conform to the world and become unclean vessels unworthy of dispensing the Gospel. Instead of transforming the world, apostates conform to the world and in their attempt to be relevant they become irrelevant! Instead of having contact without contamination - they become a vessel in which no one delights. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..." (Romans 12:2).

Apostates are lovers of the world (8:9). No one is conformed to the world who is not a lover of the world. Bringing in the “esteemed of the world” in order to be “seeker-sensitive, purpose-driven, or emergent” is nothing short of loving the world that is anti-God and anti-Christ. Apostates hire lovers - "Ephraim has hired lovers" (8:9). "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15).

Apostates are friends with the world (8:10). Apostates do not get to the point of being conformed to the world and loving the world overnight. They start with a step in the wrong direction – they start by being friends with the world. God is never pleased with the attempt of His people to be like the world in order to win the world. “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility towards God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4-5).

An Exposition of the Symptoms of Apostasy (part 1)

In Hosea 8:1-14, God reveals the symptoms of apostasy as seen in the apostasy of His people in that day. The symptoms are: (1) Apostates depart from the Word of God (1-7), (2) Apostates defile themselves with the world (8-10), and (3) apostates deceive themselves with their works (11-14). As we reason from the Scriptures and search them daily to see if these things are so we will begin to see and understand the dangers of the Postmodern Movements of our day that are fanning the flames and fueling the fires of apostasy in our days.

Apostates depart from the Word of God (Hosea 8:1-7)

First, apostates transgress God's covenant and law (8:1). Apostates do not stay in the boundaries of God's Word. They replace theology with philosophy and obedience with rebellion. Apostates are not interested in and will not "stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it" (Jeremiah 6:16). Apostates are interested in "new paths" (neology) and not "ancient paths" (theology)!

Apostate churches and movements depart from God's Word in three major areas: (1) instead of a sound doctrinal theology of soteriology (salvation), they have a philosophy (strange doctrine) of soteriology (Pelagianism, inclusivism, and ecumenism) rather than the sound biblical doctrine of the depravity of man, the exclusive nature of salvation in Jesus Christ alone, and the separation of God’s people from religious harlots, (2) instead of a sound doctrinal theology of ecclesiology (the church), they have a philosophy of ecclesiology (man-centered, seeker-sensitive, purpose driven, emerging church) which exists for the entertainment and assimilation of the sinner rather than the equipping and sanctifying of the saint, and (3) instead of a sound doctrinal theology of eschatology (end-times), they have a philosophy of eschatolgy (no persecution, no tribulation, and possibly even no rapture – just the ushering in of the millennial kingdom). Totally neglected is the biblical doctrine of the apostasy that must come first before the Lord returns, the great increase in deceiving spirits, and the ushering in of the Antichrist.

Next, apostates profess to know God but are unwilling to be obedient to His Word (8:2). They are loud in profession of faith but lean in possession of faith. They claim knowledge and obedience while in disobedience.

Then, apostates reject the good (8:3). They reject God's will and God's way as found in God's Word. They lean on their own understanding and scheming and strategizing and it will result in their captivity to the enemy. They replace theology with philosophy.

Also, apostates leave God out of their decisions and bring idols into their religion (8:4-6). They choose their leaders without the direction and input of God as found in His Word and depend on political maneuvers and power wars in their attempt to get “their man” to the top. Apostate churches today leave God and His word out of their decision making processes for selecting leaders, they lower the standards of God, and look to the world as a model for leadership principles. They trust in their beautiful buildings, big budgets, and better blueprints for ministry – “with their silver and gold they have made idols for themselves.”

Finally, apostates sow to the wind and reap the whirlwind (8:7). They sow to the flesh and reap judgment. Instead of trusting in the Lord with all their hearts which would result in their obedience to God’s Word, they lean on their own understanding (sowing to the flesh) and reap corruption (judgment).

The Symptoms of Apostasy

I have recently been asked to reveal why I believe that the Postmodern Movements of our day are wrong or to put it another way; what I consider to be poisonous in their doctrines. This is no trivial matter, having serious ramifications either for these movements as apostate deceivers or for myself as an apostate deceiver who opposes the truth. If these movements are true then I am a liar! If these movements are apostate then I speak the truth!

In order to arrive at the truth we are going to have to reason from the Scriptures and search them daily to see if these things are so. I will labor to show the biblical violations, the logical fallacies, and the philosophy disguised as theology of these apostate movements. This may take some time and possibly more than one post.

First we will consider the symptoms of apostasy as revealed in the Bible and examine these movements carefully to see if they indeed have the symptoms. Next we will consider their soteriology, ecclesiology, and eschatology to see if they are operating in those areas based on philosophy or theology. And then we will consider together the coming counterfeit revival that will be the final outcome of these apostate movements.

The Symptoms of Apostasy

Methods Do Matter!

Since the primary goal of missions is the glory of God, missions have to be done according to God’s ways (methods) and God’s will (motives). Missions have to be from Him and through Him so that the glory goes to Him.

We are being told today that methods don’t matter as long as they produce results. Many are buying into and being taken captive by this philosophy. “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

If methods don’t matter then there would have been nothing wrong with Jesus yielding to the temptations of the devil to turn stones into bread, to jump from the pinnacle of the temple, or to bow down to Satan in order to receive the kingdoms of the world. Temptations are nothing short of the devil’s methods for accomplishing the will of God. A temptation is the offer of a method to arrive at God’s will your own way rather than God’s way – it is the method of leaning on your own understanding rather than trusting the Lord with all your heart; it is the method of quick results (shortcuts) and are unlawful. That is why Jesus is going to say to many who think they are saved and are not, “Depart from Me you workers of lawlessness/iniquity.”

We are told in 1 Corinthians 3:10 that each man must be careful how he builds. "How" would definitely be methodology. The Bible tells us that there are no shortcuts to doing the will of God. Anyone who takes a shortcut to doing God's will has succumbed to the temptations of the devil and sinned against God. Believing that methods don't matter as long as they are working is a deadly and deluding practice of judging by appearance and is nothing short of philosophical pragmatism.

Theology determines methodology. You’ll hear people who are held captive by philosophy and who differ in methodology from those who are captive by Christ and His glory say, “Our theology is the same but our methodology differs.” That is not true! The man who has a theology of missions knows that the primary goal of missions is the glory of God and he will not use unauthorized and unworthy methods (shortcuts) that rob God of His glory. On the other hand the man who has a philosophy of missions will use unauthorized and unworthy methods (shortcuts) in order to get “quick results” and thereby rob God of His glory.

This principle is clearly demonstrated in Acts 16:16-18. Paul and his companions were confronted with the temptation to allow a slave-girl with a spirit of divination help them get quick results. Allowing this popular slave-girl on the missionary team would have increased Paul's popularity, influence, and ability to get decisions. Paul wouldn't have to have such a hard ministry from now on - he could just become all things to all men the devil's way! But immediately there would have been no power because there would have been declaration with no illumination; there would have been head knowledge without heart knowledge; and there would have been professions of faith without possession of faith.


If methods don't matter then Paul could have used this girl that was energized by the devil! But he didn't because methods do matter!


Vance Havner once said, "They tell us now even in some evangelical circles that we ought to hobnob with Sodom and get chummy with Gomorrah in order to convert them. And the argument is not older than that the end justifies the means forgetting that the means determines the end. A few years of unworthy means and you've already spoiled the objective before you get to it. And these dear people are not turning the light on in Sodom, they're just getting used to the dark."


Listen to him say it here




Methods Do Matter: Audio

Becoming All Things To All Men?

1 Corinthians 9:22b says, “I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.” This is probably the second most misquoted, misinterpreted, and misapplied Scripture in all of the Bible in the day in which we live following closely behind Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge lest ye be judged.” Today’s so-called “Church Growth Experts” have used 1 Corinthians 9:22 in an ungodly and unchristian manner. We have been told that you have to be like the world to win the world – which is the apostate’s interpretation of 1 Corinthians 9:22. They tell us that we should “drink a beer with Bubba”; mix cussing with the content of our preaching; that in our cultural awareness we need to parade before the Church those whom the world esteems; that we are to be relevant and tell people what they want to hear and not what God has said; and that if it works it must be right. If you think that I am lying then just take a close look at the methods and the messages of the “Purpose Driven, Seeker-Sensitive, and Emergent Church” philosophies.
Dear friends, men may build their churches with a tolerance for sin, but the Lord builds His Church based on truth and purity – “Husbands love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:25-27).So what does it mean to “become all things to all men, so that we may by all means save some” and how do we do it? I want to make four observations from Acts 16:1-5 to show the biblical principles of what it means to become all things to all men:
I. Becoming all things to all men means - Preferring the Right Man (Acts 16:1-2)
A. Paul chose Timothy - a disciple! Timothy was a disciple who knew the cost of discipleship (see 2 Timothy 3:10-11).
B. Timothy was well spoken of by the brethren! He was not a successful worldly leader well spoken of by the world; he was not a successful religious leader well spoken of by the world and all opposing view-points; and he was not esteemed as wise or noble or strong. The Church has no right to prefer and parade those whom the world esteems as successful as a means of saving some because that is not God's way (see also 1 Corinthians 1:26-31).
II. Becoming all things to all men means - Practicing the Right Method (Acts 16:3)
A. Timothy had a Jewish mother and a Greek father. All the Jews in those parts knew that Timothy's father was a Greek. In order to minister to those Jews, Timothy needed to become a Jew because of his Jewish heritage. Paul took him and circumcised him. Paul was becoming all things to all men the right way by preferring the right man and practicing the right method - "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law" (1 Corinthians 9:19-20). Timothy was circumcised not to be saved (he was a disciple) but to serve.
B. Titus was a Greek - "But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised" (Galatians 2:3). Titus was a Greek and Paul would not have Titus circumcised because it was not necessary for his salvation or his service. To minister to the Greeks, Titus did not need to be circumcised which would have offended the Greeks – “To those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law” (1 Corinthians 9:21). Paul practiced the right method. His major concern was that he would cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ (1 Corinthians 9:12) and this he did by becoming all things to all men (1 Corinthians 9:22) neither compelling the Jews to forsake their heritage nor the Gentiles to become Jews and he said, “I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it” (1 Corinthians 9:23).
III. Becoming all things to all men means - Preaching the Right Message (Acts 16:4)
A. Paul was delivering the decree that was decided upon in Jerusalem and it was an affirmation of the Gospel of Grace. The Gentiles did not have to be circumcised in order to be saved! They were saved through the grace of the Lord just like the Jews - "But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also" (Acts 15:11).
B. The message of the Gospel of grace includes the exhortation to live by love. The Gentiles were not to engage in activities that would offend the Jews - (see Acts 15:19-21, 28-29).
IV. Becoming all things to all men means - Producing the Right Ministry (Acts 15:5)
A. "So the churches were being strengthened in the faith." Preferring the right man, practicing the right method, and preaching the right message strengthens the church in the faith – not in the flesh!
B. "And were increasing in number daily." Strengthening the church in the faith produces the right ministry – “and were increasing in number daily” (true converts). Why did the church increase in number daily? Because her members were strengthened in the faith and shared the gospel with their families, friends, and neighbors.
Conclusion: Preferring the right man, practicing the right method, and preaching the right message will produce the right ministry – true converts!
But let me add a warning on the other side of this truth – a “church” that is strengthened in the flesh will increase in number daily (false converts) and may be held up as a model to follow deceiving herself and many others.
Preferring the wrong man (someone well spoken of by the world), practicing the wrong method (being like the world to win the world), and preaching the wrong message (turning the grace of God into licentiousness), will produce the wrong ministry (strengthening apostates in the flesh – false converts).

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