Watchman: Daily Devotional, Community Church Pastors Have Strayed From God’s Word, Causing Individuals to Wander in Doubt and Darkness

The first characteristic Christians should be aware of can be found in Jude 1:4, which says that false teachers have a way of secretly slipping in among Christians and disguising themselves alongside godly church leaders.

In 2 Thes.2 Paul is teaching the church about the great falling away and the coming of the “man of sin”. In it Paul says that the great falling away is caused by a strong delusion that comes upon those who were in the church. And that this strong delusion is for those in the church that have never come to a love of the truth. So it is these who are sent this strong delusion. It is for those who believed they have come to a love for the truth but never did. Because instead they allowed themselves to be deceived by Satan through false teachers and wound up joining themselves to a false religion that called itself Christianity but was not Christianity at all.

So this passage is not speaking of a delusion that happens to those who never gave a second thought to the things of God. It is not referring to those who never had a religious experience. It is speaking of those who had a religious experience that they were deceived to believe was Christianity. But, it was actually a doctrine of the tares growing in among the wheat that deceived them and kept them from ever coming to a love of the truth. The truth Paul is referring to that these “never loved” pertains to the foundational doctrines of the faith regarding who God is, who Jesus is, and what the atonement was for. The very foundations that true Christianity is built upon. The doctrines “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone” as Paul taught in Eph.2:20. Paul said a perversion of these, a perversion of his gospel, makes one anathema or damned to hell in Gal.1:8,9. This is why Paul said to “examine yourselves to see whether you be in the faith” in 2Cor.13:5. And that’s what we will do now in this message.

Samaritan’s Purse CEO and president, world-wide evangelical leader, and son of the late great Billy Graham, Rev. Franklin Graham is an advocate for telling Christians to take the COVID-19 vaccine. Graham recently revealed in an interview that he has taken the vaccine.

He also alluded to the notion that once false teachers have gained the trust of the masses, they will then use certain preaching tactics and approaches that blend false doctrine with biblical truths in a way that appears to be fully God-centered. “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.”  —  Matthew 7:15

We can see what this false teaching is that deceives so many that there is a great falling away in what John spoke of concerning the spirit of antichrist that was a forerunner to the antichrist that they had heard “is to come” in 1John4:1-3. This is the same “man of sin” that Paul is teaching about in 2Thes.2. Paul said of his coming that it would be accompanied by a great falling away. And John spoke of that spirit that is of the antichrist that shall come that causes the great falling away as being one that teaches that Jesus did not come in the same flesh all men have. In this passage, John wrote; “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Source: Edward O’Hara…

Satan’s ambassadors are not pimps, politicians, or power-brokers, but pastors, bishops and phony theologians. His priests do not peddle a different religion, but a deadly perversion of the true one. His troops do not make a full-out frontal assault, but work as agents, sneaking into the opposing army. Satan’s tactics are studied, clever, predictable, effective. Therefore, we must always remain vigilant. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16a).

False doctrine weakens the future church, while sound doctrine strengthens the future church. Christians are responsible for both the present and the future of the faith. Jesus’s final commandment to his disciples included not only evangelizing and baptizing the nations, but also “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20a). In both letters to Timothy, Paul told his young protégé to “guard the deposit” that had been entrusted to him (1 Timothy 6:20, 2 Timothy 1:14). But it was not enough for Timothy to guard it personally. He was called by God to raise up the next generation of leaders who would hold to it and, in turn, entrust it to the generation after them. “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

False doctrine confuses truth and error, prevents godliness, promotes sin, elevates ungodly leadership, permits false teachers, removes God’s blessing, debilitates the church for times of difficulty, and weakens her for the future. Sound doctrine distinguishes truth from error, promotes godliness, prevents sin, qualifies godly leadership, protects against false teachers, ensures God’s blessing, equips the church for times of difficulty, and strengthens her for the future.

False doctrine removes God’s blessing, while sound doctrine ensures God’s blessing. Revelation is bookended by promises of God’s blessing upon those who hold to the doctrine it teaches. “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it … And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 1:3, 22:7). Yet it also solemnly warns of the dire consequences for those who fail to hold to its doctrine (2:14-16, 20-23). God blesses those who heed the precious truths of his Word and curses those who deny or reject them.