How to recognize those who peddle error and deny the divinity of Jesus.
Such people will never in a preaching, teaching, recording or book ever mention the divine nature or identity of Jesus Christ. They will say anything else but make a categorical statement in this regard.
1 Corinthians 12:3 says: “Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit”. One of the main assignments of the Holy Spirit is to testify of and confirm the full identity of Jesus John 15:26; John 16:13-15. Remember that it was the Holy Spirit who planted divinity in the womb of the Virgin Mary Matthew 1: 188-23; Luke 1:26-35.
What the Bible says we should do to such people. Let no one deceive you on this point: you are what you believe! Your theology will certainly affect your destiny! Those who deny the divinity of Jesus are engaged in preaching another Jesus! Theirs is a very dangerous assignment because they have hid their true assignment and doctrine, couching it with beautifully packaged secular humanistic concepts which are attractive. The upshot of what the Lord has consistently said is this: if you allow any one because of his or her eloquence to cause you to believe in a Jesus other than the God who became man, you have denied the real Jesus and are relating to a fake!
These are what the bibles says we should do with preachers and peddlers of error no matter what we like of their doctrines:
- Discern them. This comes about as you allow the anointing of the Holy Spirit who resides in you to judge every word you see, hear or read. Whatever that contradicts the truth and basis of your eternal life will be detected by the Holy Spirit except you have quenched him through presumptuous sin and your conscience is no longer sensitive! 1 John 2: 18-28.
- Avoid them. It is as serious as that! Romans 16:7; Jude verse 19
- Reject their doctrines and persons otherwise you become a partaker. 2 John: 8-11.
- Recognize that Satan is back of their endeavour and the principal objective is to cause saints to stumble and miss eternal life which only comes through the God-Man Jesus Christ! 1 John 5: 20,21.
These scriptures are very relevant for us to know how to relate with those who peddle error: 1 John 2: 18 – 28; 1 John 4: 1-3; 2 John 7- 11; Galatians 1: 6-10.
3. Sin against the Holy Spirit. This is the sin of attributing to Satan and demons, a work inspired by and executed by the power of the Holy Spirit. This sin comes about by careless speaking or denouncing what God is doing in the life or ministry of another person out of envy or jealousy. Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:29. Sin against the Holy Spirit can also occur where a saint deliberately lies to a leader and by extension, the Holy Spirit that is using him/her as a vessel. This was the case of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5.
Other offences against the Holy Spirit include deliberately resisting the truth out of stiff neckedness (Acts 7:51); Grieving the Holy Spirit through lack of love, unforgiving spirit and disunity Ephesians 4:30; Quenching the Holy Spirit by refusing or blocking manifestation of His presence and gifts or even rejecting some of the offices of the five fold due to denominational regulations 1 Thessalonians 5:19 (for instance any denomination which teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit or the fivefold offices are not for today have simply quenched Him in their midst and are engaged in dead religious works based on trying to please God with human ideas).
A saint can also sin against Holy Spirit by deliberately ignoring Him and His warnings aside and consciously conceive and execute such sinful deeds as immoral living, fraud and indeed any sin which came about by a conscious effort! Beware of preachers who encourage you to live carelessly because, as they put it, “God no longer counts your sin” Hebrews 6: 1-8; Hebrews 10:26 - 29. Please also read 1 John 5:16, 2 Timothy 2: 19-22; 1 John 3: 4-9 to understand that while God will always be merciful to saints who slip unconsciously, He takes a heavy view of those who claim to be His but consistently live in sin.
4. Causing Saints to Miss the Full and Eternal Phase of the Kingdom. The New Testament is completely clear that those who receive Jesus receive eternal life. As New Creation in Christ, old things are passed away and the new life in Christ compels them to have a fresh set of values. Their old ambitions are laid at the cross and they make the vision of God the prime pursuit of their lives. They begin to think in eternal terms and make all decisions based on that context. They are to be prepared to occupy the space God grants them in the now fully conscious that a day is coming when no man knows exactly the hour – when Jesus will return to set up the future and full phase of the Kingdom of God. Jesus will reign here on earth with those saints who fulfilled their ministries in the now faithfully as co-rulers over cities, nations and people groups. In effect, true teacher s of the word or preachers have a prime assignment from God to ensure that those committed to their trust are ever ready to meet with the Lord at any time the Trumpet sounds and He appears in the air. We are stewards of the grace of God to make His elect ready for Him any time He comes for them! Luke 19:10-27; Matthew chapters 24, 25.
Any preacher who is not preparing the saints for the Day of the Lord is guilty of High Treason! Such persons are unfit for the Kingdom but are actually in rebellion and building personal empires. The Day will declare it!
Saints, as the year 2010 is coming to an end, allow the Holy Spirit to search you thoroughly and convict you of any act of treasonable felony which the enemy may have tried to trick you into. It may not be too late to obtain the mercy of God – if your heart is still real and tender towards Him!
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