When False Teachers Seem Good

When Joel Osteen smiles at the masses he is deceiving with his false gospel of prosperity, he seems so good, so kind and so concerned for others.

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But true love for others contains a desire that they know truth. Truth is defined by God’s Word. That is our standard. Without this standard, we can’t even know what truth is. This is where the emerging church is – drifting on a tide of change and personal preference. They have no standard and they tell you that it doesn’t matter.

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Imagine a pilot flying with no fixed standard. All his good intentions, compassion for his passengers, all his sincerity won’t matter one bit if he is off course when he tries to land. An artificial horizon is used in aircraft to determine the plane’s orientation relative to the ground. It indicates pitch and roll and is one of the most important things in the cockpit when pilots fly by instruments. It is also critical for those flying by visual flight rules.

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Yes, fixed standards are important. Think of a surgeon in an operating room conducting brain surgery. Should he re-imagine the process of operating on a human brain because he is "post-modern" and rejects all that black and white thinking of the past? Should he abandon all written protocol in his job and just embrace the mystery some day when a life is on the line?

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Imagine a Premiership football match where the rules are “re-imagined” and there are no longer any firm guidelines for play. No standards. What a mess.

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When it is eternity on the line and souls will either live forever in hell or with Christ in heaven, how much more important is it that we deal with the standards that God has laid down in His Word?

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When false teachers smile and try to charm you with their great teeth and hair and their brilliant new take on Christ and the church, there’s only one word of advice I have for you.

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Run!