They Deceive the Hearts of the Naïve

“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.” (Romans 16:17-20 ESV)

Who are those among us today who cause divisions? Church denominations cause divisions. For one says, “I follow the Baptists,” and another, “I follow the Presbyterians,” and another, “I follow the charismatics,” and another, “I follow the Methodists,” etc. Or they say, “I am Arminian” or “I am a Calvinist,” etc. But Paul taught that when we do that we are of the flesh and behaving in a human way (1 Corinthians 3:1-8). 

The church partnering with the government by incorporating as businesses under the state umbrella causes divisions and is of the flesh and it is humans behaving in a human way, too (2 Corinthians 6:14-18). For we are not to partner with nor to be in fellowship with the ungodly, and we are definitely not to turn our Lord’s church, his body, into marketplaces (Matthew 21:12-13; John 2:13-17; Philippians 3:18-19) to be marketed to the world.

But the church is to be the universal body of Christ comprised of all who have been crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. And we are to be obeying the gospel that Jesus taught and that the NT apostles taught, as taught in the fulness of their appropriate biblical context, and not out of context for human approval.

And we are to come out from among those who are turning the church into institutions and businesses of human origin to be marketed to the ungodly. And we are to return to operating as the biblical body of Christ as the Scriptures teach us that we ought to do. And then we should be going out into the world with the gospel of our salvation to share with the ungodly what Jesus did for them and how they can be saved from their sins.

[2 Co 6:14-18; Rev 13:5-8; Rev 18:1-5; Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 5:27-32; Acts 26:18; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:11-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

So, if we are going to be people of God who are watching out for those who cause divisions, then we need to be students of the Scriptures who study them in their original context so that we understand what the Scriptures mean by “divisions.” For this is not from a humanistic viewpoint, nor is it from the standpoint of those who are marketing the church to the ungodly and thus are following after marketing schemes to attract the world.

For biblical divisions contrary to God are those which divide us from genuine biblical fellowship with Christ and with one another, according to the teachings of the Scriptures. And they are all which divide us from pure walks of faith and obedience to our Lord. And they are all which lead us to be followers of humans and of their business plans and goals rather than to be followers of Christ who follow him in obedience to his commands.

So we need to guard our hearts and minds against being followers of humans over being followers of God. And we need to be watchful for false doctrines being taught in the name of Christ and of his gospel which do not agree (in whole) with the gospel that Jesus taught and that his NT apostles taught. For they taught that we must die to sin and live to righteousness, and we must obey our Lord’s commands if we want eternal life with God.

But there are many charlatans and “wolves in sheep’s clothing” among us who are lying to the people, and who are telling them that all they have to do is “believe” (rarely defined biblically) in Jesus, and all their sins are forgiven, heaven is guaranteed them, and it can’t be taken away, but regardless of how they live. But the Scriptures teach if sin is our practice, and not obedience to our Lord, we will not inherit eternal life with God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

So we must watch out for these smooth-talkers with their “feel-good” messages which tickle itching ears who do not insist upon us dying daily to sin and following our Lord in obedience to his commands (Luke 9:23-26). For many of them are those who are turning “the church” into businesses and who are altering the character of God/Christ and of his church and of his gospel in order to not offend the people of the world with the truth.

And many people are flocking after these deceivers who manipulate naïve and vulnerable minds into following after them rather than following Jesus Christ with their lives. So we need to be people of God who are exercising wisdom and spiritual discernment and who are testing what we read and hear against the Scriptures taught in their appropriate context. And we need to be those who are walking in obedience to our Lord’s commands.

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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