Protecting Your Family

How can we protect ourselves and loved ones against false teachings? Is it even possible? Every day we are bombarded with information; some of it true, some of it false. The television programs we watch, the books we read, and what we are taught in school doesn’t always square with the truth. Even newspapers and news programs only feed us the information that they want the public to know; those things that will support their own political views. Are we really getting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? So help us God!

We cannot underestimate the importance of family Bible study, prayer, and devotions. Make time for teaching your children from the Bible. Teach them what the Bible says about God, Jesus, and salvation. make sure your children know and understand the significance of what Jesus did on the cross. The Apostle Paul observed, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God" (1 Cor. 1:18). Paul also said, "For I determined to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2). The gospel is the simple, yet powerful message "that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (1 Cor. 15:3-4).

I’ve been told that the way the federal government trains its agents to recognize counterfeit money is to so thoroughly familiarize them with genuine bills that will easily be able to recognize a counterfeit. The bill may appear like the real deal; it may be the same color and use the same symbols, but the texture may be wrong. Maybe it feels right, but the color is just slightly off or it is missing a word or special mark. In the same way, a cult or false doctrine may appear on its surface to be Christian or a biblical truth, but upon close inspection one can see a different gospel than the one taught in the Bible. Maybe the scripture verse being used as a proof text has actually been taken out of context or twisted to mean something it does not.

Our God has warned us repeatedly to beware. Consider one of these warnings from Jesus Himself:

Matthew 7:15-27 Enter through the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and spacious and broad is the way that leads away to destruction, and many are those who are entering through it. But the gate is narrow (contracted by pressure) and the way is straitened and compressed that leads away to life, and few are those who find it.

Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration]. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits.

Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name? And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands].

So everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts upon them [obeying them] will be like a sensible (prudent, practical, wise) man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not do them will be like a stupid (foolish) man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain fell and the floods came and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell--and great and complete was the fall of it.

The LDS will point to this passage of scripture and say that the Mormon Church produces "good fruit." Or that Church members do so many good things itproves Mormonism is of God. However, look at the passage in its proper context; it is talking about how to recognize false prophets. If you examine the "fruit" of Mormon prophets, for example; polygamy, "lying for the Lord," false prophecies, changing doctrines, revised histories, occult practices, doctrines that go contrary to what God has already revealed through His word (the Bible), we can clearly see that Mormonism is a wolf in sheep's clothing. This "wolf" may bleat like a sheep, it might appear fluffy, wooly, and cuddly, but when you shear off the wool you will find another creature entirely that will spiritually devour you.

Again we stress, devout Mormons are wonderful, sincere, friendly, and hard-working people. This is not a slam against them as people. This argument simply addresses the Biblical standard of what constitutes false doctrines and how Mormon doctrines and teachings hold up (or fail to hold up) against the absolute standard laid out in the Bible.

Our God will turn away many sincere people who believed were Christians. Not all miracles are indicators that God's hand was involved. We must become "fruit inspectors!" How do we judge good fruit from bad fruit? The apostle John tells us how;

1 John 4:1-4 BELOVED, DO not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.

By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source];

And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [non-confession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world.

How does this scripture apply, considering that Mormons (and other cultists) profess a belief in Christ? We need to examine just who they believe Christ is. Is He, as the above passage of scripture teaches, God in the flesh? Or is he Satan's brother? Is He the Creator Who has ALWAYS been God or is he a being who evolved into a god? Jesus thought it was important enough to KNOW HIM as God in the flesh, that He asked His disciples who theybelieved He was.

Matthew 16: 13-17 Now when Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they answered, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.

He said to them, But who do you [yourselves] say that I am? Simon Peter replied, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus answered him, Blessed (happy, fortunate, andto be envied) are you, Simon Bar-Jonah. For flesh and blood [men] have not revealed this to you, but My Father Who is in heaven.

Again we must question, what do the Mormons think is meant by "Son of God?" Do they understand that Jesus is "the Preeminent One," that the term "Son of" is a position of rank, and that Jesus Christ was born as a physical example of what God is in character and nature? Or do they believe that "Son of God" means he was the first-born spirit child of a god-father and a goddess-mother?

The question of Who Jesus is and whether or not we believe what He said about Himself will determine whether or not we live with him eternally!

Matthew 24:5 For many will come in (on the strength of) My name [appropriating the name which belongs to Me], saying, "I am the Christ (the Messiah)" and they will lead many astray.

Matthew 24:11, 24 And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error.....For false christs and false prophets will arise , and they will show great signs and wonders so as to deceive and lead astray, if possible, even the elect (God's chosen ones).

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles [spurious, counterfeits], deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles (special messengers) of Christ (the Messiah). And it is no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light; So it is not surprising if his servants also masquerade as ministers of righteousness. [But] their end will correspond with their deeds.

We are told in Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 Therefore you shall lay up these My words in your [minds and] hearts and in your [entire] being, and bind them for a sign upon your hands and as forehead bands between your eyes. And you shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you rise up. And you shall write them upon your doorposts and on your gates. That your days and the days of your children may be multiplied in the land.....

Psalm 119:11 Your word have I laid up in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to heed God's instruction to learn His word; to know it, drink it, and breathe it. That is the only way, along with putting on the "whole armor of God," that we will be able to recognize false doctrines, even in our own Christian churches. As humans we are prone to error, and even well-meaning and dynamic pastors or Bible study teachers can err in what they say.

Satan doesn't come knocking on your door dressed in a red suit, sporting a couple creepy horns, and jabbing the air with a pitch fork! He is not the creature of Dante's Inferno. Deceit, temptation, and falsehoods come wrapped in pretty packages. If sin did not appearfun, or attractive, or harmless, we wouldn't be inclined so much to do it. We can be led into false belief systems through friends as well as enemies; preachers as well as school teachers; ministries as well as the media. I encourage you to be as the bereans Paul commended in Acts 17:11, "These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so." Don't just take my word, even though I am trying to be careful and accurate in laying out what the Bible says. Search the Scripute for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to open your understanding.

After hearing Jesus foretell His upcoming crucifixion, Peter protested, "Far be it from you, Lord!" To which Jesus replied, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" Peter was not evil. He was not a "bad man." He loved Jesus and was sincerely expressing his desire that His Lord should not be put to death. Peter just did not understand that nothing less than the death of God Himself could satisfy the price for our sin. Likewise, sincere people may try to persuade you to follow their advice or teachings, but they may be in grave error. The nice-looking young men or women on your doorstep, donning name-tags of "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" are not evil people. They are not trying to trick or deceive. They are doing more for their religion than many people do. They simply do not understand that they have been led astray by a false belief system. It is up to us to share the truth in love. We can't share the truth if we don't know the truth; and we cannot expect to avoid falling prey to deception ourselves if we don't know God and His word.

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Copyright © 2005 Equipping Christians Ministries