Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15 ESV
Following someone or someone’s lead can be a good thing or a bad thing. The problem is you can be led astray if you follow the wrong person. If you are trying to get somewhere and you have no idea where this place is and someone says, “I’m going that way, follow me,” you might be relieved. But if you find that person is going in the opposite direction, you have messed up.
I know there have been times I have been unsure about where I was going, and I have followed the crowd. You are going to a big event, and you are sure you are in the general area, but unsure of where to go. You see a stream of cars going in a certain direction and you decide to follow them. Many times, this has brought me to where I wanted to go. But I will admit there were times when I wound up at the wrong event.
Years ago, we attended the wedding of a close friend. A couple we knew got there a few minutes late and sat down beside us. They had gotten turned around and followed a crowd of people to the wrong wedding. They went in and sat down and realized they didn’t know anyone there. It was only as the bride began to walk down the aisle that they realized they were at the wrong wedding which was a few blocks away.
Several months back a false prophet blew into our area and began this huge revival where hundreds of people were being “saved”. It grew and grew, and he brought in another false teacher who was a friend of his. I’m sure it was quite lucrative.
If hundreds of people are being saved, one may think what’s the problem? At least people are being saved. The problem is false teachers lead to false salvation. They are not teaching the truth according to the Bible. People are having an emotional experience due to threats or coercion.
The proof is in the pudding. If you look at the lives of many of these people being saved, you will see that nothing changed. They still do all the sinful things they used to do; they simply claim to be saved.
Many people were fooled by this guy. This revival which was supposed to last for just a few days lasted for over six months.
In the book of Ezekiel, God warned of coming judgment for those following false prophets. False prophets were telling them they didn’t need to repent, they were okay. They were convincing them that God was a loving God who would not punish them for their bad behavior and their idolatry. Sound familiar?
Many false teachers are teaching this same thing today. They see no urgency in repentance, and many don’t even teach a need for it. They teach you to name it and claim it when you want something like financial gain. They tell you that if you sow into their ministry, God will bless you.
Don’t believe them. Check them out to be sure that what they say lines up with what is in the Bible.
As a baby Christian, I found myself like a sponge wanting to soak up all the learning I could about Jesus and God’s holy Word. In doing so, I naively listened to false teachers. I thank God for those who mentored me and showed me the error in their teachings. If you are a mature Christian, you need to do the same for those who are new and learning.
My friend if you are following a false teacher, you are following someone who is headed in the wrong direction. This means you wind up in the place opposite where you want to be. Be careful to only follow those teachers who teach good, sound doctrine that comes from the truth found in God’s Word.
Be very careful who you follow, lest you be led astray. Pray for God to give you wisdom and discernment.
Have a great day!