This morning, I have a subject here that so many
times, we as believers, we want to have
peace with all men. We don't like controversy. We really don't. We might be
accused of it, but we don't like controversy. But we have to deal with these
things. It's in God's word, and as Mark
just read, our brother Mark, these scriptures that Christ
himself said these things here. And like
I said, we don't like controversy, We have to deal with these issues
that come up as a believer within our church, or as we talk with
different men and women, kinfolks, so forth. And we have to be truthful
with them. We have someone that's talking
about love, and there's so many believers, or so many people
within the Sovereign Grace Movement, maybe they don't, They don't
love like they ought to love. And I'm sure you have individuals
that, when they begin talking about the gospel and these different
things, might be a little bit more harsh than they should be.
And I know in the past, early on, I could be accused of that. But we do. The reason we tell people the
truth and we don't shy away from it is because we do love them.
We know that this is their only hope of salvation, this gospel
that we believe. And this draws out our love for
them by telling them, telling them the truth. Now, I come to
this text here that Mark just read where we find warnings against
error. against false prophets. And I
come to scriptures like this with caution. I want to be truthful
and honest with the text that I'm dealing with. And also because
I know that a person can know a lot of things that are right and not know the truth of the
gospel. They can be able to explain why this is not right or that's
not right or why this is false, and still in themselves have
no love for this truth that they're talking about. They can point
out many false prophets and yet at the same time still not know
the one who is described as the prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ. Here in 2 Timothy 4, the Apostle
Paul is writing to this young preacher here. named Timothy. And he begins
in verse 1, he says, I charge thee, therefore, before God and
the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead
at his appearing and his kingdom, preach the word, be instant in
season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering
and doctrine. For the time come when they will
not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall they
heap to themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall
turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned into
fables. But watch thou in all things,
endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof
of thy ministry." Timothy. Well, there's that dirty word
here in modern religion, doctrine. And the apostle charged to Timothy
is for this to be done. He says, preach the word, be
instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all longsuffering and doctrine. Then he tells Timothy, for the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. Now,
endure means to remain firm under suffering or misfortune without
yielding. Though it is difficult, we must
endure. Paul's telling Timothy that there
are those that may hear the gospel but will not remain firm and
will be caught up with these fables or false teachers that
compromise the gospel and speak peace to them. Then he says,
but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers.
They will be taught, but not according to the truth of God's
word. Therefore, Timothy is charged of God to preach sound doctrine. Then Paul says, they heap to
themselves teachers, having itching ears. This is speaking of those
preachers or teachers that will tell them exactly what they want
to hear. And he says, and they shall turn
away their ears from the truth and shall be turned into fables,
false stories, man-made fairy tales. He says, but watch thou
in all things, endure afflictions. Obviously, there is some resistance
and some affliction, such as what Paul went through, he put
in prison for preaching sound doctrine. He says, endure these
afflictions, do the work of an evangelist. Now, what is an evangelist? And what is it to evangelize? Well, to evangelize is to preach
the gospel of God's grace. Do the work of an evangelist,
make full proof of thou ministry. And so that is what Paul is saying
here to this young preacher, Timothy. And to all believers,
who would read this letter. Most preachers in our day would
regard a preacher that would say such things as what we see
Christ speaking back in Matthew 7, as being hard, unloving. They might say, don't you have
anything good to say about us, or positive to say about us? But this is the love of God pictured
in this person, Jesus Christ. And it is he who is that love. And as the one who is the truth
himself, he is the one given this instruction. Beware, he
says. I'll give some examples throughout
this message of what to beware of. There's so many examples as I
started looking at this message that I could speak on, but you
only have so much time to put forth in all this. But there
are those even today attempting to unite groups that have divided
over the doctrine of imputation. They say that they're doing it
out of love. But as they attempt to unite
these groups, they misrepresent one group or another. They say
how unloving their group is that will not compromise the truth
of sin and righteousness being solely by imputation. Well, you can call me unloving,
if you will, but by God's grace. I'll never compromise the truth
of how God saves the sinner by the imputation of sin to Christ
and righteousness to his people. Christ says in Matthew 7.15,
beware. And let me tell you something,
only the people of God, only the true people of God will heed
this warning. Only those who are enabled to
see by God-given faith and to understand by the Spirit's teaching. They are the only ones who are
going to heed this warning. And he says, beware. Matthew 7, 15, beware of false
prophets. In other words, the Son of God
himself is warning his people. He's warning his people of these
false prophets and false teachers that he knew would be found everywhere
and in all times. Listen to what the Apostle Peter
says here in 2 Peter, in the second chapter, after he says
that those men of God, true prophets in the past days, he said this,
they spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. But here
in chapter two, in the next statement, in that first verse, he says,
but there were also false prophets among the people. Even in the
days of all the prophets, like Isaiah and Jeremiah, and the
many more, he says, even in those days, there were even at that
time false prophets. Look at 2 Peter 1, 2 Peter 2,
verse one. But there were also false prophets
among the people, even as there will be false teachers among
you who privately shall bring in damnable heresies. In other words, not everybody
that stands under that broad umbrella of Christianity that
you hear about today are even sovereign grace. or that uses
all the terms that men associate with those groups, they're not
necessarily true preachers of the gospel, just because they
stand underneath that umbrella of Christianity and sovereign
grace. And here is the sad thing, 2
Peter 2.2. and many shall follow their pernicious
ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken
of. This pernicious here is having
a harmful effect, especially in a gradual and a subtle way.
Both they and their converts are not simply satisfied to believe
what they want to believe, but they at the same time speak evil
of the way of truth. They will speak evil of you if
you stand firm for the doctrine of imputation. And the way they
do this is by saying how unloving you are, by not putting up with
their false doctrine, even though they don't think it's false doctrine.
It says 2 Peter 2, 3. And through covetousness shall
they with fain words make merchandise of you, whose judgment now of
a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
That word fain in the original is the word that we get the word
plastic. Fain is to imitate deceptively. It's deceitful. Words spoken
articulately, precisely, and pleasantly, is deceitful word
spoken in all these ways, with thane words, it says, make merchandise
of you. They're doing it for a reason,
and that reason is their own gain. Whether it be one thing
or another, mostly their own glory. Then it says, who judgment
now of a long time lingers not, and their damnation slumbers
not. Judgment is coming, that's for sure, but until that hour,
as God brings it to pass, here they are with their fame words
for their own gain and making merchandise of the souls of men
in the process. And here's this problem, this
warning that we receive from scripture, that as we do from
John the Apostle here, 2 John 1, says, For many deceivers are
entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ has come
in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Now I don't want to be a deceiver. I don't want to deceive either. Now, John here, said even in
his day there were already many antichrists. You see the world,
the world here in our day has everybody looking for the antichrist. But Christ said many deceivers
or many antichrists, plural. 2 John 1 beginning at verse 9,
whosoever transgresses and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ
hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine
of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any
unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house,
neither bid him God's speed. For he that biddeth him God's
speed is a partaker of his evil deeds. He says here in the first
part of verse nine, whosoever transgresses and abideth not
in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He says, even if they
come to your door, don't receive them into your house, and don't
bid them Godspeed. Don't say, well, I don't agree
with you entirely, but I wish you the best. No, absolutely
not. He said, you are a partaker of
their evil deeds if you wish them well. If they come to you
preaching a gospel of false Christ, one that's not consistent with
the doctrine of Christ. If a preacher comes in and says,
I believe that Christ was made sin in some mysterious way and
not by imputation. Now we've heard that. And then
makes, in fact, they say it's kind of like Christ turning water
into the wine. It's mysterious, but not by imputation. and then
makes the statement, I've become increasingly uncomfortable with
the term imputation. Well, should we bear with him,
or put up with him, or allow him to preach such God dishonoring
doctrine? Look at what Christ says in Matthew
7.15. Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's
clothing, but inwardly they're raveling wolves, That is what
our Lord said about the Pharisees, who were the most prestigious,
religious, and moral teachers of their day. He also said in
Matthew 23, 7, woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for
you are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful
outward, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all
uncleanness. He says, you have an outward
appearance of beauty. You know, this is one thing that
God showed me early on as he was teaching me the gospel. These verses here, it says, on
the outside at that time, I was religious, very religious. Touch not, taste not, handle
not. Everything else. But he says, you're religious.
You look real clean on the outside. I even had people say it with
Jim Casey. He lives his religion. So you look real good on the
outside. You dot every I and cross every T. You have that
appearance on the outside. And that which is good, and it's
surely to be of God, But on the inside, it says here, you're
corrupt and vile and you know not the truth. God showed me
that I was really what was on the inside of that sepulchre,
that tombstone, that grave, instead of real clean and nice on the
outside. I believe that every true believer
comes to this point when they see themselves as those painted
sepulchres. Wretched sinners, full of dead
men's bones, they have no hope in themselves. They flee to Christ
for salvation. God's already revealed to them
that there's no hope in your law keeping or anything you do
or don't do. You flee to Christ for salvation.
And when you think about that imputation, that he's going to
charge his righteousness to your account, That's what I need. I gotta have that. I don't have
any hope within myself. Christ says on the outside, they're
like sheep, but on the inside, they're ravening wolves. You
remember when Satan deceived our mother Eve in the garden,
when he deceived her, he did so as that one which appeared
to the eye, the most beautiful beast of the field. Not only
that, but he deceived her, taking the Word of God and changing
that Word of God to make it say exactly what it didn't say. Don't
ever think that the deceiver and the false prophet don't use
the Word of God deceitfully. The Word of God used by Satan
is such that even in the temptation of Christ, he used the Scriptures
deceitfully. He said, hasn't God said? Now, in his day, this man Paul,
the Apostle Paul, who is the Apostle of God, who was used
by the Spirit of God to write the greater part of the New Testament,
and yet compared to other preachers in his day, you might say that
men and women can look on him and say, well, there isn't much
to him. Look at what 2 Corinthians 11
says. Paul says here in the first verse,
would to God you could bear with me a little in my folly, and
indeed bear with me. In other words, Paul says, it
is almost foolish for me to have to tell you these things. Then
he says, for I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy. He
says, for I have espoused you to one husband, Christ. that
I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. Do you know
the scriptures say that Adam was not deceived in the transgression,
but the serpent in his cunning and in his subtlety beguiled
and he tricked Eve. The serpent deceived her, and
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11, But I fear less by any means
as the serpent regaled Eve to his subtlety, so your mind should
be corrupted from the simplicity that's in Christ Jesus. Now,
what does the simplicity that's in Christ mean? It means the
singleness that's in Christ. I fear less somebody comes along
as the serpent tricked Eve here and deceived her, they will deceive
you into thinking that there is more than Christ, or something
other than Christ, or something added to Christ. They still say
it's Christ, but they want to add to it some way. They might say, I know you believe
the right doctrine, but you lack that love. that I think you ought
to have. Well, this is also something
that adds to what Christ alone accomplished for salvation. Because my salvation is not conditioned
on how much I love another person. I want to love them. I would
love to love them perfectly. But my salvation is not conditioned
on that. It's conditioned on Christ and
Christ alone. The Apostle Paul said, it is
the singleness of Christ. He is the way. He is the truth.
He is the life. He is the light. He is the Savior,
the Redeemer, and there is no other. The Apostle also says
that he's afraid that you will be deceived by somebody preaching
Jesus who's not the true Jesus, but another Jesus. I fear for
you, lest somebody comes along and they have a gospel But it's
another gospel, not the gospel of grace, not the gospel of God,
not the gospel of Christ. 2 Corinthians 11 verse 4. For if he that cometh preaches
another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you received
another spirit which you have not received, or another gospel
which you have not accepted, you might bear with him. The
last part of that verse 4 said you might bear with him. We know
that Paul is not telling these believers to bear or to put up
with these false teachings. Young's literal translation says,
well, were you bearing it or were you putting up with it?
And he says, I fear. I fear. lest you are led and directed
by another spirit, not the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 11, beginning
at verse five. For I suppose I was not a wit
behind a very chiefest apostle. This is Paul speaking. But though
I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge, But we have been
thoroughly made manifest among you in all things." Now, you
just can't imagine, can't hardly imagine that the Apostle Paul,
that great Apostle Paul, that he would be anything other than
that silver tongue speaker. But he says, I was rude in speech.
He told it like it was. He spoke it from God himself.
He was rude in speech, it says. Then he says, yet not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly made
manifest among you in all things. Well, there is another dreaded
word along with doctrine, and that's knowledge. Now, was the
Apostle Paul saying that he was saved by his knowledge? Absolutely
not. But how are we going to identify
these false preachers, these false teachers? How are we going
to identify them except from a true preacher of God? That's
the only way. God-given knowledge of who he
is and how he saves the sinner through the person and the work
of his dear son, Jesus Christ. John 17 says, And this is life
eternal, that they might know Thee, the only true God, and
Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent. Now, look at 2 Corinthians
11, beginning at verse 13. In verse 13, Paul says, for such
are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves
into the apostles of Christ. Now, here is where it gets really
serious. He says in verse 14, and no marvel,
for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Satan
is not a little fellow running around here with pointed ears
pointed tail and pitchfork. He is not out here as one of
those to whom is attributed all of the immorality, the wickedness,
and the evil in this world. The wickedness and the evil of
this world comes out of the heart of fallen sinners. No, Satan
himself is transformed into an angel of light, a messenger of
truth. These false preachers say, we're
going to tell you the truth here. We now have a little extra light
on this subject. We got a new way of worship.
We have got a contemporary gospel. We have a new gospel. An old
Puritan said concerning the gospel message, he says, if it is true,
it is not new. And if it's new, it's not true.
Paul then says in verse 15, therefore, it is no great thing if his ministers,
Satan ministers, also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness. They say, we're going to tell
you about righteousness. We know all about the gospel,
but we're going to tell you how to live and to be righteous in
God's sight. We know about this imputed righteousness,
or as some preachers have said, this pasted-on righteousness.
But what you really need is this inward righteousness, one that
is infused or imparted to you. Even though they don't use those
words, that's what the implications are. when they stray away from
imputation. They will go far as to make Christ
a sinner so they can have that inward righteousness within them. And they call it absolute substitution. Paul then says, whose end shall
be according to their works. I don't want my end to be according
to my works. Not only that, but according
to This text, and almost every text that we have read, they
also outwardly appear very successful as it relates to converts. They
are successful, and that is how men measure success in our day.
How many converts? How many did you have in Sunday
school? How many members do you have?
How much money did you take in this week? All these things. They have a big plaque up front
giving all those numbers. Y'all have seen them if y'all
have been in false, most of y'all have been in false religion.
I know I have. I've seen that plaque. That is
what measures man-made religion. But the true God of the Bible
doesn't measure that way. The Bible says that Noah was
a preacher, a real preacher of righteousness. His congregation
consisted of eight people. He was the only preacher of righteousness
on earth in his day. He was preaching a message God
gave him concerning the only way of salvation. He was telling
the truth and every one but those eight people perished. They died
under the hand of divine just wrath. This is what our Lord
says here in Matthew. They're going to go into judgment
with this glorious resume. Matthew 7, 21. Not everyone that
saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven.
But he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? And in thy name hath cast out
devils. And in thy name done many wonderful
works. And then I will profess unto
them, I never knew you. Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity. In verse 22, they will say, Lord,
Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name
have cast out devils, and in thy name done many wonderful
works? You look around you in religion,
and all those preachers and groups And all you hear is what they're
doing. They will tell you what they've
done, what they've been doing, how they support this, that,
the other. And what they are doing is basically selling their
services. You know if you stop and think
about it, if a man who claims to be a preacher, if he's not
going to preach the gospel and tell people the truth about salvation,
and how God saves the sinner. He has to have something else
to sell. He has got to have some goods
to offer. So what does he do? Well, if
you get sick, he'll camp out at the hospital for you. Now, I'm saying some of these
things, and I know we need to go visit the sick, but I'm just
telling you. Or if somebody in your family
needs to be married, He's right there on the spot. And when you
die, he will give you a good burial, and he'll brag over you,
lie about you, whatever you want. He sells his services because
he doesn't have any gospel to preach. I heard this story one
time, a friend of mine, when a couple of brothers went to
one of their kinfolk's funeral, someone that they knew very well. They sit down together and began
hearing the preacher up front talking about this particular
person and saying all kind of good and magnificent things about
this person. After hearing a few things, the
one brother turned to the other brother and said to him, are
you sure we're at the right funeral? You see, they knew this person
very well. And what the preacher was saying
about this person just didn't add up to how they knew this
person. But notice here how Christ says
that the false prophets will be recognized and exposed. God
never warns His people about something without giving them
means by which to heed the warning. and to know what is being worn. Look at what he says in Matthew
7, 16. You shall know them by their fruits. Are you going to
go to a thistle tree and get some figs? Are you going to get
an old oak tree like we have around here and get some nice
oranges off of it? You shall know them by their
fruits. And then in Matthew 720, wherefore by the fruits you shall
know them. I'm so thankful to God that he
says to his people, you shall know them. How are you going
to know them by their fruits if not by God-given knowledge
of the gospel? What is the fruit of a preacher?
What is the fruit of a prophet? It is his doctrine, it's what
it is, what he preaches. He has already told us it is
not simply his outward appearance, his outward moral appearance,
conduct. Outwardly, he says, which come
to you in sheep's clothing, they will appear just like God's sheep,
the finest of the finest. And you know, you stop and think
about it, if you're looking for sincerity, If you're looking
for zeal, and if you are looking for all these outward things,
like morality, there are some folks in this religious world
that can outshine you with sincerity and sacrifice. But how do you
know them? Their fruits, their doctrine? You know them by what they're
preaching and what they're majoring on. You know them by what they
emphasize. You know them by what they preach.
One preacher said, whatever is in the whale, that's what comes
up in the bucket. Whatever is in the hearts of
these people, whatever is in our mind, whatever we're convinced
in our soul by the Spirit of God and the Word of God, that's
going to be what we preach. Paul says, that these false preachers
will begal you through deceit and cunning ways. Look at Colossians 2 verse 4.
In this I say, lest any man should begal you with enticing words. The Apostle Paul says, I didn't
come to you with enticing words or words of man's wisdom. But
when he warned about these false prophets and people being deceived,
he says, they will come to you with enticing words and brag
on you. They will make you feel good
about yourself. They will preach that positive,
inspirational message. And they won't tell you who you
really are, based on what God's Word said and what God's Word
says about you. They won't tell you the one way
that God can be just and yet justify a sinner. They won't
exalt the holy character of God. What a man really believes is
reflected in the doctrine that he preaches. A man doesn't believe
one thing and do another. What he really believes is what
his doctrine is based on. You see, religious men and women,
they don't mind a little grace as long as you don't tear down
any of their idols that they build up in their own mind and
imagination. They'll say, well, you know,
we don't agree with everything he says, but you know he doesn't
push his doctrine. Well, there are three questions
here that I really want to know from a preacher. One question
is, what do you think about the love of God? Well, we believe God loves everybody. No. He said he hated Esau. He said he hates the workers
of iniquity. He hates those that sow discord among the brethren,
and you're trying to tell me He loves everybody? The love of God is in Christ.
He loves His people in Christ. There is no love of God outside
of Christ. Second question, what do you think about the death
of Christ? Well, these preachers say that Jesus died for everybody.
Well, what does the scripture say? Christ says, I lay down
my life for the sheep. Then he told those Pharisees,
you're not of my sheep. He says he purchased the church
with his own blood. He says that husbands are to
love their wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself
for it. Can you imagine that Christ shed
His blood for anybody that He didn't actually save? And then the third question,
what is the Holy Spirit trying to do? Well, these false preachers
say, He's trying to save everybody. You mean to tell me that the
omnipotent, all-powerful Spirit of God If he wanted to save you,
he couldn't. You see where this is going in
our day. His sheep hear, he says, my sheep
hear my voice and I know them and they follow me. And they
won't follow a stranger. These false preachers speak peace
to sinners when there's no peace. That is what is said in Jeremiah
8 verse 11. For they have healed the heart
of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, peace, peace,
when there is no peace. He said, a false prophet speaks
peace to man when there is no peace. You see, there is no peace with
God, and there is no peace from God apart from the blood and
the righteousness of Jesus Christ. You say, well Jim, I had this
experience when I was a young man, or I just feel like I'm
saved. The answer is no. Not if you
are trusting in an experience. Peace with God is not by anything
you do or anything you feel. It's through one outside of yourself
and His cross death, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's where peace
is at. There are some of these things,
some of the things that people claim as their salvation. I go
to church. I've been baptized. I give or
I do the best I can. I'm sorry. If that is the basis
of your peace with God, then you don't have any peace. You
can't make peace with God by what you do or what you don't
do. Christ Himself is the only one
that has made peace with God. Look at Romans 5.1. Therefore
being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ. And the only way that we can
ever be brought through this and kept from being deceived
is the Spirit of God taking the Word of God and making it effectual. to our soul. When the Holy Spirit
convinces us that this is the Word of God, that this is the
truth of God, that salvation is of the Lord, and that we are
sinners completely helpless of ever saving ourselves. When we're
convinced by the Holy Spirit and through God's Word, God will
bring us through all of this false teaching by His grace. John 10, 27 says, my sheep hear
my voice. I know them and they follow me.
Only by God's gospel and by his spirit will God expose these
false preachers and save all of his people from their sin.
Oh, I'm so glad that it's true that his name is Jesus because
he shall save his people from their sin. Matthew 1.21, And
she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sin. And so
terrible and so deceptive is the deception in our day of all
this and of all the age between the
first coming and the second coming of Christ. that if it were possible,
even the very elect would be deceived. And that's a strong
statement there. Matthew 24, 24 says, for they
shall arise false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders,
insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. If it were possible, they deceived
the very elect. That pretty much tells us that
everybody else is going to be deceived. I sure do like that phrase, if
it were possible. God, hold fast to us. Hold fast to us. Hedge us about
with this gospel. Put our eyes on Christ. Keep
us until you bear us into thy presence. Amen.