There are whole faiths that, when they proselytize, they work to undermine the existing faiths of those to whom they go. They don’t preach scriptures or teachings, they seek to get believers to doubt the words they claim to believe. How are they so easily able to do this? First, if a believer doesn’t truly believe or have real conviction in what they believe. Second, if a believer is weak in their faith and in personality, they are easily influenced away from their belief; they are pliable, and lean more toward whatever wind of doctrine is blowing hardest. Lastly, and most dangerous (there may be more, but these are the three I see the most), is ignorance of what they actually believe. I think this feeds the other two reasons heartily. This is what also trips up many people who claim to be Christians: they don’t know what they actually believe, and trust their feelings more than their Scriptures.
This is why it is important to be in the Word daily. Christian, you need not have every verse memorized specifically, but you should know for yourself what the Bible says. Jesus and the writers of the New Testament warn us repeatedly that false prophets would arise. How can we recognize them? How can we see if the teachings we hear are good or bad? Reading our Bibles, of course! We can recognize through God’s word if what we hear is from Him or not, because He cannot and will not contradict Himself. False teaching is rising, especially about Christianity, and most of it is easily refuted…IF we read God’s word! If we’re not grounded, we’ll be led astray emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. There is much falsehood in and from the world, what is my hope in wading through it? Simply put: I need to be in God’s word daily, and so do you.
Matthew 7:15-20
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
2 Corinthians 11:12-15
And what I am doing I will continue to do, in order to undermine the claim of those who would like to claim that in their boasted mission they work on the same terms as we do. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
1 John 4:1-6
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
