FALSE TEACHING
Background
The apostle John wrote in his second letter, "For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will leave God behind; while if you are loyal to Christ's teachings, you will have God too" (2 John 9, TLB).
Billy Graham has written, "All the way through the Bible we are warned against false prophets and false teachers 'who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves' (Matthew 7:15). Sometimes it is extremely difficult for Christians to discern a false prophet. . . . Jesus spoke of 'false prophets' . . . who will 'show great signs and wonders . . . to deceive, if possible, even the elect' (Matthew 24:24)."
The underlying principle of all Satan's tactics is deception. He is crafty and has clever disguises. His deception began in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day. He invades the theological seminary and even the pulpit. He invades the church under cover of orthodox vocabulary, emptying sacred terms of their biblical sense.
What is a false teaching? It is any teaching which is contrary to the basic doctrines of God's Word, such as those having to do with the Trinity, the virgin birth of Christ, His atoning death, His bodily resurrection and second coming, salvation by grace through faith, the bodily resurrection of all believers, and the reality of heaven and hell.
Helping Strategy For the Non-Christian:
1. Commend the inquirer on wanting to share his or her thoughts and discover the truth. Tell him or her that you hope you can be of help as you talk together.
2. If the inquirer seems to have a difficult time accepting the Bible at face value, it may be that he or she has never received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Emphasize that this step is crucial in understanding the Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:4). Share "Steps to Peace with God," page 11, and invite the inquirer to receive Christ.
3. If the response is positive, share other follow-up steps:
A. Encourage reading and studying the Bible. Offer to send Living in