False Prophets, Teachers, and Backsliders

Read II Peter 2:10-22

For if, having escaped the world’s impurity through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in these things and defeated, the last state is worse for them than the first.

II Peter 2:2:20

I’ve read and re-read this chapter, seeking for understanding and clarification. At first, I was just angry that we have to deal with people trying to pollute the truth, and then I just wanted to know why and how this could be.

I prayed.

Then I remembered a term rarely heard today and received my answer. They’re backsliders. The best description in the dictionary was to relapse into bad ways or error. A better description would be deserter, hypocrite, imposter, turncoat, conspirator (of the evil one), renegade, and spy — and enemy among us.

Hard words, but true.

Backslider!

Backsliding must hurt the heart of God. Bundled up in this word is sin after sin and the deepest darkness. They have tasted the truth and spit it out. They’ve known the way of escape and yet turned to the mantle of the evil one instead. Furthermore, they’ve looked at their Savior and said, “No way”.

… holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith.

I Timothy 1:19

I want to hate them, but I can’t. The best I can do is to bring them into the light to lessen their damage. They are hypocrites, infidel, disobedient, ungrateful, and utterly lost. The Lord calls them the unfaithful among the unfaithful.

They had, for a moment, escaped the pollution of this world, but they never partook of the divine nature. The dog returns to his vomit and the swine to the pigsty.

“Those who fall away have never been thoroughly imbued with the knowledge of Christ, but only had a slight and passing taste of it.”

John Calvin.

If only they had gone their own way and didn’t disciple others. They are zealous to bring others down with them, and so they fill the air with their lies. Like the “pied piper” they lead the vulnerable into the darkness with them.

The enemy in the camp

For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

II Timothy 4:3.

The false teachers/prophets are wicked, unfaithful backsliders! They follow the devises and desires of their own hearts. Every thought is in disobedience to God, and they’ve trained their hearts to greed and have eyes of adultery.

They wreak havoc in the church like wild beasts. They seduce others and expose themselves to destruction. Satan has caught them. They are captive to his will, and want others to join them. They’re blinded by their selfishness and receive the reward of unrighteousness.

These false teachers listen to the evil one’s instruction and lean in to learn his counsel. In turn, they teach others to do the same. These immoral teachers of error have no truth, no grace, and no love. All they have are swelling words of vanity and pride. There is nothing of substance in them.

They are fools among fools.

They are nothing more than backsliders trying to make others in their own image: a church of dogs and swine.

“Life’s greatest tragedy is to lose God and not to miss Him.”

F.W. Norwood

Beware, Oh Christian, beware.

These false teachers sound and look authentic.

They twist Scripture to their advantage and get away with it because the weak, vulnerable Christian knows nothing of the Holy Bible. The paper thin Christian sips the sweet wine of lies and deception. The shallow Christian does not know God and know Him rightly. Satan’s words sound like truth to them and an easy fix to Christians in name only.

“By entertaining of strange persons, men sometimes entertain angels unaware; but by entertaining of strange doctrines, many have entertained devils unaware.”

John Flavel.

Call to Action

Immerse yourself in Sacred Scripture and come to know the Savior of your soul. Make it a priority and guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The truth can shield every assault of the backslider… the truth and nothing but the truth.

Now, turn your eyes on Jesus. Look full into His wonderful face, and things of this earth will grow strongly dim in the light of His mercy and grace.

Your true teacher,