I thought I'd end our pictorial journey with a picture of Abraham. The picture was painted with God's call of Abraham in mind. I felt that way when God called me 10 years ago.Now to the task at hand. I pray it helps you in your discernment. I've attached a PDF document that serves as a test for false teachers. My mama always used to say, "If the snake bites you the first time, it's the snake's fault. If he bites you the second time, it's your fault."
Moral: No matter how charismatic, how gifted, or how convincing the individual is, if they don't pass the biblical test, there are no gray areas; you have to judge them as either false or true.
False Teachers are Men Pleasers
Every encounter I've ever had with a false teacher/prophet has embodied this characteristic. They preach what people want to hear. Whatever brings the crowds, whatever brings in the money, whatever it takes to increase their popularity, they say it without any regard to the sacredness of Scripture. They seem to be content to proclaim whatever makes people feel good for the moment. If it's the promise of a new house, a new car, more money, a new husband, a new wife, a new job, or whatever, if people are buying, then they will sell it. Look out for this quality. Does the minister avoid subjects such as sin and repentance? Does he promise blessings without responsibility, accountability, and without regard to a person's lifestyle? If you find this to be true, this is a strong indication that he/she is a pleaser of men and is not hearing from God. If you witness this characteristic take the prophet Jeremiah's advice.
False Teachers Are Greedy
This characteristic is easy to spot out. However, let me point something out. There's is nothing wrong with money. There's nothing wrong with having a lot of it. It's what you do with the money and what you allow the money to do to you. As a Christian, if you see money as more than a tool that provides access to advance the kingdom of God, provide for your household, and help those less fortunate, then you've missed the purpose of money. If you think that advancing the kingdom is getting a new zip code, then you've really got issues. Scripture plainly states that the kingdom of God is not meat or drink, but love, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit.
Money is not evil, however, the love of money is. If you ever want to see who a person really is, give them more money than they've ever had, and whoever that person really is will be magnified by money, because money provides access to accomplish the pleasures of a man's heart. In other words, the reason the scripture states that money is the root of ALL evil is because if there's evil in you, money will draw it out and put it on public display.
Does the teacher talk about money in relationship to being obedient to God? Does he equate governed donations to the church as the primary way to obey God? Should you give? Yes! It can be an indication of your yielded-ness to God. However, to give out of fear and obligation is wrong.
I'll end with some information from one of the best Bible expositors known to mankind, John MacArthur. Here's a link to his ministry.
False teachers are proud
They are concerned for their own popularity. They are concerned for their own fame. They are concerned for their own notoriety. They are concerned for their own prestige. They’re concerned to see themselves and hear themselves in the public eye. They want large crowds, as it were, to bow down in great homage to them. They’re characterized by pride and they will do anything to gain the ground they need to gain for the welfare of their own personal ego, including any amount of compromise necessary.
False teachers are characterized by selfishness
They tend to be self-centered. They are concerned for their own comfort. They are concerned for their own popularity. They are concerned for their own prosperity. In the end, it’s all about money, fame, and prestige and notoriety equals an increased bank account. They are in it for the money and the personal material benefits that they can gain as they endeavor to feed their selfish desires.
False teachers are characterized by deception T
They usually can weave a very sophisticated web of deception in their teaching because they tend to be articulate, if they’re going to be successful, and they endeavor to engage other people to aid them in their deceitful enterprise which gives it the, sort of, facade of credibility.
False teachers are irreverent
If there’s anything that sort of dominates in my thinking about false teachers, it is their irreverence. They have absolutely no regard for God. The fact that they would go against God, that they would elevate themselves the way they do, that they would pervert the truth indicates their utter irreverence. They have little, if any, regard for God, His Word, His truth, His glory, His honor…
False teachers are spiritually destructive
They seek to use people; they seek to abuse people. They seek to lead people into error, which destroys them—into sin, which pollutes them.
So, as you look at false teachers with regard to the world, they are proud and they seek fame and popularity. With regard to themselves, they are self-centered, selfish, self-aggrandizing, self-gratifying. With regard to the nature of their ministry, they are dishonest and deceptive and lack integrity. With regard to God, they are utterly irreverent; in fact, they are blasphemous. And, with regard to the people that they influence, they are spiritually destructive. So, their relationship to the world, their relationship to the ministry, their relationship to themselves, their relationship to God, their relationship to their people all reflects the deviation of their hearts.”
John F. MacArthur Jr., Concerns of a True Pastor: Humility and Selflessness, 1998
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