…there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them… (2 Peter 2:1, NIV)
“Keep your head down” may be the most repeated of all golf advice. It may also be the worst.
Does it surprise you to hear this? It’s quite possible that your beloved memories of the game include a friend or teacher who used this expression (or one like it) to help you get started. What they may have inadvertently accomplished was to produce a stiffness in your swing that thwarted fluidity and tempo.
Bad advice can, of course, sneak its way into any arena. No one is looking for a losing stock tip or a deleterious drug prescription. And while the latter might kill you, this pales compared to the kind of false teaching that can keep a person from eternal life.
When the time comes to stand before God and cash in our life’s chips, there is only one currency that counts: Christ our Savior.Where does deadly false teaching come from? From false teachers. This is not to establish a witch hunt mentality, where we cast suspicious eyes on any preacher whose theology isn’t just like ours in every point. But the writers of Scripture weren’t afraid to call heresy by its ugly name, so we do well to find out what they meant when they used this word.
Briefly, the heresies that set themselves against Christ and the gospel that proclaims him come in three forms:
1. They take away from the person or work of Christ. In their teaching, he is not God, not sinless, and not singularly powerful to save through his death and resurrection.
2. They add requirements to the saving work of Christ. As examples, Sabbath-keeping or evangelistic efforts or even sleeping with the leader are taught as avenues to added enlightenment and eternal reward.
3. The heresies are taught by greedy teachers. Sometimes this greed is passed on to congregations, who are encouraged to seek material blessings as a sign of God’s favor. It’s a deceitful distraction.
When the time comes to stand before God and cash in our life’s chips, there is only one currency that counts: Christ our Savior. We must cast off all other teachings as the worthless coin-op slugs they are.
—
Jeff Hopper
December 18, 2020
Copyright 2020 Links Players International
The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.
OTHER DEVOTIONS IN THIS SERIES
Followers of Jesus 1: Leaders and Followers
Followers of Jesus 2: The Cost
Followers of Jesus 3: Footsteps of Faith
Followers of Jesus 4: Jesus’ Voice
Followers of Jesus 5: In the Light
Followers of Jesus 6: Away from Temptation