Beware of Falsehood! Seek Truth

6.29.14Jess Huber & Dr. Frank Jabini

First test: falsehood in teachers (4:1)

A. They will deny Christian doctrine.II Peter 2:1 “But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of these teachers, the way of truth will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction will not be delayed.”

First test: falsehood in teachers (4:1)

B. They will display an exclusive spirit.I John 2:19

“19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.”

First test: falsehood in teachers (4:1)

C. They will emphasize a salvation by works. They minimize the grace of God.

Galatians 2:16“16 know that a person is not justified by the works of

the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.”

The second test: falsehood on their view of Jesus Christ (4:2)

A. Jesus is eternal. He was not created. He was the creator.Colossians 1:15-16 15 The Son is the image of the invisible God,

the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.”

John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

The second test: falsehood on their view of Jesus Christ (4:2)

B. Jesus is God in the flesh. (1:3,7; 4:2)“3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to

you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

• “7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

• “2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,”

• Docetism- a brand of Gnosticism the believed that Jesus was actually a divine spirit who only appeared to be physical: His body, they argued, was not truly flesh but was only an illusion.

The second test: falsehood on their view of Jesus Christ (4:2)

C. Jesus is the only way to God. (2:22)“22 And who is a liar? Anyone who says that

Jesus is not the Christ. Anyone who denies the Father and the Son is an antichrist. 23 Anyone who denies the Son doesn’t have the Father, either. But anyone who acknowledges the Son has the Father also.”

The third test: falsehood in personal confession (4:3)

A. Personal faith involves a confession. 4:3 Matthew 7:21

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”

Romans 10:9“9 because, if you confess with your mouth that

Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

The third test: falsehood in personal confession (4:3)

B. Personal faith involves a new character2 Corinthians 5:17“17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new

creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

Acts 16:14“14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive

purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.”

Deuteronomy 29:4“4 But to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to

understand or eyes to see or ears to hear.”I Cor. 12:3“3 So I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God

will curse Jesus, and no one can say Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.”