Are there false prophets today?
Are there false prophets today and what do they teach? The answers are yes and they teach unbiblical doctrine which is another way of saying false doctrine. false prophets teach false doctrine. False doctrine is taught by false prophets. Jude 4 gives a specific kind of false doctrine. It is being taught today. With just a little bit of discernment one can see that the same thing Jude was warning about is being taught today.
The following is from a sermon by Dr. J. Ligon Duncan III of First Presbyterian Church in Jackson, Mississippi on the text of Jude 3-4:
And notice two things that he says that they’re teaching. “[They] turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord.” They do two things: they use grace as an excuse to live a life of indifference and sin, and they deny Christ, what the Bible teaches about His person and work. They say, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter how you live as long as you’re sincere. It doesn’t matter what your life is like. You’ve signed a card, prayed a prayer, made a decision. It doesn’t matter what you believe about Jesus as long as you’re sincere.’ That’s what they say. And Jude says, ‘Both of those are practical denials of Jesus Christ.’ One denies the result of His grace; one denies His person which is absolutely essential for grace. And Jude urges us here to contend for the faith and to beware of false teachers who make grace into licentiousness and who deny the Lord Jesus Christ, and he’s just reminding us that there are always false teachers amongst the church.
A false teacher this morning is a flip of the channel away, the opening of a book away, the turning of a radio dial or the punching of a radio pre-programmed button away from your ears. They’re everywhere. You need to be discerning because truth matters. What you don’t know can hurt you, and what you know that is false can hurt you. Theology matters and false teaching can destroy souls and lives.
For the entire sermon.........
http://www.fpcjackson.org/resources/sermons/Jude/jude%203.4.htm
9 comments:
"Oh, it doesn’t matter how you live as long as you’re sincere. It doesn’t matter what your life is like. You’ve signed a card, prayed a prayer, [and] made a decision. It doesn’t matter what you believe about Jesus as long as you’re sincere." They Say.
I have never heard a sermon by They Say. I have never read a book by They Say. I do find that They Say is quoted often, but no reference is given. I find it difficult to nail down just what They Say's position on anything is.
I have read MacArthur and Hodges and one or two other books and I have read Rose's Reasons and Unashamed of Grace. None of these could be cross reference with what They Say said, unless I missed a post or two by Some One at Unashamed of Grace. I do not know of anyone who makes such an outrageous proclamation as the one quoted by They Say.
I do agree and affirm the last paragraph of your post. I suppose if it were not for my preconceived notion that I obtained at UOG and that other deleted comment I would have enjoyed it (the whole) all the more.
j. wendell,
(Jude 4: For certain men whose condemnation was written about£ long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.)
The 'they say' is from a sermon where the pastor is talking in general about all sorts of statements by people that fit the clear false teaching that Jude is speaking of in verse 4. If you want names, I suggest that you check out what Zane Hodges is teaching and what Hodges followers are saying on the UOG site.
at least two of the contributors to UOG are claiming that the deity of Christ is not a necessary part of the object (Jesus) of one's belief (a clear denial of the importance of the person of Jesus). Hodges is teaching that once a profession of faith has been made, a person can become apostate, never return to the faith and still be counted among the redeemed.
Sir, if this does fit Jude 4 like a glove, then I don't know what would. My deleted comment may have been offensive to you, but I think it is supported by Scripture and the more I study about Hodges, I must say his theology is offensive and unbilical.
Jazzycat
"Oh, it doesn’t matter how you live as long as you’re sincere. It doesn’t matter what your life is like. You’ve signed a card, prayed a prayer, [and] made a decision. It doesn’t matter what you believe about Jesus as long as you’re sincere."
The two at uog are wrong on that point. Zane Hodges himself has said one must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved. All at uog affirm the deity of Jesus. One has provoked a question about minimum knowledge required for salvation.
Zane Hodges point about turning from Christ after true conversion is accurate. Do you think that those who develop alshiemers (?) and say "crazy" things after conversion are lost? Do you deny the great doctines in Romans 8? Nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Where has They Say said that it doesn't matter how one lives?
BTW I do not find you or your comments offensive. We may differ and both of us may learn about God's grace.
A belief in a salvation that comes from God through regeneration by the holy spirit comes with power. Therefore, I have no problem believing Romans 8, Eph. 2:8-10, James, or any other scripture. I believe you and Rose are sincere and Rose certainly has a great Christian disposition.
I believe the Free grace understanding of the gospel is false primarily due to a blurring of justification and sanctification. A regeneration without power is also problematic to me (see my debate with DP on UOG or was it RR).
Jazzycat
"I believe the Free grace understanding of the gospel is false primarily due to a blurring of justification and sanctification. A regeneration without power is also problematic to me."
Me too! I agree Jazzycat
Mr. Bluecollar,
DF in one thread said regeneration followed faith and was necessary for salvation, but that it may not accomplish anything at all. That sure begs the question, why is it necessary if it may accomplish nothing and salvation is still assured. That is like saying you have to take a test to get a diploma, but making a zero is a passing grade.
Jazzy
Salvation, unlike a graded test, is a gift for nothing, not a reward because of accomplishment.
J. wendell,
So true and no where in the preaching of Dr. Duncan or my opinion will you find anything that does not affirm that. Regeneration will so change a person's heart that he will respond as a new creation with gratitude and inevitable fruit will result.
The teaching that it is possible that man simply makes a faith pledge and are not changed in any way and live a totally carnal life is a false teaching which comes from false prophets. Jude 4 warns of this specific false teaching. Apparently Zane Hodges and Bob Wilkin teach this doctrine.
The following quotes were pulled from the Westminster Confession which my denomination affirms:
"But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace."
"These good works, done in obedience to God's commandments, are the fruits and evidences of a true and lively faith:"
"We cannot by our best works merit pardon of sin, or eternal life at the hand of God, by reason of the great disproportion that is between them and the glory to come;"
Thanks for your visit and I really enjoy your site. I know I am not very tolerant about this, but the doctrines of justification and sanctification should not be blurred and sanctification should not be totally twisted beyond the clear teaching of Scripture.
Jazzycat
Super color scheme, I like it! Good job. Go on.
»
Post a Comment