By J. C. Ryle,
Secretly, quietly, insidiously, plausibly
“Be careful,” Jesus said to them. “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!” Matthew 16:6
“Watch out for false prophets! They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves!” Matthew 7:15
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light!” 2 Corinthians 11:13-14
False doctrine does not meet us face to face, and proclaim that it is false. It does not blow a trumpet before it, and endeavor openly to turn us away from the truth as it is in Jesus. It does not come before us in broad day, and summon us to surrender. It approaches us secretly, quietly, insidiously, plausibly, and in such a way as to disarm our suspicion, and throw us off our guard. It is the wolf in sheep’s clothing, and Satan in the garb of an angel of light–who have always proved the most dangerous foes of the church of Christ.
Let us be on our guard against the “insidiousness” of false doctrine. Like the fruit of which Eve and Adam ate–at first sight it looks pleasant and good, and a thing to be desired. “Poison” is not written upon it, and so people are not afraid. Like counterfeit coin, it is not stamped “bad.” It passes for the real thing, because of the very likeness it bears to the truth.
Let us be on our guard against the “very small beginnings” of false doctrine. Every heresy began at one time, with some little departure from the truth. There is only “a little seed of error” needed to create “a great tree of heresy!” It is the little stones, which make up the mighty building. It was the little pieces of lumber, which made the great ark that carried Noah and his family over a deluged world. It is the little leaven, which infiltrated the whole lump. It is the little flaw in one link of the chain cable, which wrecks the gallant ship, and drowns the crew. It is the omission or addition of one little item in the doctor’s prescription, which spoils the whole medicine, and turns it into poison!
Let us never allow a little false doctrine to ruin us, by thinking it is “but a little one,” and can do us no harm.
There are three things which we never ought to trifle with:
a little poison,
a little sin, and
a little false doctrine.
Let us read the Bible regularly, daily, and with fervent prayer. Let us receive nothing, believe nothing, follow nothing–which is not in the Bible. Let our rule of faith, our touchstone of all teaching–be the written Word of God. “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20” By J. C. Ryle,
Dear Ones,
We need to read John 12:48 “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have spoken the same shall judge him or her in the last day.” So let us be so careful to receive the WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD, and not to follow after the wisdom of this world. We might not understand everything in God’s word, but if it is there we must not reject it, for if our Lord and Saviour said it – it is so..
One great sin of mankind is making God into what we want our God to be. Therefore we make a god of our own choosing and reject the One True God. In our day and age, people have received many false gospels and because they have been taught so, for so many years, they promptly think it is true, people buy into what tickles their ears and they turn from the truth and follow after lies, which in turn leads them to hell and total separation from God for eternity.
For they have rejected not only His Word but they reject Him in doing so. Oh souls be so careful with whom you follow – just because it comes from the pulpit doesn’t make it so. For there have come in amongst the church many false teachers, leading many of souls to destruction. If the Word of God says something it is so! It doesn’t matter if we totally understand now – as we grow in His Word and in Him, He opens our hearts and minds to understand it more clearly.
The Word of God makes us see God as He truly is, it doesn’t matter if we have to change our mind on what we have always thought of God, or been taught, it doesn’t matter if we have to not only see God as a God of love, but a God too who is a God of wrath.
We might not understand why He chose to do some things the way He did, has or will do, that is not in our picture of who we want Him to be. However, we still must accept the truth of His word no matter what. We do not know God’s purposes in why He created some things the way He did, but we none the less must accept the Word of God for what it teaches. Remember John 12:48 He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, had one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last days.
May you all accept the Word of God over what any person or preacher teaches, for the Word of God is life and the Truth will set you free. Not the following of some false doctrine.
Lynn
We have posted J. C. Ryle’s insightful article, “Pharisees and Sadducees”
http://www.gracegems.org/23/Ryle_pharisees_and_sadducees.htm
Posted with permission from Grace Gems.