Fighting the Four Evils

Heresy is often thought to be simply any doctrine that deviates from the true doctrines about Jesus. While doctrines that deviate from the true doctrine about Jesus is certainly heretical, that is only an example of heresy. Such an understanding of heresy misunderstands the real essence and the nature of heresy itself.    Heresy is in essence, rebellion against God. It is the exercise of illegitimate authority against God through the perversion of doctrine. For in such doctrine is borne out of rebellion against God itself, a hatred of God, in particular, a love for that which is carnal. Jude 1:8-19 sums up the nature of heretics:  Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.  Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!”  But these speak evil of whatever they do not know...

Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Timothy 3:5) Religion is not godly or holy. It is precisely religion that makes people who were one time being drawn to genuinely seeking the truth about Jesus turn away from the truth. That is not an excuse that one is making on behalf on such people. It is a simply a true indictment about what religion is - false and hypocritical. Religion is not of God. No where in the Word of God does it ever say that we are to be religious or that following Jesus is a religion. No! Jesus is not religion. Jesus is a person. No one can find Jesus if he or she is seeking religion. For Jesus is not religion or a religious leader. He is God Himself. The essence of religion is not simply that one tries to keep the Law of God but cannot, because one is unrighteous (Isaiah 64:6). It is that it uses the Law of God unlawfully.This is the inevitable result of an unrighteous person trying to keep the Law of God. Trying...

There are many professing followers of Christ in the professing Church today who are religious but are not truly spiritual. They attend church regularly, may be active in church, and even read Scripture regularly, pray and fast. Most who think that they are followers of Christ, or Christians, in the true sense of the term, but are not.  Being a follower of Christ is not about being religious, but about being spiritual, walking both in truth and in Spirit (John 4:24). A person may be religious and not know Christ at all, just as the Pharisees in the New Testament did not know Christ at all (Read the synoptic Gospels in the Bible, that is, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Such people will hear Jesus say to them on the Day of Judgement: ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Matthew 7:23). What frightening words! Such words are truly the most frightening words one could ever hear. What could be more frightening than to hear the King of Kings and Lord ...

Many Christians love to point out the sins of sexual immorality, theft, abortion and drunkenness in others. They think that God is pleased with them because they do not commit such sins. However, many of them are full of carnality, living very carnal and worldly lives as evident in their mindset, thinking, attitudes and outlook on life - and they do not even know how carnal they are. The truth is that many Christians live outwardly respectable lives, lives where one has never been involved in sexual immorality, drunkenness, abortion, or theft. However, their lifestyle demonstrates that they are full of the love of self, love of pleasure and the love of mammon. Indeed, 2 Timothy 3:1-5 has prophecised about such vile people: But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money , boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brut...