- “A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape (punishment of some kind at some point)” (Proverbs 19:5). Every pastor, every preacher, every Bible teacher needs to think deeply on the warning given in that proverb. In the concluding words of the Book of Job, we read these words: “And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, ‘My wrath is kindled against you, and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has'” (See Job 42:7). “My wrath is kindled against you….” says God to this man.
- God does not like to be misrepresented. It makes Him mad. When some pastor or preacher insists “God’s Word says this or that” when in actuality the Word of God says something entirely different God doesn’t like it one bit. And that one preaching or teaching error will someday answer to an angry God who forewarns us that such a false witness will not go unpunished. The preaching or teaching of error can be quite costly to the one who is guilty of the same. “For none of us lives to himself, and no man dies to himself” (Romans 14:7). All of us live lives that impact others one way or another. We can be examples for good or examples for evil.
- And “we shall ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ….so then every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (See Romans 14:10,12). The pastor who leads his congregation into embracing error and sees to it that they stay on that pathway is going to pay a heavy price for his folly. It matters not that he was sincere, that he actually thought he was speaking the truth, he will give account for what he has done to Jesus Christ Himself.
- The Christian religion consists of a potpourri, a mixed bag of various and sundry beliefs, dogmas and doctrines. Various denominations differ widely and often quite dramatically in what they believe the Bible teaches. Most hold Sunday to be the “Lord’s Day,” while millions of others insist the true and only Sabbath is the seventh day of the week, more accurately the time that commences at sundown on Friday and continues until the following sunset on Saturday. They cannot both be right. One of them is totally wrong and in error. One of them is trampling on God’s holy day, the other is honoring God in their belief and practice. God have mercy on the one who fails to figure it out and gets it wrong! Many professing Christians couldn’t care less about this issue, thinking it doesn’t matter one way or another .”And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, ‘This is the way, walk you in it'”, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.” (See Isaiah 30:21). But the only way the Spirit of God can whisper such into the mind of a believer is when that believer is fully dedicated to walking in holiness and righteousness before the Lord. If that believer ridicules the very idea of living a holy life in this present evil world, then he, or she, is tone deaf to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit. Such a believer is wide open to spiritual deception and ripe for Satan’s deceptions. The truth can be known, folks, but it is quite costly. It is the pearl of great price, a treasure hidden in a field. Do you have your shovel in hand?????
Christ’s Aged Servant (Galatians 1:10-12),
- Donald Wiley