Deuteronomy 13 DEALING WITH EVIL Those who oppose God and His Word do not often show up as ungodly, sin-loving, God-hating people. More often they will appear as attractive, nice, intellectual, thoughtful people with a charismatic appeal to many who listen to them. They follow the pattern of Satan who may be seen as "an angel of light" rather than as a "roaring lion." The first is more dangerous than the second because they get closer and there is a certain appeal when preachers or prophets come with a new philosophical approach to life, God and the Bible. If a person claims to be a prophet, we need to examine his credentials and test his predictions by the word of God which we know to be true. Some "prophets" have set dates on the calendar for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ and have deceived thousands. They have calculated these dates by events that have happened or are happening. Some have made an obscure formula based on verses out of context in the scriptures and teach this as facts. Usually there is a book to buy or some other money-making scheme behind them. Occasionally there are those who insist they gain nothing from these predictions but are just wanting people to get ready to meet God.
No reason people give for teaching these things that are outside the tried and proven truths of the Bible, should be paid attention to. Rather we should warn people against false teaching and false teachers who have some unknown agenda. Among the children of Israel, false prophets, whether they were strangers, family members of communities, were to be destroyed as the only way to stop the spread of dangerous doctrines of demons. To allow false doctrine to continue in an assembly, or among God's people today, will soon lead to divisions and then to the demise of a local testimony. There are certain things we have to look for in order to keep the influence of false teachers and their doctrine from spreading. Anyone who doesn't believe "that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh," that He is the Son of God from all eternity and for all eternity, and that He alone is the way of salvation, is teaching false doctrine. There are many other areas of teaching regarding salvation, church truth, the life of a believer, future events and eternal destinations that are being attacked by false teachers today.
When a stranger comes among us and wants to be a part of the local fellowship, we need to know who they are and why they have this interest in this assembly. If they are not a professing Christian, we can encourage them to attend our meetings and listen to the Gospel with a view of them coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their own Savior. If they profess to be saved soon after first hearing the Gospel, we need to wait long enough to see the genuine fruits of salvation and the reality of new life in them before baptizing them and ultimately accepting them into the fellowship of the saints. When one comes who is a professing believer, a letter of commendation from the place of fellowship they left is needed as a recommendation of their profession of faith, and the conduct of life up until this time. Some professing Christians come from other "churches" and they have a number of complaints about the people, the teaching they heard and the practices there. Do not be in a hurry to give a place to discontented people, especially if that has been a pattern, and they have been moving often from one place to another. That is often their pattern of life in general that they are bringing with them indicating they think they have always been right and everyone else is wrong. That attitude does not leave in a hurry and then only when there is evidence of genuine humility and an honest change in themselves.
If a family member becomes discontented and wants to change what has been tried and proven to be biblical, then we cannot treat them in a different way in the local assembly than we do other people. Warning signs are a discontentment with things that have been taught from the scriptures and practiced in the assembly for generations by godly people. When a person seeks to give a private interpretation of a passage of scripture, and wants everyone to accept that interpretation as a true fact, that person needs to be warned, and the teaching rejected even if it is from our own family member. Subtle whispers of discontent sometimes come to us from others and we find the source is our own flesh and blood. Love in the family unit does not take precedence over love for God.
Whole communities in the nation of Israel were to be destroyed if rebellion against God and His revealed will found root there. Some epidemics can only be stopped by extreme measures. A community of faithful Christians in one generation can be lost by the discontent and unbelief of the next generation. The desire of Islam is to eliminate not only communities of Christians and Jews, but whole nations. That is the only way they can control the whole population and bring it under the domination of the Muslim religion. Our laws do not allow such things to happen here, and as Christians, we are called upon to promote what is right by preaching and living the truth of God. Our mandate, and Christians today are to go and make disciples of all nations, and them mark them by baptism in a scriptural way. We are to teach them to do what God's Word says in their own lives, families and community life. The motivation of genuine Christian love is the great power at our disposal when used under the direction of the Holy Spirit of God.
When false teachers from away; from among our own families or in the community of which we are a part, begin promoting teaching from obscure sources, we need to address the problem quickly. Determine just what they are saying and why they are teaching these things. In order to make this determination, the points they are making need to be carefully defined from our perspective by the scriptures, lest we be found making a false accusation. Usually there will be found some ulterior motive such as a false religion and its doctrine they are seeking to promote. Some may be seeking a position as a leader and teacher, because they love to have the preeminence for egotistical reasons.
We need to be sure what they are saying is true, because right words can be used, but the meaning behind the use of the words may not be what is taught in the Bible. The words "born again" are often used in ways that are not used in the context of the scriptures. Many use the words, "personal relationship," in a way that is not consistent with becoming a child of God. Right words used in a wrong way leads people in a wrong direction. All teaching needs to be tested by the statements of scripture, and in the context in which they are found in the word of God. "Try the spirits" indicates there is more behind the teaching than just the person wanting his voice to be heard. The powers of darkness will not hesitate to use the words of the Bible to promote false teaching so people will be lost to God.
It is necessary when unusual teaching is given, to test the rumors around the person and the new teaching he gives. Prove the reliability of the person and the message. If he is false, do not use innuendo and gossip to stop the problem but give proof of the falseness of the teaching and teacher. If charges are laid by others and it comes to your ears, check the facts, because it is possible for facts to be overlooked when news passes from one person to another. False accusations are not an honest way to deal with problems that arise among us. When a problem has been investigated, tested and proven, then do not hesitate to deal with the problem and the person or persons who caused it, no matter who that person may be.
There may be times when we have to rebuke a friend, discipline our own child and avoid a place where the truth of God is compromised. Those are hard things to do, but when we act with faith in God, and the authority of the scripture as our reason for the action, we must then leave the outcome with God, and trust Him to produce the desired result according to His sovereign will.