Main Point and Overview:
The most dangerous person is not the one who looks and acts evil, but the one who acts good but is evil on the inside! For decades, our society has underestimated the power of evil. We see people depict Satan on Saturday Night Live as a red-skinned, thorn-headed, pitchfork-holding mutant. This is inaccurate. In fact, the Bible describes Satan as the “father of lies” (John 8:44)! So, if Satan is gifted at deceiving people, don’t you think that his henchmen will have the same deceiving powers? The Bible is very clear that there are false teachers in the world, even those who look like Christians. They share words that can be convincing, especially when a person is not truly educated in God’s Word. In the first century, there was a guy named Simon who fit this description. He looked like an apostle. He had supernatural power like an apostle. He had influence like an apostle. The crowds often gathered around them, just like they had with the apostles of Jesus Christ. Then, something happened. What is authentic will eventually overshadow what is imitation. When Philip, one of the true apostles, began to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God, people believed and were baptized. Then, they received the power of the Holy Spirit, and everyone was amazed, including Simon. Simon went from being the “center of attention” to being an afterthought, and he could not allow this to continue, so he literally asked the apostles if he could “purchase” this power. They were instantly appalled at such a selfish request, and they chastised him in an aggressive way. His reaction was wrong as he attempted to avoid punishment instead of truly repenting of his sin. Why? He was a false teacher, not truly interested in preaching the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. What’s symptomatic of Simon is true of every false teacher. Ultimately, their motivation is their own glory; therefore, they manipulate truth to draw people to themselves. It is imperative that you and I understand how to spot a false teacher to avoid their traps. Many people in the past have inadvertently walked away from the truth caught in the clutches of their traps. Will you be prepared to protect yourself? Here is what you need to know…
The most dangerous person is not the one who looks and acts evil, but the one who acts good but is evil on the inside! For decades, our society has underestimated the power of evil. We see people depict Satan on Saturday Night Live as a red-skinned, thorn-headed, pitchfork-holding mutant. This is inaccurate. In fact, the Bible describes Satan as the “father of lies” (John 8:44)! So, if Satan is gifted at deceiving people, don’t you think that his henchmen will have the same deceiving powers? The Bible is very clear that there are false teachers in the world, even those who look like Christians. They share words that can be convincing, especially when a person is not truly educated in God’s Word. In the first century, there was a guy named Simon who fit this description. He looked like an apostle. He had supernatural power like an apostle. He had influence like an apostle. The crowds often gathered around them, just like they had with the apostles of Jesus Christ. Then, something happened. What is authentic will eventually overshadow what is imitation. When Philip, one of the true apostles, began to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God, people believed and were baptized. Then, they received the power of the Holy Spirit, and everyone was amazed, including Simon. Simon went from being the “center of attention” to being an afterthought, and he could not allow this to continue, so he literally asked the apostles if he could “purchase” this power. They were instantly appalled at such a selfish request, and they chastised him in an aggressive way. His reaction was wrong as he attempted to avoid punishment instead of truly repenting of his sin. Why? He was a false teacher, not truly interested in preaching the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. What’s symptomatic of Simon is true of every false teacher. Ultimately, their motivation is their own glory; therefore, they manipulate truth to draw people to themselves. It is imperative that you and I understand how to spot a false teacher to avoid their traps. Many people in the past have inadvertently walked away from the truth caught in the clutches of their traps. Will you be prepared to protect yourself? Here is what you need to know…
Posted in Devotional