Recognizing Strange Teachings

I was talking to this young woman the other day, and she had visited this other church that has a booth in the lobby where people will give you a prophesy about your future. It’s like fortune tellers, except you don’t have to pay. They act like prophesy is something you can do automatically; the Spirit doesn’t have to move upon anyone, so you can prophesy over everyone. You see, what they teach in this place is that you’re a child of God, so whatever thoughts are in your head must be God’s thoughts. Just speak them! 

So this young woman went up to the prophesy booth, and one of their ‘prophets’ told her, “You’re a princess of God, and don’t forget that you’re a princess.” Everyone likes hearing nice things like that. This person doesn’t know her, doesn’t know if she’s living in sin or if she’s even a believer at all. 

Peter got up in front of the first church audience and told them, “Repent! Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.” Repent, like change myself? Turn around, and live differently? Oh, it’s much nicer to just be told that I’m a royal person and God loves me without me having to change. 

Scripture says, “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace…” (Hebrews 13:9, ESV).

You know the first thing that happens when the Holy Spirit works? Repentance. There’s a new consciousness of sin and cry of “Oh God, save me, cleanse me.” If things are glib or not in line with scripture, the Holy Spirit is a thousand miles away. All revivals have started with people praying, “Search me, oh God, and know me.” Jesus comes to convict the world of sin; that includes believers.

Only then do we see God’s grace, and it gives us strength. We’re told that grace, the favor of God, strengthens our hearts. First, though, we must watch out for unbiblical teaching. How will we know it’s a strange teaching unless we know our Bibles? Let’s search the scriptures carefully so that we know God’s grace!  

^{Jim Cymbala began the Brooklyn Tabernacle with less than twenty members in a small, rundown building in a difficult part of the city. A native of Brooklyn, he is a longtime friend of both David and Gary Wilkerson.}