Fierce Wolves Will Not Spare the Flock

The Apostle Paul wrote this as he was departing from the elders of the Ephesians’ Church. He understood better than most, that arrogant men will come into the Church and corrupt it with false teachings.

Let me give you three major examples from history: Arius, Pelagius and Jacobus Arminius.

First, we see the rise of Arianism, the belief of Arius was that Christ was created by God, but he was not God, thus rejecting the His deity. Many began to follow this teaching and it would have continued if not for a man named, Athanasius. Athanasius said, “Jesus whom I know as my Redeemer, cannot be less than God. The Arian controversy raged for a long time, until the Council of Nicaea was held in A.D. 325, with three hundred minsters from all over Christianity came together in the city of Nicaea. After much debate and searching of Scriptures they condemned Arius and all of his teachings.

Next is Pelagius, a British monk who denied the human race fell in Adam. He taught that men were basically good in nature and can obey God’s commandments without God’s help or grace. Pelagius’ teaching spread like wildfire throughout Christianity and was challenged by the great Augustine of Hippo. Augustine taught that man is born in sin and even though he has free will, man’s nature is in bondage to sin and will always choose evil, citing Romans Chapter three and many other scriptures. This controversy led to the General Council of Ephesus in A.D. 431. Where the teachings of Pelagius was condemned as heresy. We will discover later that this heresy will later resurrect as semi-Pelagianism.

Number three in the line of Heretics, after the Reformation was well under way, when a man by the name of Jacobus Arminius, a professor of theology in the university of Leyden, began to depart from biblical truth. He too taught that man was born without sin and salvation is conditional, based on man’s response. He also taught that true believers could fall from grace and lose their salvation. This false teaching led to the Council of Dort, from November 13, 1618, to May 9, 1619. Ministers from the Netherlands, England, Hesse and Breman in Germany, and from Switzerland met, studies the Scriptures, rejected and condemned the teachings of Jacobus Arminius.

Yet, historical theologians tell us that there are more false teachers today than in all of history. Why? For several reasons: First, most Christians do not know nor study Church history and cannot see how history repeats itself. Arminianism is semi-Pelagianism and is believed by many churches in America. Besides this false understanding of salvation, we have teachers telling throngs of people that God wants them to be healthy, wealthy, successful, and prosperous. Without mentioning what the Bible teaches that “without holiness no one will see the Lord,” and “you cannot serve God and money.”

The Savior does not want disciples who give their spare time to Him or their Sundays, or their years of retirement. Rather He expects us to give Him first place in everything! Nothing less than unconditional surrender could ever be a fitting response to His agonizing sacrifice in the Cross. What a majority of “christians” want today is an escape from hell and a guarantee of heaven. One area demonstrates our commitment to Christ and that is Tithing. Unfortunately, many are taught today that God doesn’t demand the tithe, to give Christ a tenth of our finances is out of the question. A Barna polls stated that only 13% of Christians tithe, and over half of 2,400 Christians surveyed give less than 1% to Christ. Barna continued, the average Christian is just as generous as the average American and average American is far less generous than they think they are. God owns everything I have, and He deserves a tenth of the income He provides. Don’t be too quick to dismiss that God doesn’t require the tenth any longer, read Malachi 3: 6-10, under the title of Robbing God.

I pray all that you and I do brings Glory to God, Soli Deo Gloria,

John