October 11th
Beware
Matthew 16:12
Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Do not believe everything you hear and do not accept everything you read. Not everything is right even though others may believe in and accept it as fact. Truth is that some fact is in reality fiction. As Christians we are on a quest for the truth. In the same way the devil, the great deceiver, and his emissaries are on a mission of misinformation. They desire to distort and dispel the truth. They seek to use existing channels, even religious ones, to spread falsehood and deceive disciples.
These liars hope to derail or at least redirect God’s people to believe and follow a different gospel (Gal 1:6). What one is taught can typically lead to their way of life. Their pattern of living emerges from lessons learned. If the forces of evil can impress upon Christians to disavow Biblical doctrines and adhere to and advance the opinions of men (Matt 15:8-9) than they can dismantle Christian beliefs. They will lead Christians away from “a sincere and pure devotion to Christ” (2 Cor 11:5)
In Roman times there were religious sects of the Jews called the Pharisees and the Sadducees. One was ultra conservative the other more moderate. Both were based on the teachings of the Old Testament. The Pharisees were literalist. They strictly adhered to a legalistic interpretation of God’s law. The Sadducees on the other hand were liberalist. They were much more open in their progressive approach to scripture. But both of these brought in extra Biblical material to espouse their views. Their doctrine might have begun with the Bible, but it quickly diverted form its teaching.
Their teachings were the religious guidelines during the earthly days of Jesus. Many people siding with each. Most Jews following their instruction. Their lifestyle was predicated by what they learned. They lived according to the traditions of men rather than the truth of God’s word. They believed what they were taught, but what they were taught was not what they should have believed.
Here Jesus warns His followers to beware of what they taught. Their views misconstruing scripture. They consistently misrepresented the truth and mislead the people. Their path to salvation was through works. They taught that doing and being good was the path to heaven. They advocated that adherence to the law brought salvation. They taught that goodness rather than God’s grace saved them. They said that one’s workings would win heaven.
But the path of Jesus was different. Rather than deface and distort the scripture, Jesus presented the truth of salvation and sanctification. He presented a different perspective. Jesus spoke of His work in our place and His death for our penalty. He attested that there was only one way to heaven and that was through Him (John 14:6). He debunked their deception. The truth rose to the surface and their misconceptions were exposed.
Today scrutinize everything that you hear or ready, by comparing it to the truth of scripture. Follow the advice of Jesus and beware of the false and distorted teachings of religious charlatans who present pseudo truth and deceive many. Ask the Lord to help you “test every spirit” to see if it’s from God. Don’t be deceived and end up alienated from the truth.
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