“For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” – Matthew 24:24
God’s word is enough. Why do so many Christians have problems accepting this principle? The Bible warns us about false teachers and prophets, but the reality is that many of these apostates truly believe what they’re saying. So much of the shaky theological doctrines we see today aren’t born out of malice, but rather out of ignorance. People are trying to make a doctrine out of an experience, and that simply doesn’t work. When looking at the numerous miracles in the Bible, we see the methodology change frequently. Jesus Himself didn’t seem to perform miracles the same way twice. One time He would smear mud into someone’s eyes, but the next time He would talk to a fever and command it to depart. I’m convinced He was quite intentional in this because He wanted to remove any glorification of the process.
God can move in whatever way He sees fit and doesn’t confine Himself to a particular method. In Isaiah 49:19 the prophet writes, “Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth;” The Lord is not locked into constraints, especially those devised by man. Isaiah writes again in chapter 55 and verses 8 and 9, “’For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And my thoughts than your thoughts.’” God can choose to accomplish His will in more ways than we could fathom.
That being said, our God is a God of order and not chaos. In I Corinthians 14:33 Paul writes, “For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.” The danger for Christians, especially new Christians, is the inability to distinguish between the authentic operations of the Holy Spirit and those things that are simply emotional displays, outbursts of carnality, or rote traditions. Paul describes these latter actions to Timothy as “having a form of Godliness, but denying its power.” (II Timothy 3:5) Seasoned believers should be able to tell the difference. Romans 8:15-16 says, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” If we are believers and have the Holy Spirit living within us, then His spirit bears witness, or agrees, with our spirit. This allows us to discern between the authentic and the false.
I have been in places where the Holy Spirit was being stirred up and the genuine spirit of God was tangible and overwhelming. There was no chaos. There was no conflict within my heart. There was no trepidation or discomfort. On the opposite side of the spectrum, I have also seen things that made my skin crawl. I have been in earnest times of seeking God’s face and then witnessed people whipping themselves into a frenzy and doing things that did nothing but cause confusion and a deep uneasiness. My spirit was certainly not in agreement or harmony with the spirit of God. However, how confusing would this be for baby Christians who haven’t yet become familiar with God’s leading and more importantly God’s character?
God’s word is pretty specific. The methods may change, but God does not. Malachi 3:6 reads, “’For I am the Lord, I do not change’”. The author of Hebrews also expresses a similar sentiment in chapter 13 and verse 8 which says, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, today, and forever.” God will never act outside of His character. We as mature believers must show by example how to rightly divide the word of truth. We must hide the word in our hearts so that we will show ourselves teachers of the next generation. If we are following after every new “spiritual fad”, then how easily will new believers be manipulated or deceived?
As I’ve stated, I don’t believe that many of these instances are malicious in nature. I think that many Christians are being deceived into creating doctrines out of experiences and trying to fit God into a mold of how they believe He should operate. Naturally to experience the presence of God in your life is something any Christian would want to repeat, but as we mature and grow, we must not try to force a fresh experience into a disposable frame. Let’s allow God to do what He desires in our lives and let His spirit and His word be our guides. They are enough.