To Summarize:
Keys to unlock the chains of heresy:
1. Identify the False.
2. Focus on Christ and see what they say about Jesus.
3. Check their fruit – you will know them by their fruit.
Marks of Heretical People:
1. Live for the Flesh not the Spirit
2. Follow their own ways
3. Their end is destruction
Check these three Categories of Doctrine:
1. Check the Source – is it based on Jesus Christ?
2. Check the substance – is it of faith according to the New Covenant.
3. Is it sound doctrine based on New Covenant and creation realities?
To counter heresy we need apostolic doctrine:
The function and instruction that sets the doctrinal teaching and learning process in order, is called doctrine. This doctrine is induced by a delegate and ambassador of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, with miraculous power sent to eradicate heresy and establish the truth. The Truth is a Person, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here are some marks of a heresy that you can watch for to remain in the Truth.
1. Heresies come through false prophets
2. False prophets and their heresies are among the people
3. False Teachers and false prophets work hand in hand.
4. False destructive heresies are brought alongside true doctrine – because they cannot refute it they like to cohabitate with the truth to veil the lie.
5. False heresies deny the Lord who purchased them. Paul the apostle would always preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified – he is not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ. A heresy will be ashamed of the suffering element of our Saviour. They promote self and tell you that you can do it. It avoids the realities of Christian life and persecution and writes them off as failures. God uses persecutions and suffering to work an eternal weight of glory on our part.
6. Apostle Paul asked the believers not to be ashamed by his suffering and his chains: heretical thinking scoffs at our suffering and sacrifice for the Gospel.
7. False heresies bring upon themselves swift destruction.
However, many are the troubles of the righteous, but he Lord delivers him out of them all.
8. Licentious conduct – casting off of restraint – where there is a lack of apostolic and prophetic vision people cast off restraint – See proverbs.
9. Heresies operate in the sphere of covetousness – they want what you’ve got and they criticize others who are successful.
10. Fabricated words come through in their teachings – words that have no meaning in themselves but to capture the weak in their craftiness – that is why we need the fivefold ministers to equip us so that we do not fall for their tricks and fancy sayings. Jesus words were simple enough for a child to understand. His pictures and parables were revealed to those who were willing to deny themselves. Heresies work on people on boost themselves.
Eph 4:11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,
Eph 4:12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,
Eph 4:14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.
11. Judgment and destruction await those who propagate heresies and those who blindly follow the blind. Blind leaders of the Blind – both falling into the ditch. Matthew 15:14. Those who bother only with outward cleanliness and don’t clean the thoughts of the heart, are blind. Those rituals can’t cleanse the conscience. This is part of the reformation Jesus achieved.
12. Noah is mentioned as a proclaimer of righteousness. Just like in the times of Noah we are entering the final phase of the world’s iniquity and the final destruction of the enemy. Who’s on the Lord’s side? Sodom and Gomorrah is a sign of things to come for those who resist God in this time. This world will be destroyed w
