Beware False Teachers!

How can I recognize false teachers?

2 Peter 2 says:

• damnable heresies, even denying the Lord
• the way of truth shall be evil spoken of
• many shall follow their pernicious ways
• through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you
• whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not
• their damnation slumbereth not
• them that walk after the flesh in the lust ofuncleanness, and despise government
• speak evil of the things that they understand not
• cannot cease from sin
• beguiling unstable souls
• an heart they have exercised with covetous practices
• cursed children
• have forsaken the right way
• are gone astray
• loved the wages of unrighteousness
• they speak great swelling words of vanity
• they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness
• having eyes full of adultery
• they promise them liberty
• they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage

It is so dangerous to turn to the pollution of the world to find answers because we will never be happy there, and we need the Light of Christ to guide us back to righteousness. We need to be wary of half truths and false teachers. They can destroy us if we let them.

1 John 5:3

I had a personal experience with this this week. I had to take care of a small, and very antisocial dog over the weekend. It was penned up, but had plenty of water, food, grass, shade, space, and human interaction. He had everything it needed right there in front of him. I tried to show affection, but he didn't want any. Well, he got out by chewing through the wood off the fence set up to keep him in. He didn't understand that he needed to stay close so no one would run him over, or so no one would have a dog that would try to eat him. He ran all around the town, and we, his pet sitters, tried to catch him for hours. We called, coaxed, and offered treats, food, and love. He refused. If we had given up, he would have died or starved. We as humans are just like that dog. The Lord tries to give us things to make us happy, but we just want to run out into the street and get run over. It looks like fun! It's exillerating! If we continue to chew our way slowly through the commandments, we will get hurt. Luckily, the Lord is always there to coax us back to where we can be safe and happy. (By the way, we caught the dog, and it is doing just fine.)

How Would You Respond?

“Dear LDS Friend,
Some of my friends are saying that Mormons are not Christian because you believe that you need to do righteous works along with having faith to be accepted by God. My other friends claim that with the grace of Christ, works are not necessary. They say that if I join the Mormons I would be denying Christ’s grace. How should I respond to them?
-Your friend”

James 2 says: Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Faith grows with works. It is plain to see that in the Bible that is accepted by other religions as well that we must do works. Christ taught many things, and among them that we are saved by His grace. Yes, by his grace we are allowed the atonement, and through that atonement we have the option to repent of our sins. If we live in sin, we will not be saved. That is also taught by Christ. We must come unto Him and accept His atonement by repenting, and using it the way He asks.

Faith is so important. I know that if i can excersize my faith, then I will gain more, and those that participate or are affected by my faith grow in faith too. Faith is one of those things that is so rare because it doesn't run out when you use it, it actually grows. Thats why we actually have to use it! If we use our faith to accomplish a task, then we get rewarded with more faith, and then when we use our new and bigger faith to accomplish a bigger task, we are rewarded again and so the cycle goes on. Those who are affected, and the witnesses of faith grow too, and then they can use their faith to strengthen others. This goes on and on, but only if we ACT on our faith. Faith really does grow from works, and without works, it really is dead.