Introduction

A lot of people in our world today have resorted to falsehoods in order to make ends meet. Just as there are fraudsters or scammers on the internet, there are some ministers whose god is their belly (Philippians 3:19). Their false teachings have brought a lot of disrepute to the body of Christ and the church in general. With the focus changing from Jesus to the amassing of wealth, the church is now a mockery to many unbelievers. This article is to help believers recognize and beware of such false ministers or teachings and avoid becoming their victims.

Matthew 7:15-20 KJV
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Who is a false minister?

On the surface, this is very difficult to decipher. But we are going to help you to identify them and avoid them completely.
The Bible says that satan masquerades as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). His false ministers present themselves as servants of righteousness as well. They disguise themselves with the intention of trying to deceive God’s elect (Matthew 24:23-27). Just as we have fake currencies in the market today, we have fake ministers parading the pulpits. For fake money to be able to deceive users, it must be as close as possible to the original; so do satan’s ministers try to imitate the real ministers of the Gospel as closely as possible in order to deceive people.

Identifying false ministers

1. False ministers deny the divinity and the sacrifice and humanity of Jesus Christ (1 John 4:1-3). They claim that Jesus isn’t God nor is He the Son of God. They claim that Jesus is yet to be born, and we still have to wait for Him, discounting the fact that He already died and resurrected for our sake. They refuse to accept the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ.
2. False ministers corrupt the Gospel to justify their immoral lifestyles or selfish interest (Philippians 3:19; 2 Corinthians 2:17). They try to convince people that the wrong things they are doing aren’t sin. They engage in sexual sins and make sin look as though it is something normal. They try to teach about things that only make the congregants feel good and not what will actually make them grow in Christ or lead them to heaven.
3. Many called themselves into the ministry (1 John 2:19). Many of these false ministers went into the ministry on their own accord. I’m not belittling people who genuinely want to do the work of God and yearn for it. I’m referring to those who went into the ministry because of their own selfish agenda, either to be famous or make money by deceiving others. Sometimes ministers who were genuinely called turn into false ministers when they lose focus on Christ. They get derailed from God’s call into deceiving gullible people for their own selfish interests. They are only out there to exploit unsuspecting members (Acts 20:29-30).
4. False ministers don’t preach the complete Bible doctrines (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Galatians 1:6-9). These ministers say that tithing and fasting are no longer important. They even say there is nothing sinful, and people can do whatever they want when they get born again because of grace. They preach all forms of doctrines that are not in alignment with the Scriptures. They even trivialize the matter of eternity, preaching what people want to hear and hardly talking about holiness, heaven, hell, etc. (Isaiah 30:9-11, 2 Timothy 4:3-4).
5. False ministers replace the Gospel with motivational talks and philosophies of men (Colossians 2:8). These ministers make the congregants feel good on Sundays and miserable during the week. They replace the Gospel of Christ with motivational and get-rich messages. Inspiring people to follow a purpose and achieve great things in life is necessary, but that shouldn’t replace the preaching of the Gospel.
6. False ministers love to cause division among brethren (Romans 16:17-18). They say things that will make people argue or quarrel among themselves. They try to discredit other men of God and say bad things about them to prove their horrendous teachings. They can even go on the air or on the news to publicly discredit other men of God that are genuine in their calling.
7. False ministers perpetuate falsehood in the name of miracles (Matthew 24:24). These ministers hire people to pretend to be in need of healing. They come to their services and miraculously get healed, helping the false ministers get even greater crowds into their meetings. They use this to deceive the congregation and sometimes get money from gullible people.

How they lure people into their trap?

1. Lack of knowledge (Isaiah 5:13; Hosea 4:6). Sometimes people get caught in their web because they don’t know any better. They might have been lured because they thought they saw a miracle or were invited by someone who had already attended such services.
2. Impatience (Psalm 27:14; Hebrews 10:36). Many gullible people are actually desperate for solutions to one problem or another. They have been suffering for a long time and don’t want to keep on waiting for another solution from elsewhere. Patience is a virtue and is something that is lacking in many people in our world today.
3. Desperation to get rich quick (1 Timothy 6:9-10). People who are desperate to get rich fall into various temptations, as the love for money is the root of all kinds of evil. These ministers live in luxury and promise the same for those who attend their services or obey them. The economic situation in many countries is questionable as well and has forced many people to seek solutions for themselves—some resorting to unscrupulous means.
4. Desperation to know about the future (1 Kings 22:6-8). People who fall prey to these false ministers are sometimes desperate to know what the future holds for them, or they are seeking answers to certain crucial life questions. This desperation makes them gullible to the theatrics of these false ministers.

How to avoid being a victim of false ministers?

1. Watchful (Matthew 26:41; 1 Peter 5:8). Some of the things that these false ministers do are actually in the open and obvious. If only we will be open-minded and watchful, we will be able to avoid deception. Let’s be vigilant.
2. Prayerful (James 5:16). As believers, we have to be prayerful. We have to avoid going to ministers for seeking prayers for every little problem we encounter. We have a direct link to God ourselves through the Lord Jesus Christ and can communicate directly with the Father without going through a minister. We have to cultivate a good prayer life as Christians.
3. Patient (Luke 21:19). Sometimes the things we are seeking or praying for take time, and we have to be patient. Don’t be easily persuaded by the world or the get-rich schemes. Patience is a great virtue that should be cultivated. Good things take time, and so we have to be patient. Whatever you are seeking will eventually come if you will continue to wait on the Lord.
4. Letting the Word of God be the ultimate (2 Timothy 2:15). Whatever you see or hear in any service or church should be confirmed by the Word. Let the Word of God be your yardstick and judge everything with the Scriptures. No church is above the word of God. You won’t succumb to deception if you know the Word for yourself.
5. Letting the Holy Spirit guide you (Romans 8:5-6). You have the Holy Spirit when you get born again. Learn to listen to His voice. That still small voice will lead you on the right path. He will help you to discern the good from the bad. He will also open up the Word of God to you so you know these false ministers that you encounter.

Conclusion

False ministers are everywhere, and the best way to actually guard yourself is to know the truth for yourself (John 8:32). Only the truth will be able to make you free. Seek the truth at all times and don’t forget to always cultivate your relationship with the Holy Spirit.

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