A Pastor Who Doesn’t Know If God Exists?

In 2 Corinthians 11:13–15, we read,

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.

We’re warned by the Holy Spirit that there will be “false apostles”—false teachers—who are nothing but “deceitful workmen,” who masquerade as servants of the one true God but are really “ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15) and “ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 1:4). These teachers are dangerous and headed for destruction.

These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. (Jude 1:12–13)

When it comes to false teachers, many Christians feel uncomfortable calling them out for their errors (or their sins). Some even try to defend them or shield them from any criticism (especially if they generally have a good reputation and an enthusiastic following). But the Bible doesn’t do that!

Over and over, the Scriptures warn of false teachers and the destruction they can wreak on the church.

Over and over, the Scriptures warn of false teachers and the destruction they can wreak on the church. You’ll find these warnings in the Gospels and all throughout the various Epistles. God cares about doctrine and the purity of his message! It’s part of our contending for the faith (Jude 1:3).

That’s why it’s appalling to me as a Christian to see “pastors” taking to social media platforms like Tik Tok to share with potentially millions of viewers that they doubt God’s existence, that the Bible never says that sex outside of marriage is wrong, that God is “queer,” that the Bible is not pro-life, or that it has errors.

I recently made a video about some of these false teachers and warned Christians about the dangers of listening to those with a very low view of Scripture. You can watch the video below.

If you’re a young person who wants to be equipped to be discerning about what you see on social media and to know God’s Word well enough to distinguish truth from lies, I encourage you to consider attending a good Christian college. (And keep in mind, not every Christian school is a good school! Many have the same low view of Scripture seen in the clips in the video above!)

One good Christian school is Maranatha Baptist University (MBU) in Watertown, Wisconsin. One of our official partners, this school—which offers dual enrollment, undergraduate, graduate, and even seminary degrees—exists to “develop leaders for ministry in the local church and the world ‘to the praise of his glory’” (a mission statement taken directly from Ephesians 1:12 KJV: “That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ”). They believe the “primary purpose of every Christian is to glorify God through one’s chosen occupation and church membership, and by serving others in God-honoring ways.”

Here’s what their CEO said of their partnership with us,

We are grateful for AiG’s dynamic initiative “to proclaim the authority of the Bible” and we appreciate that, though exposing error, AiG’s champions are always gracious in their methods. The message captivates audiences of all academic levels and is scripturally sound. Maranatha and AiG share a passion to inspire others to uphold the faith. We both strive to develop leaders who will champion Truth in a culture that has largely rejected the very concept. Therefore, we are excited to partner with Answers in Genesis, “To the Praise of His Glory.”

Yes, we’re thankful for these kinds of like-minded partnerships!

I encourage you to check them out at MBU.edu.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.