Sweet Swelling Words of Vanity

What would you do if your family dentist handed out candy to your children each time they had a dental visit? So, why would we treat your preacher any differently when he preaches sweet swelling words of vanity to your ears? 2 Pet 2:18 What sugarcoated gospel are you swallowing, but are not aware of it?

How often do congregations hire to themselves preachers who preach what they want to hear, as opposed to what they need to hear. Paul warned a young Timothy that there would come a time when Christians would not endure sound doctrine, but would gather to themselves teachers who would itch their ears with fables, and the commandments of men which turn us from the truth. 2 Tim 4:2-5; Tit 1:14

How Itching Ears Are Appeased?

Rearrange The Word

How often do we see those who take a direct commandment of God, and make it of none effect. Mk 7:13 One way of doing this is to rearrange God’s Word. Such is the case with instrumental music. God commanded us to sing and make melody in the heart to the Lord. Eph 5:19 How often do the denominations take acts of the psalmist David to make God’s law  on singing invalid. The Word of God is easy to be shuffled like a deck of cards and made to say something it never said. Remember, God’s commandments never contradict themselves. 2 Cor 1:18 When God said repent, he meant repent and when God said be baptized he meant to be baptized. Don’t allow anyone to shuffle the meaning of any of God’s commandments and make them null and void by the rearranging of a few scriptures. Any scripture that contradicts a direct command of God is a misplaced scripture. This is what Paul meant when he told Timothy to rightly divide the Word of truth.

Redefine The Word

If the Word of God condemns some, they just redefine the word. These are the ones who refuse to abide by the words of Jesus and Paul, and proceed straight to Websters, Thayers, and Strongs in search for a new definition. Others search from bible version to bible version in hopes to justify themselves. Such is the case for words like Adultery and Fornication. Jesus said that a man was bound to his wife except it be for fornication. Mt 19:9 Paul stated that fornication is a sin against the body. 1 Cor 6:18 It was defined as when a man joins (has sexual intercourse with) a prostitute. 1 Cor 6:16  Adultery therefore was defined as a man married to another woman without the exception of fornication. Simply put, God’s Word defines itself.

Remove The Word

There are many who just simply remove the words that offend them within the scriptures. Such is the case of those who remove the word baptism from the bible. Jesus said, “He that believes, and is baptized shall be saved.” Mk 16:16 Peter said, repent and be baptized for the remission of your sins. Acts 2:38 Pater said again that baptism saves us. 1 Pet 3:21 Yet for to many, the word Baptism doesn’t exist as a part of their salvation, because the word has been removed from their vocabulary, and is no longer preached or taught.

How Evil Deceive The Masses

There are many ways in which the Word of God is distorted to appease itching ears. They will engage their audience in a variety of “What Ifs”, “Why Nots”, and “The bible didn’t say not tos” in order to show the bible can’t be trusted for absolute truth. Jn 8:31,32; Jn 17:17

These are the ones who will accuse those who follow the Word of God strictly as “legalist” or “Pharisees” in order that the attention is drawn away from their disobedience to God’s commandments. These are the true hypocrites who disguise themselves as Christians in order to hide their sins, and indiscretions.

Evil is Profitable

Make no mistake about it, Christianity is a very profitable business, and billions of dollars are made off of it each year. However, little is made of preaching the unadulterated truth of God. It’s only when these soft spoken, fable telling, and deceitful teachers distort the truth can they make profit off sincere brethren. Rom 16:17,18

The scriptures tell us to “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Col 2:8 These are the ones who debate words in order to deceive it’s audience in order to make gain of you. 1 Tim 6:3-10; 2 Tim 2:14;

Conclusion: The Word of God is much too plain, and much too simple, to be misunderstood. Remember brethren, God hid the truth from the wise and prudent, and has revealed them to the simple. Mt 11:25 God will destroy the wise and prudent, and destroy their understanding. 1 Cor 1:19-21

Stick to sound doctrine which the apostles taught. Tit 2:1; 1 Cor 11:1 Speak only the oracles of God. 1 Pet 4:11; Don’t go beyond that which was written. 1 Cor 4:6 Don’t twist the scriptures to fit your life, but rather fit your life to the scriptures. 2 Pet 3:16 Abide by the doctrine of Christ, and remember this, if you can’t prove your faith by the scriptures, it isn’t so; and we can only do this by conforming ourselves to the Word of God. 1 Thess 5:21; Rom 12:1,2