Since the beginning of time, they have been around. They come from every race. They have lived in every century. They have penetrated every culture. They have whispered their message behind closed doors and shouted it from the street corners. They have spread their poison one-on-one and before groups of thousands. They have used tablets, scrolls, books, radio, television, and the Internet to mislead anyone who will listen. False teachers have been and always will be among us.

2 Peter 2:1
But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.

The message of deceitful teachers is often subtle and secretive. Many times, it is wrapped in the truth but slightly twisted. Other times it is a straight-out denial of the person and work of Jesus. But whether the message is mostly true or filled with error, it is called the same thing—heresy.

Believers, we must be discerning. We must be those who evaluate everything we read and hear in the light of God’s Word. When it comes to theology, a new teaching is usually an old heresy. Don’t buy everything you hear just because the package is attractive. Ground yourself in the truth. Then you’ll be able to spot a counterfeit a mile away.

Lord, keep us in your Word. Give us the desire to read and study it. Father, help us be like the Bereans in Acts 17, who examined the Scriptures every day to see if what they were hearing was true. In Jesus’ name. Amen.