Salvationists – False Shepherds

by Henry Mate

First recorded in 1880–85; salvation + -ist
Noun: a member of the Salvation Army.
In lowercase, a person who preaches salvation, deliverance from sin, etc., and the means of obtaining it; i.e. an evangelist.
Salavation Army: an international Christian organization founded in England in 1865 by William Booth, organized along quasi-military lines. It is devoted chiefly to evangelism and to providing social services, especially to the poor.

May I trouble you a bit brethren! Weekend is coming, and you might consider strolling around, refreshing yourself.
Then you meet this strong, confident man in the Public Park or street. He is an evangelist. He greets you with these funny words, “ARE YOU SAVED BROTHER?”
Bewildered you ask, “SAVED FROM WHAT?”
He answers you straight, “FROM HELL FIRE.
He continues, “I WANT TO HELP YOU GET INTO HEAVEN”

Brethren, if you have not come across one of these type of evangelists yet, you
might just meet one soon. I need to remind you of the words of Yehshua in
Matthew 7:13 “Enter by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way that
leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it, 14 because narrow is the
gate, and difficult is the way, which leadeth to life, and there are few who find it.”

Even while Elohim doesn’t wish man to be lost, there is much that is not yet understood by the majority today, and He warns us not to lift-up and follow every so-called
“man of God”. Many, if not most, of these Salvationists are agents of the evil one.
They seduce you into unsound doctrine and, if you’re not careful, into satanism.

Listen to the warning Peter sounded in 2 Peter 2:1:

“There were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you.”

And again by Jeremiah who prophesied of these false teachers:

Jeremiah 23:2 “Therefore so says Jehovah, the God of Israel, against the shepherds who feed My people, You have scattered My flock, and have driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will bring on you the evil of your doings, says Jehovah.”

John the Immerser told those false Religious leaders in Matthew 3:10, “And now …the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

These Salvationist won’t have part in the glorious setup. What? Why?

2 Peter 1:4, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Let me help you recognize false teachers and Salvationinsts when they cross your path.

Is this (person/message/book) Authentic or Counterfeit?
How would you recognize counterfeit Christianity?

In 2 Peter 1 we read about genuine believers. And in 2 Peter 2 we read about counterfeit believers. If you put these chapters side by side you will see the difference between authentic and counterfeit believers.

Peter says, “We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:16). And then he says the false teachers exploit you “with stories they have made up” (2:3).

The true teacher will use Scripture to support what He says and multiple passages. If another passage disagrees with his assumptions, then one needs to examine if it is confusion in the text from translation errors OR is the topic hidden in Hebrew culture from which many lack understanding OR is the message being taught incorrectly coming to a false assumption. All Scripture should align in truth and it does. The false teacher uses a phrase here and there to create his own message. They do not quote in context nor utilize the whole totality of Scripture to determine the meaning. They support an agenda or doctrinal belief system and many times that doctrine is based on their own false education.

Matthew 15:3 But He answered and said to them, Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

For the true teacher, Yehshua the Messiah is central. “We have everything we need for life and godliness in Him” (1:3). For the false teacher, Yehshua is at the margins: “They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them” (2:1).

The true teacher’s focus will be on The Word of Elohim (God). He will not speak on his own, but will offer teachings based on much examination and presentation of Scripture. Not just phrases taken out of context, but the entire chapter to present proper understanding. The false teacher will speak about how other people can help change your life. Today’s trend is on social justice. Many teach today from the basis of social and political causes and His Word is reduced to commonly taught phrases with no context. Indeed, they use phrases to stir people up that are just plain falsehood and have a political and self-serving motive. For example, “What would Jesus do?” The false concept of Jesus and His Law of Love then replaces what the Scriptures actually say.

The true Christian “escapes the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (1:4). The counterfeit Christian: “They promise . . . freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity, for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him” (2:19).

The true believer follows the example of Messiah. He sent His disciples out to preach His Word. That is the Good News we are to teach. The counterfeit has been drawn into what was discussed above. Instead of teaching Messiah Yehshua, they teach political causes and encourage people to become rebellious. Many teach it is okay to condemn a leader you disagree with and join in with causes that curse Israel. The focus is on making themselves relevant to and in agreement with worldly opinion. Popularity is their motive.

They teach The Law is done away with. Do these same teachers follow the laws of their own country? Societal laws? Civil laws? Do they not know these laws have there basis and content in The Law of God in showing us how to relate to Him AND to others? Freedom in Messiah comes from faith that He is Elohim and a desire to walk as He walked and do as He did. He spoke The Law (Torah in Hebrew) and was obedient to every word of The Law. He was known as The Living Torah. To reject His Law is to reject the freedom we have in Him. Freedom is not every man doing as he pleases. That is the anarchy, chaos, and slavery we see our world returning to. Freedom comes from respecting others as oneself. Loving others as oneself. Loving others AS we Love Him.

The true believer pursues goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance,
godliness, brother kindness, and love (1:5). The counterfeit Christian is marked by arrogance and slander (2:10). They are “experts in greed” and “their eyes are full of adultery” (2:14). They also “despise authority” (2:10).

This is a general characteristic of a counterfeit believer. Again, what is their motive? Are they looking for worldly acceptance, a large congregation, and a pat on the back, not to mention a full pot of money stored up for personal gain? Or is their focus on living a selfless life keeping their focus always on preaching God’s Word. Do they teach their flock they are not to seek to be “in this world”, but to be “set apart as righteous”. He told us:

Luke 6:22 Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall cut you off, and when they shall reproach you and shall cast out your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man.

We are to be set-apart (notice the Hebrew script for Yehshua, his Hebrew name):

Jude 1:1 Yehuḏah, a servant of יהושע Messiah, and brother of Ya‛aqoḇ, to those who are called, set-apart by Elohim the Father, and preserved in יהושע Messiah: (The Scriptures TS2009)

The true teacher appeals to Scripture. “We have the word of the prophets made more certain and you will do well to pay attention to it” (1:19).

The true teacher speaks His Word. The true teacher will dive deeper into a subject looking for that which is hidden and waiting for His disciples to dig deeply. The false teacher makes a rather different appeal: “By appealing to the lustful desires of sinful human nature, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error” (2:18). So the true teacher asks, “What has God said in his Word?” and “What is hidden to be revealed to us?” The false teacher asks, “What do people want to hear?”

Let’s look at this a bit deeper:

Matthew 13:34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable, 35 so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.” 36 Then sending the crowds away, Jesus went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, Explain to us the parable of the darnel of the field. 37 He answered and said to them…

Mark 4:10 And when He was alone, they who were about Him, with the Twelve, asked Him concerning the parable. 11 And He said to them, To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. But to those outside, all these things are given in parables 12 so that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

We see here that Yehshua (Jesus) speaks in parables to the worldly masses, but to those with a desire to hear, study, search, and follow after Him, He gives understanding.

The true believer is effective and productive in his or her knowledge of Yehshua (1:8). The counterfeit is “like a spring without water” (2:17). Where does the message ultimately lead you?

Here we find the most disturbing contrast of all. The true believer will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom (1:11). The false believer will experience swift destruction (2:1). “Their condemnation has long been hanging over them and their destruction has not been sleeping” (2:3).

Conclusion

Yehshua tells us many will be involved in His ministry in His name, to whom he will say, “Depart from me; I never knew you” (Matthew 7:21). They have taught a different Yehshua that never existed. One we know as Jesus. Yehshua kept The Law, His Sabbath, and His Holy Days.

John 1 tells us it was “The Word” who existed in the beginning with the Father and WAS the Father. John then tells us The Father took on flesh as Yehshua. They taught the same thing. They said the same thing.

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and without Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.

10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own received Him not. 12 But as many as received Him, He gave to them authority to become the children of God, to those who believe on His name, 13 who were born, not of bloods, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.

14 And the Word became flesh, and tabernacled among us. And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and of truth. 15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, This was He of whom I spoke: He who comes after me has been before me, for He was preceding me.

The disciples and Paul continued to walk and teach according to every word of The Law, which came from the mouth of Elohim (God). The false teacher teaches this Jesus has done away with The Law and replaced it with The Law of Love. This is what allows the social justice agenda, rebellion, dictatorships to grow rampant. Chaos and Slavery come from the absence of Law. Lawlessness. Torahlessness.

Matthew 7:23 And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness? And what partnership does light have with darkness?

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already working, only he is now holding back until it comes out of the midst.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness.

They teach the false assumption that God loves everyone no matter what they do or how they live their lives. This is the basis of “The Law of Love” when taken fully out of context. The Torah IS The Law of Love. This is a Hebrew idiom.

Pray always, to be on guard against attacks by the evil one and his workers of lawlessness. Prove what you hear and read. When someone teaches without lots of Scripture to back it up, stand up to them. Call them out. Have the spiritual sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God ever with you.

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world’s rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 13 Therefore take to yourselves the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Therefore stand, having your loins girded about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness 15 and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace. 16 Above all, take the shield of faith, with which you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching to this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. 19 And pray for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in bonds; so that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

The greatest defense against false teaching is to research Scripture yourself to prove what is being taught. This is what Paul told the people to do. Teachers should be accountable by preaching only His Word and backing up what they say from The Word.

We were warned of this hierarchical  structure of sheep or students sitting under an authoritarian teaching structure. If your teacher doesn’t allow questions or becomes upset if you question what he is teaching, then you may have a false shepherd or false prophet. If he is more interested in defending his position rather then proving it via Scripture, you may have a false prophet.

Revelations 2:6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Revelations 2:15 So you also have those who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

Let’s conclude with more Scripture for you to review.

Acts 17:11 And these were more noble than those of Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see if those things were so. (MKJV)

John 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

1 Thessalonians 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Proverbs 25:2 It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Proverbs 25:27 It is not good to eat much honey: so for men to search their own glory is not glory.

Ecclesiastes 1:13 And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.

Ecclesiastes 7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness and madness:

Jeremiah 17:10 I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to each man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. (MKJV)

Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Ezekiel 34:8 As I live, says the Lord Jehovah, surely because My flock became a prey, and My flock became food to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, nor did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock, 11 For so says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

And this final warning from Yehshua as recorded by John:

John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John, for the works which the Father has given Me that I should finish them, the works which I do themselves witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And He sending Me, the Father Himself, has borne witness of Me. Neither have you heard His voice at any time nor seen His shape. 38 And you do not have His Word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He has sent. 39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life. And they are the ones witnessing of Me, 40 and you will not come to Me that you might have life. 41 I do not receive honor from men. 42 But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. 43 I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me. If another shall come in his own name, him you will receive. 44 How can you believe, you who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from God only? 45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you, Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you had believed Moses, you would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how shall you believe My Words?

The time is short for you to continue gambling in regards to your eternal destination.