What Is An Angel of Light?
One of the reasons this blog exists is to bring into focus a Biblical emphasis that is not strong in the church today. We have repeatedly made the case that the days in which we live, are days of great deception. Now, there is a balance to warning, and encouragement, both are essential. God's word tells us that He has our backs, but He also makes it clear that not everyone who says they follow Jesus actually does. In fact listen to the warnings of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:
| 13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds. |
This type of person is more than someone who is in a cult, it is describing people who are servants of righteousness. So what does that mean? It means there is a claim to Christianity, they do outwardly good works, teach the Bible as if it is true, but in their hearts their agenda is quite different. Here are a few specific ways to identify this kind of spirit.
1. The emphasis is on Christ, plus something else. If the cause they promote becomes more of the focal point than the emphasis on Christ and His word, beware. The cause may even be a good social justice issue, or even a good doctrinal underpinning, but if it rivals the importance of Christ first, it could be held suspect. The Spirit of Christ, The Holy Spirit, does not work outside of promoting Christ, and Him alone. Often believers will buy into an emphasis that says it's following Christ, but the end result is it is promoting a ministry of men.
2. The Word of God is manipulated. Many denominations/churhces make a point of preaching their distinctive doctrinal or mission emphasis, and often will spin the Bible to support their point. This is why I am adamant about the Hebraic Roots theology of scripture. The Bible is a Jewish document, the Savior was a Jewish man, and the future of this world will be a King returning to fulfill the prophecies about Him and He will rule and reign from Jerusalem. This is significant and critical to understanding prophecy as the Bible predicts. So if your church/pastor is preaching any other gospel, it is a different gospel than what the Bible promotes. The Bible is about 1/3 prophecy, and if you never hear a word on what the Bible teaches about the future King, I would hold that ministry suspect.
3. The heart of the ministry is bring people to Christ. Here is where it gets questionable, because not everyone who promotes Christ in an evangelistic manner, is doing so through the knowledge of a personal savior.
The best way to describe this is in what Jesus said in Matthew 7:
| 21“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ |
So make sure the heart of the ministry is about knowing Jesus, following His Word, and that any hidden agendas are exposed to the light. Deception is slow, reasonable, and scriptural, so be wise in what you believe in and in whom you place your trust.
Keeping it honest and truthful, in an age of deception.....K
Take a moment to listen to this link, it will point out further what you just read.
Larry Kutzler
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