False Christs

Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it (Matthew 24:23-26).

Christ is not Jesus’ last name - it’s His office. He is the Son of God, the 2nd Person of the holy Trinity, the Messiah of God, Lord and Savior, King of kings and Lord of Lords. Properly stated He is Jesus the Christ, Jesus the anointed One of God sent to Redeem Israel who rejected Him and had Him crucified.

A ‘false’ christ is someone who pretends to be who Jesus really was and is. These so called ‘saviors’ have been around for centuries. There were false christs before the time of Jesus, after the time of Jesus, and are present in the world today. There is only one who is Jesus the Christ. All the rest are ministers of Satan used by the devil to lead people away from God, away from true salvation, and into spiritual destruction. (Mark 13:22-23) For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. (2 Peter 2:1-3) 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. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.

Jesus warned us about the deceit and damnable doctrine of false prophets and false Christs. The Apostles also warned us about them. 2 Timothy 4:3–4 warned us that a time was coming when people would not tolerate sound doctrine. As the days grow darker and sin escalates, a more palatable christ becomes attractive to those who loved the darkness rather than the light (John 3:19). 2 Thessalonians 2:11–12 explains why so many people are attracted to false christs - they refused to love the truth and so be saved (v.10).

Within the last century, men such as Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon, and David Koresh have claimed to be Christ. They often started with the Bible but then seized one verse or idea and built their own theology around it, turning their followers into a self-affirming cult. Cult leaders often attract their victims by presenting themselves as Bible-believing Christians. Groups such as the Mormons, the Church of Christ, Scientist, and the Jehovah’s Witnesses all claim to be Christian, but they all deny the deity and work of Jesus, the Son of God, as our only path to forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus said not to believe in them, turn away from them.

“Holy Spirit, give us discernment that we may know the truth of Jesus Christ and identify the lies and deceit of false prophets and false Christs. Help us to warn others about them by sharing the Gospel of Jesus which is able to save. To the praise of Jesus I ask, Amen.” 

Pastor