Fables

Gen. 2:17 π Gen. 3:22 π Jdgs. 21:25 π Mt. 5:20 π Mt. 7:14 π Mt. 7:21 π Mt. 13:11 π Mt. 13:15-16 π Mt. 13:51 π Mt. 16:11-12 π Mt. 16:16-17 π Mt. 24:5 π Mk. 8:14-21 π Lk. 6:49 π Lk. 9:44-45 π Jn. 8:44 π Jn. 10:27 π Jn. 10:27-28 π Jn. 10:28 π Jn. 15:12 π Jn. 15:26 π Jn. 16:13 π Jn. 18:37 π Acts 17:11 π 2 Cor. 6:14 π 2 Cor. 7:1 π Eph. 5:27 π Eph. 5:30-32 π 2 Ths. 2:9-10 π 2 Ths. 2:11-12 π 1 Tim. 1:9-10 π 2 Tim. 4:3-4 π Tit. 2:1-10 π Jas. 1:22 π 2 Pet. 2:2 π 2 Pet. 3:13-14 π Rev. 14:6-7 π Rev. 17:5 π Rev. 19:7 π Rev. 21:9-10 π Rev. 22:14-15

Lawlessness, “Iniquity” (KJV) – anomia – [458] π Fables – muthos – [3454]

• “The Bible is the inerrant Word of God.”
  
  
• “The Pastor is the man of God.”
  
  
• “The Pastor is there to feed the flock.”
  
  
• “God delegates authority to certain men to bring order to His body.”
  
  
• “Denominational distinctive are just part of the diversity of the body of Christ.”
  
  
• “The church is the house of God.”
  
  
• “I’m a Christian so I’m eternally secure.”
  
  
• “I’m saved so any sins I will ever commit are under grace.”
  
  
• “I’m a child of God so I should get everything I ask for.”
  
  
• “God gives joy to His children.”
  
  
• To be truly mature, you need a spiritual father (or a personal pastor) to be a covering over you.”

Anyone who has ever been to “church” for any length of time has surely heard one or more of these lines. Yet each and every one of these lines are a fable, a myth of modern churchianity. Worse, this list is by no means complete – there are more of these kinds of lies routinely taught at many “churches.” Further, to debunk each of these myths and dig out the nuggets of truth buried underneath the deceptions, would be a prodigious, gargantuan, even Herculean effort of cleaning out the fabled Aegean stables – and would likely prove to be a wasted effort with most “church”-ites. Each of those myths are lures of the demonic and those people who believe them to be true are “hooked,” heavily invested and religiously addicted to them. At the end of this article is a list of other articles that do refute these lies – please do be a “noble, fair-minded Berean” ( Acts 17:11 ) and search the Scriptures to see if the things you have heard at “church” are truly what the Scriptures say. (To see the list of articles, click here.)

When Jesus trained His disciples, He put special emphasis on their ears and how they were to use them. To His disciples, He said, “It has been given to you to know the mysteries [hidden truths] of the kingdom of God…” But of the people around Him who did not believe in Him, He said, “…to them [to hear] has not been given. …the heart of this people has grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they should understand with their heart and turn, so that I should heal them.” Of His disciples, He concludes, “But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear.” ( Mt. 13:11 , 15-16 ) The disciples learned that they had to use these spiritual faculties. Peter was commended when he learned from the Father that Jesus was “the Christ, the Son of the living God.” ( Mt. 16:16-17 ) But at other times, even when Jesus spoke plainly and even cued them to use their spiritual ears, they did not understand His meaning and the truth remained hidden from them. ( Lk. 9:44-45 ) On other occasions, Jesus’ cue to hear enabled them to understand. ( Mk. 8:14-21 , Mt. 16:11-12 , also see Mt. 13:51; top where the disciples understand the five parables Jesus did not explain.)

Jesus also said, “My sheep hear My voice…” ( Jn. 10:27 ) Many “churches” today ridicule and dismiss the need for each person to hear Christ for themselves even though this truth is directly attached to Christ’s promise that He would give eternal life to those who hear His voice and follow Him! (see Jn. 10:28; top ) This truth is just too disruptive to the status quo power base so it is “theologically” explained away. The result is, however, that any true believers under such a regime never mature and may ultimately fall away from the faith. There is no training of spiritual ears and eyes – except among those who listen to the Spirit in spite of the endless sermonizing they must endure, the group of people most likely to leave the “church”! – and no one knows what truth, the rightly divided word nestled appropriately in the whole counsel of God, really is anymore.

Paul wrote to Titus, “Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine…” and then, specifying attitudes and behaviors for older men, older women, young women, young men and servants, he details exactly what “sound doctrine” is. ( Tit. 2:1-10 ) One then should reasonably expect to hear much about things like reverence, integrity and love. To Timothy, Paul wrote that the law of God was given to curb and stop those things that are “contrary to sound doctrine” ( 1 Tim. 1:9-10 ) One should then expect to be taught the law, not to keep its letters but so that one knows what God calls sinful, wicked and abominable. But note well that intellectual study of the Bible, “church” attendance, tithing, and being in subjection to the Nicolaitan-overlord “pastor” are not part of sound doctrine. Though these are the staples of “church” teaching (whether done overtly or covertly, implicitly or subliminally), these things that are routinely brought forth are not even properly found in the New Testament. And the things that are properly found in the gospel ( “Fear God,” “love one another,” etc. – Rev. 14:6-7 , Jn. 15:12 ) are rarely, if ever, mentioned and certainly not taught as a rightly divided word set appropriately in the whole counsel of God. Some even teach a “do nothing” gospel since any kind of works would be a “self effort” at trying to keep laws or to earn one’s salvation. (see however Lk. 6:49 , Jas. 1:22 , etc.; top)

Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of God, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” ( Mt. 7:21 ) He also said, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of God.” ( Mt. 5:20 ) Righteousness (what is right in God’s eyes) is said by Paul to be in direct contrast to lawlessness. ( 2 Cor. 6:14 ) Lawlessness, literally “no law” [ 458 ], is the absence of any outside, objective source by which to order one’s life and conduct. It is best summed up in the description of the Israelites in the time of the judges: “In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” ( Jdgs. 21:25 ) Lawlessness is the natural condition of men after the fall – it is the fruit of the forbidden tree. ( Gen. 2:17 , 3:22; top ) Modern churchianity, with its thousands of variations of the “Christian” religion, is built upon the lawless preferences of men as they choose which “pastor,” “church,” denomination or “theology” best suits their own tastes and desires.

All this is precisely as Paul prophesied: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” ( 2 Tim. 4:3-4; top ) Every element of this prophecy is currently being fulfilled.

• Sound doctrine is not endured or even tolerated but is soundly rejected as irrelevant or out-dated, out-moded traditions.
  
  
• One’s own desires are the basis of one’s “spiritual life.”
  
  
• Ears itch to gain knowledge that requires no moral or spiritual repentance or change.
  
  
• Teachers are heaped up in numbers never before imaginable as every “church” must have a teaching “pastor” and the television and internet is generously populated with talking head teachers, “apostles,” “prophets,” etc. (see also Mt. 24:5 , 2 Pet. 2:2; top for the use of the word “many.” The apostasy, the falling away from the faith, is no small occurrence.)
  
  
• Ears are no longer “tuned to” the Spirit of truth ( Jn. 15:26 , 16:13; top ) – indeed the notion that there is such a thing as truth or that any one person can know truth is scoffed at, even at many “churches.” Tolerance, except of sound doctrine, of course, is much more in vogue.
  
  
• Instead of following and loving truth, people follow the “Christian” fables (myths, fictions, tales [ 3454 ] – as listed at the beginning of this article.)

Paul also prophesied, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan [the deceiver – Jn. 8:44 ], with all power, signs and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.” ( 2 Ths. 2:9-10; top ) These may have received knowledge that Jesus is the Savior and Messiah, but they have not received the love of the truth so that they see their own need to repent and be changed!

Paul continues, “And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” ( 2 Ths. 2:11-12; top ) God will Himself hand over to “strong delusion” these who turn away from His Spirit of truth to embrace fables. The strong delusion will be the unshakeable conviction that their preferred fables are the truth and these people will be able to spin forth their deceptions faster than anyone can sort through the truth and error and bring forth the rightly divided word of truth nestled appropriately in the whole counsel of God. This prophesy is also being precisely and completely fulfilled at this time.

John wrote, “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city [of God, “new Jerusalem”]. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.” ( Rev. 22:14-15 , 21:9-10 ) If our “Christian” fables are more important to us than God’s truths, we can expect to be rejected from being allowed to experience eternal life or to be a part of His bride, the body of Christ. ( Eph. 5:30-32 ) Christ is the King of the realm of truth ( Jn. 18:37 ) and ultimately His kingdom will be a place where only righteousness dwells and the wise man will take all appropriate steps now to “be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” ( 2 Pet. 3:13-14 ) While the “church,” the prostitute daughter of Mystery Babylon ( Rev. 17:5 ), wallows in her filth and abomination, the bride will purify herself of all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and she will be presented, by both God’s grace (power) and her own efforts to apply that grace, to Christ without “spot or wrinkle or any such thing.” ( Rev. 19:7 , 2 Cor. 7:1 , Eph. 5:27 ) The choice of being in the prostitute or in the bride is ours to make now – and the consequences of that choice will be ours alone for all of eternity. The time to choose eternal life or eternal death is now – and if we choose eternal life, we must follow through on that choice the remainder of our days. “Once saved, always saved” is only a fable, not a Biblical truth and only those who hear and follow the Lord of truth wherever He leads are given eternal life at the end of their road. ( Jn. 10:27-28 , Mt. 7:14; top )

Let he who has ears hear.

• The Inerrant Word of God - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Paul’s prophecy that many will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables fulfilled in mainstream “Christianity” on such a widespread scale that it is all but impossible to conclude that this is the time of the apostasy.
  
  
• The Man of God - Neil Girrard The man of God is a category to which every true believer belongs. Do not be deceived!
  
  
• Pastor, Bishop or Nicolaitan Overlord? - Neil Girrard Is the “pastor” a real New Testament office or a 1st century religious construct?
  
  
• The Mother of Abominations - Neil Girrard “Mystery Babylon” encompasses more than most people realize.
  
  
• Eternal Security? - Neil Girrard Some people completely dismiss outright the idea of “losing one’s salvation” by claiming that we must not, and even cannot, add to the finished work of Christ on the cross – but is this the truth?
  
  
• A Most Comforting Doctrine - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) There are other factors to be considered beyond “once saved, always saved” and “eternal security” – what are they?
  
  
• Spectrums: “Church” or Ekklesia - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Any individual, whether the worst kind of evil villain or the best kind of saint or hero, is a combination of both good and bad characteristics – so why are we led to believe that an assembly, which is made up of many individuals, must be either merely “good” or “bad” and not some mixture of both?
  
  
• 5. Sin - the Work of the Flesh; The Sons of the Devil - Neil Girrard The works of the flesh are evident – and abounding – and they keep us out of God’s kingdom!
  
  
• Exploding the Myth of Christ’s Delegated Authority - Neil Girrard Christ gave His authority to men to lead other believers into a closer walk with Him – didn’t He?
  
  
• Grace and Pride – Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) There may have been no greater disservice to the truth about grace than to render “grace” (Greek, charis) as only “God’s unmerited favor.”
  
  
• Grace and Truth; Twisted Scriptures - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The devil holds no tenet of the faith as sacred and he will distort any and every doctrine of the gospel if it will gain him any advantage over even one single believer – even the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
  
  
• Joy For All? - Neil Girrard Joy is a much desired commodity in the “church” these days - but is it really the good thing we all think it is?
  
  
• Spiritual Fathers – 1 Corinthians 4:15; Twisted Scriptures - Neil Girrard From a very scant Scriptural base, a whole system of teaching has evolved that concocts a “one size fits all” false doctrine that results in tyranny, oppression, persecution, exclusion, favoritism and a host of other evils.
  
  
• Opening Spiritual Ears - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) The ear that hears what God is saying is one of the most important things that accompany salvation. So why is this truth so often explained away or ridiculed?
  
  
• One Another Commands - Neil Girrard The requirements of the New Testament of what we are and are not to do and be “one to another” are awesome in scope and responsibility.
  
  
• On the Basis of Scripture - Neil Girrard A brief look at the many “church” notions and practices which have no place in Scripture.
  
  
• The Word of Truth - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) Jesus’ answer to the devil’s temptation to satisfy His hunger by turning rocks into bread after having fasted for forty days holds many things we would do well to consider.
  
  
• Many Deceptions and The Lie - Neil Girrard - ( in Adobe/pdf format ) How do we reconcile the difference between the many New Testament prophecies that speak of a plurality, even a multiplicity, of deceptions with Paul’s reference to a single lie that carries severe, eternal consequences for those who come under its power?

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