 The title of our sermon this morning is a deadly disguise. A deadly disguise. Second Corinthians chapter 11 verses 13 through 15. Just days before his substitutionary death at Calvary for the sins of his people, the Lord Jesus Christ sat on the hillside on the Mount of Olives preparing his disciples for what would be new covenant ministry. New covenant ministry in the Lord's church. What would ministry look like during this time that he describes on that day as the end of the age? What did he want them and what does he want us to know those upon whom the end of the ages has come? Well, among the many warnings that the Lord gave on that hillside overlooking Jerusalem, he made a point to warn them that many will come in his name to deceive. Many false Christs, many false prophets, many deceivers will rise up and they will deceive many to deceive as possible even the elect. We see that warning repeated with alarming frequency throughout the New Testament. The Lord again, Matthew chapter 7 verse 15, beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Paul in 2 Timothy chapter 3, evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. Peter says there will be false teachers among you who will secretly introduce destructive heresies. Listen to the adjectives being used, right? We're not speaking about semantics here. We're not speaking about mere disagreement, as if there's no harm being done by this. These are destructive heresies. Peter says scoffers will come in the last days. The last days are the days that we're in. Scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their own lust, not walking according to the word of God. And they'll be saying when they come, where is the promise of his coming? Right? For since the beginning, things have always continued just as they always have. And they forget the flood. John says many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Jude describes them this way, spots in our love feasts while they feast with us without fear. They serve only themselves. They are clouds without water carried about by the winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead pulled up by the roots. They are raging waves of the sea foaming up their own shame, wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackest of darkness forever. That is their just end. Jude says these are grumblers. They're complainers. They walk according to their own lust. Do you see a pattern? They mouth great, swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage for themselves. But you, beloved, Jude says, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. Remember the word of God, how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lust. These are sensual persons. They cause divisions, not having the spirit. It is obvious in the New Testament, a simple reading of the Bible. It is undeniable, unquestionable that false teachers, false apostles, deceivers pose a constant danger to the Lord's church. And we don't mean the Lord's church merely in terms of some nebulous organization. I mean the Lord's church as in you and me. We, if you have the spirit, if you are in Christ, are the Lord's church. False teachers pose a constant danger to you. Turn with me to Acts chapter 20, Acts chapter 20. It is exceedingly common for Paul in the New Testament to warn a false doctrine. Paul spends a good bit of his time warning of false teachers who infiltrate the church and attempt to influence the church with error. In Acts chapter 20, with parting words for the elders at the church at Ephesus, Paul gives them a warning that serves as a warning to all of us. He begins in Acts chapter 20, verse 28, where Paul essentially says to these elders of Ephesus, I'm not going to be with you any longer. I'm going to leave you. You're not going to see my face anymore. So verse 28, therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. The church is of infinite value, not because of how valuable you are or I am in and of ourselves, but because the Lord Jesus Christ bought her with his own blood. Take heed to yourselves and to the flock. Why? Because the church is that which he purchased with his own blood. Verse 29, for I know this, Paul said this with confidence, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. That is clear language. These savage wolves, they're not otherwise nice people. They are savage wolves. They prey on God's people. They devour. We're not talking about mere disagreement here. We're not talking about semantics, just wording, right? These are not things about which we can agree to disagree. The gospel of Catholicism is no gospel at all. We're not talking about semantic differences. The gospel of easy beliefism, just ask Jesus into your heart, just pray to receive Christ is no gospel at all. We're not talking about mere semantics. We're talking about a false gospel, which is really no gospel at all. This is the Lord's church purchased with his own blood and these savage wolves left unchecked will do her great harm. Not sparing the flock. We're not talking about semantics when we say that cult worship another Jesus. Paul says in verse 30, also from among yourselves, men will rise up from among you, from among ourselves, men will rise up speaking perverse things with the purpose to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore, here's the exhortation in verse 31, watch, keep watch and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. These are parting words from the apostle Paul and he is deadly serious about them. Deadly serious. Warning everyone night and day with tears. That's not hyperbole on the part of Paul. The Lord called them wolves in sheep's clothing. Here Paul calls them savage wolves. Paul would later call them dogs, workers of evil. They are not otherwise nice people. They are dogs, workers of evil. Do you see? They masquerade as nice people oftentimes. They masquerade as caring people oftentimes. Back in 2nd Corinthians chapter 11 verses 13 through 15, they are pseudo apostolos, pseudo apostles, false apostles, fake apostles, counterfeit apostles. They are the word means deliberately deceptive liars, deliberately deceptive, disguising themselves, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. They masquerade as apostles of Christ. They are Paul said deceitful workers, ministers of Satan. Calvin said they make use of a pretense for the purpose of deceiving exactly as if a harlot were to borrow the apparel of a decent matron. In chapter 11 verse 19, the false teachers are fools. Look at verse 19, you Corinthians, you put up with fools gladly since you yourselves are wise. That sarcasm on the part of Paul, he's got his tongue firmly in his cheek. And notice that this is no harmless folly, but rather a deadly seduction. Look at verse 20, for you put up with it, if one brings you into bondage, that's what they're doing, if one devours you to pull from savage wolves language again, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face, you'll gladly put up with it. That's what the point, the purpose of these false teachers is. The false teacher would enslave you. The false teacher would rob you of your freedom in the Lord Jesus Christ. The false teacher would devour you. You are nothing more than prey to a predator. He will take from you, he will exalt himself, and he could slap you in the face. And if you're undiscerning, you'll take it from him. What have the Corinthians done to this point? What have the Corinthians done to this point? The Corinthians have put up with it. The Corinthians have accepted it. Paul says gladly put up with it. Paul knows that this deception has deadly consequences. Flip the page, look at chapter 12 verse 20, deadly consequences. Verse 20, Paul says, I fear lest when I come I shall not find you such as I wish, and that I shall be found by you such as you do not wish. I fear lest there be contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, backbidings, whisperings, conceits, and tummels. Lest when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and I shall mourn for many who have sinned before and have not repented of their uncleanness, fornication, and lewdness, which they have practiced. That's the fruit of false teaching. False teaching is all manner of uncleanness, all manner of ungodliness. Bible says you will know them by their fruit. So Paul fears for them. Paul is concerned for them. This influence of false teaching in Corinth has gained a foothold, and it's happened under their watch. Well, how did we get here? How did we get here in 2 Corinthians chapter 11? How did it get to this point? How is it that in a church of the living God, we find these deceivers running amuck, wreaking havoc, undermining the gospel, speeding on the flock of God, devouring the professed people of God, carrying away disciples after themselves? How did we get here? Well, the Corinthians let them in the front door. The Corinthians let them in the front door. How is that possible? Why does that happen? How does a false teacher, false teaching, how does deception, how does error kick in the front door of your heart and run amuck in your mind? How does a false teacher get in the church and wreak havoc among God's people? Well, in this case and in those cases, they came in under a deceitful disguise. They came in by a deceitful disguise. They appeared to the Corinthians as apostles of Christ. They came in claiming to be even looking like ministers of righteousness. And the Corinthians lacking wisdom, the Corinthians lacking discernment, lacking understanding, lacking a firm footing, a firm foundation in God's word, were easy prey. They were easy prey, lacking conviction from God's word to do anything about it. These false teachers run amuck. Well, you could say in a church like this, then well, let's us off the hook because we are wise. No, no. But him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he falls. Satan is extraordinarily subtle. Have you never been deceived? You never had a wrong impression. You thought you had such a grasp of some theological truth only to find out later it was wrong. Am I the only one? Satan is extraordinarily subtle. We don't even realize the destructive ways in which we often think, the destructive things that we often do, believing them to be right and good things. Satan is extraordinarily subtle, far more cunning, far more deceptive than a blunt contradiction of the truth. Satan will not often come to those of us here this morning denying the Trinity. He'll be far more cunning, far more deceptive than that. Far more cunning, far more deceptive than a blunt contradiction of the truth is the deadly concoction that he will often brew by mixing that truth with an element of error. It's called syncretism, blending of truth with error. That's a tool of the devil. He is often far more deadly in joining the church than he is by openly attacking it. He is far more deadly standing in the pulpit than standing against it. He's far more effective luring someone with words that sound true than trying to convince someone of an obvious lie. And so what does he do? Satan disguises himself as an angel or a messenger of light. And he attacks under an appearance of good. He makes himself out to be a minister of righteousness, a champion of that which is right and true, but he is peddling death and disease, dismemberment by wolf. So it's this tactic of our enemy that has caused so much difficulty for this church at Corinth. It is this tactic of our enemy that has seen enormously widespread and effective use in the modern professing church today. It is this tactic of our enemy that can cause significant difficulty in our own thinking if we're not discerning, if we're not clinging to the truth as it is in Christ. And it's here in chapter 11 that Paul really begins to peel away the deadly disguise of these false teachers. Now he does that through four points in verses 13 to 15. He does that through identification, association, operation, and condemnation. You'll see those four points in your worship folder. He identifies who these false teachers really are. He exposes their actual association with Satan himself. That's who they're associated with. He displays the primary tactic employed in their deception and he reveals the ultimate end of all their wicked efforts. Why? To what end? To what end does Paul address these things? Why did he spend so much time in the New Testament talking about false teachers, false teaching, false doctrine? Because Paul wants to cut off any influence of error. Brothers and sisters, that's our desire. We need to cut off, cut off any influence of error, any influence from deceptive doctrine, any influence from false teaching. Cut it off. It's not worth messing around with. Don't get too close to it. Don't think it's okay in the seat next to you as long as it's not in your lap. It's not okay in the seat next to you. Kick it out of the car. Kick it to the curb, right? Cut off error. Cut it off. Paul wants to cut it off. There is death in the deception and we are assaulted by deceitful ploys all the time and we must be equipped to deal with them. Paul wants the church of Corinth to be equipped to deal with false teaching, to deal with false teachers. The Lord says get wisdom, right? Get wisdom, get understanding. Don't forget or turn away from the words of my mouth. Get wisdom, get understanding. Now Paul begins with their identification in verse 13, their identification. These false teachers, these self-proclaimed eminent apostles from verse 5, they want to be regarded as Paul and the things of which they boast. However, Paul intends verse 12 to cut off any opportunity for them to be regarded as he is. Why? Verse 13, for such are false apostles, deceitful workers transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. Literally the word is pseudo-apostolat, pseudo-apostols, fakes. They're imposters. They're not real. They're not real. And more cunning than that, they were pretending. They're pretending. They had assumed this appearance of being an apostle for nefarious purposes in order to do harm. They are pretending. They're deceptive. They're deliberate. They're intentional. They are pseudo-apostols. Paul describes them as deceitful workers, Dalias, dishonest workers, treacherous workers. The word is used again here, this word specifically, of someone who is being deliberately deceptive. Here Paul uses those terms, right? Deceived and deceiving. Deceived and deceiving. They are deceived, but they are deceiving. A false teacher is not innocent in the matter. They are deceivers. They're not passive in the matter. They are deliberate. They're intentional. There's a purpose or an end to their false teaching. There's a purpose or an end to their work. They are treacherous. Again, the word used for someone who is deliberately deceptive. To the simple and the underserting, they seem so nice some of the time. They seem like normal people. Certainly, that's a believer, right? It's because their fangs are tucked in. They don't walk around with their horns sticking out of their hat. Notice in verse 13 how they use the vocabulary of gospel ministry in the same way that Paul does. They use gospel vocabulary, right? They claim to be, not just teachers, they claim to be apostles, sent ones. What is the word apostolos mean? It means sent one. And here, not just apostles, but apostles of Jesus Christ. But Paul says they are pseudo apostles, fake apostles. They claim to be workers. Same word that Paul uses frequently for many who labor in the gospel with him. But these, Paul says, are not those workers. These are deceitful workers. So before dealing with them here, in verse 13, in the direct way that Paul does here, Paul's made numerous passing references of these guys throughout the letters. We've been studying 2 Corinthians verse by verse. He's made numerous passing references of these liars. They were such a prominent part of the problems in Corinth that a careful reading of 2 Corinthians revealed that these false teachers were always on the mind of the apostle Paul as he wrote this letter. You can pick up on their activity in the white spaces as it were between the words, so to speak, of the letter. He is defending himself against their actions in chapter 1 with regard to his travel plan. The false teachers accused Paul of being sickle, accused Paul of changing his plans on a whim. You can't trust the apostle Paul. And so apostle Paul, even in chapter 1, begins a defense of his ministry and a defense of his decision to change his travel plans as they pertain to Corinth. He's defending the tone and tenor of his severe letter against accusations of the false teachers in chapter 2. He certainly references them in chapter 2 verse 17, look there, chapter 2 verse 17, where Paul says, for we are not, as so many are, peddling the word of God. In other words, preaching for profit, right, peddling it. But as of sincerity, Paul says, as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ, contrasting himself and his fellow workers in the gospel with these false teachers. The false teachers come with letters of commendation in 2 Corinthians chapter 3, where Paul says in verse 1, do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others do, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? It's a passive reference to these wicked false teachers who are wreaking havoc in the church at Corinth. Paul's lengthy treatment of the Mosaic Covenant as a ministry of death in chapter 3 and the new covenant as a ministry of life and righteousness in chapters 3, 4 and 5, all that is strong evidence here that these pseudo apostles are none other than the deadly Judaizers that have been plaguing the churches of Galatia, and then following Paul around from church to church to church, it seems, and those who taught both faith and works were necessary for salvation. That's nothing new. We see that today, don't we? In chapter 10, in chapter 10, verse 2, these false teachers are those who think of Paul and the others as walking according to the flesh. Paul answers them in chapter 10 beginning in verse 2 there. You read the New Testament. You read letters like this. How is it that the Corinthians were so easily taken in by these lying snakes? Chapter 11, verse 13, because they transformed themselves into apostles of Christ. They disguised themselves. Now listen, that doesn't give excuse for stupidity. It doesn't give excuse for ignorance. We are to be wise, wise in God's word. Just because they come dressed up in one way doesn't mean that we receive them the way they come dressed up, right? Why? Because we have the truth of God. We have God's revealed word to us. So just because they come dressed up that way doesn't mean we're to be deceived by them. They transform themselves outwardly. Their outward appearance appears to be as apostles of Jesus Christ. They disguise themselves. The word there carries the sense of changing things that are external, not changing things that are internal, right? You can't do anything about the heart. They come with a wicked heart and that wicked heart is going to bear fruit and they're teaching and preaching, right? That wicked heart is going to bear fruit in the way they live their lives. But the word carries the sense of changing those things that are external, not changing the substance. In other words, they put on a mask. They're playing a part. They're hypocrites in the most full sense of that word. They wear a disguise and it is a deadly disguise. Now you can tell by the vocabulary of verse 13 what costume they were putting on, right? They were dressed up externally like apostles. They were dressed up externally like the Lord's workers. They were dressed up externally like ministers of righteousness. So then Paul asks the Corinthians incredulously, just in amazement in chapter 10, verse 7, he asks them, do you look at things according to the outward appearance? Are you making judgments based on their outward appearance based on what you see? Are you incapable of making a discerning judgment based on what they're saying? Are you incapable of making a discerning judgment based upon the way that they're living their life? Chapter 10, verse 12, these guys are comparing themselves with themselves. They're measuring themselves by themselves. They are a bunch of fools and you Corinthians are being duped by this. Isn't that the way it is today in Spain? Some false teacher standing in some false church speaking to false professing Christians, people who should be able to listen to what's being said and put aside the package that it's coming through, right? Put aside the trappings that surround it and say to themselves, is this the truth of God? Is this God's word that's being preached? But instead they suck it down. Again, they suck it down like cotton candy because it tickles their ears. It's what they want to hear. They'll overlook that pesky content of truth in God's word. They'll overlook reading and studying the Bible for themselves. I sat in a false church most of my life and had a Bible in my hand most of the time I was there and I didn't read it. I didn't study it. I didn't learn it. I didn't take it in as it was as the truth of God. I sat there and listened to that false teaching peddled to me. I swallowed it down. That's what the world does. The current things are being taken in by these guys. They call themselves apostles, sent ones. But listen, they sent themselves. They're not sent by anybody. They sent themselves. They call themselves apostles of Christ. But whose word is it that they're teaching? It's not the Lord's word. They're not preaching the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified. What are they actually doing? Look at chapter 11 verse four. They're preaching another Jesus that Paul is not preaching. They're presenting a different spirit. They're preaching a different gospel and the Corinthians should know better. Listen, brother, sister, you should know better and I should know better. We should know better. We have a sufficient content of divinely, of our divinely given faith. We have the truth of God revealed to us. And if you're in Christ, you have the spirit of God, we should know better. It's when we don't apply ourselves to these things that we are weak. It's when we don't progress in these things that our discernment is lacking. And when our discernment is lacking, when we're lacking in wisdom, when we lack a firm footing on the foundation of God's word, then we are easy prey to deceivers. They come along preaching. Jesus is not the Jesus that Paul is preaching. They're preaching a different spirit, a different gospel. And we shouldn't be surprised by that, that that's going to happen. That is going to happen. Paul exposes their true association in verse 14. Why is it that we shouldn't be surprised? This is a scheme, a tactic of the enemy. Look at their association in verse 14, verse 14, and no wonder, no wonder. This should come as no surprise. It shouldn't shock us to know that those who appear sometimes to be so nice on the outside, that those who appear to have our best interest at heart, those with smooth, flattering words, are actually Satan's minions. No wonder, because Satan himself transforms himself into an angel or a messenger of light, a messenger of truth. Remember, not long ago, witnessing to a Catholic, and so explaining the gospel, taking her through the gospel, she was tracking and would agree that salvation is not by works. It is by faith alone, in Christ alone, by the grace of God alone, to the glory of God alone. And she was tracking with that, and we're getting near the end of our conversation, and she says, I've just got to go back and talk to my priest about these things, and not advisable to someone who has absolutely no footing in the Bible to go and spend any time with a wicked deceiver who is intentionally manipulative and deceitful. But he's so nice. You know, when my sister was in the hospital, he was right there with us, and he was praying with us, and he cared for us during that time. He's so nice. No, he's a savage wolf, and won't appear so nice next to you in hell if you do not turn from your sin and trust Christ alone to save you. One commentator said this, Satan habitually tries to achieve his villainous aims within the church by craftily assuming the guide of a heavenly emissary who embodies all that is upright and true. And he's masterful at it, isn't he? But while appearing to represent the realm of light, truth, in reality, he represents the domain of darkness, falsehood, and that domain is his natural habitat. He simply isn't who he is portraying himself to be, and we often are gullible and naive to discern that. Satan always masquerades. He always makes use of a deadly disguise to ensnare us. He often doesn't come as a dragon. He doesn't come all red, all right, horns out carrying a pitchfork. He endeavors to appear as an angel. So we cannot be surprised when those who are doing his bidding are dressed up in the same garb, putting on the same pretenses, doing the same thing, teaching the same error that they've been taught, deceiving and deceived, putting on the same pretenses. And listen to our shame. He doesn't have to come to us offering us the kingdoms of this world to get us to worship idols, as he did with the Lord in the wilderness, right? Nope. Far, far, far less will suffice to seduce you and I away from our one Lord. He just offers us security and some compromise and not in Christ. I'm going to find my security over here and not in the Lord Jesus Christ. He just offers an alternative, one that appeals to us in our weakness, one that appeals to us in our own desires. It's a piece of fruit that looks good to the eyes, good to make one wise, good to make one healthy, good to make one secure, good to make one feel comfortable, good to allow one to live their own life and to make their own decisions. Good to let us get away with that thing that we wanted anyway when it's not for our good and we know it. He offers us comfortable comfort. He offers us comfort when we should be very uncomfortable. When we are uncomfortable and God has appointed that trial for our good to sanctify us, Satan comes along or Satan's minister, Satan's minion comes along and offers us comfort. He whispers in our ear, peace. No harm will befall you. That's not compromise. Lord Jesus Christ would want you healthy, wealthy. The Lord wants you to be happy, doesn't he? Peace. Listen, we're all sinners. You can entertain that again and again and again when the Lord funders, there is no peace for the wicked. How is it that these false teachers so often succeed? How is it that they gain such or make such progress? Consider their motive operation in verse 15. Consider their motive operation. Therefore, considering who they are, considering who they work for, their association, therefore verse 15, it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. This is the third time in these verses that Paul has used this term translated transform in the New King James, the task a Matizzo. It means they disguise themselves. They masquerade. They transform themselves. They make use of some pretext. They make use of some pretense, right? Some part that they play, some outward exhibition, some show that they put on. They make some use of some pretext in order to get their way, to have their way with you, to have their way in your heart. What is the disguise that they wear? What's the garb they put on in verse 15, that of the minister of righteousness? They pretend to be a minister of righteousness. I think with me in verse 15, in other words, the deceiver's method is not to come alongside you and say, here's my version of the truth, believe me. He doesn't comment you from the outside. The deceiver's method is the Trojan horse. He wants to get into your heart. The deceiver wants to get into your mind and manipulate you there. The deceiver's method is a dirty hypodermic needle slid into your vein, dispensing a poisonous concoction of deadly bacteria. That's what it is. And if you have a weakened immune system, that concoction of deadly bacteria can run a muck in you and kill you. That's what happens. The deceiver's devour. These are savage wolves. They have a deadly disguise and a deadly end in mind. What makes it so deadly? Well, the deadly poison comes packaged like a remedy. The deadly poison comes packaged like a balm to soothe your otherwise aching soul or aching heart or otherwise undiscerning mind. One called it venom peddled as medicine. When it goes in, it devours. Fast teachers undermine the gospel in the name of the gospel. They seduce people to another Jesus in the name of Jesus. Antichrist comes in the name of Christ. Error infiltrates the church in the name of truth. The Lord told the Pharisees in John chapter 8 verse 42. Listen to this from the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said to them, if God were your father, are you going to expose them for who they are? If God were actually your father, then you would love me. For I proceeded forth and came from God. Nor have I come of myself, but God sent me. Why do you not understand or accept or apprehend my speech? Jesus asked them because you are not able to listen to my word. Verse 44, you are of your father, the devil. That's who your father is. The desires of your father you want to do. You have purposes that are in alignment. He was a murderer from the beginning, does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own resources because he's a liar and the father of lies. But I tell you the truth and because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me. That's interesting, isn't it? Because I tell you the truth, you then do not believe me. It's not, you don't believe me when I tell you the truth. No. He tells them the truth and because he's preaching truth to them, they refuse to believe him. Do you see? We want what we want. And oftentimes false teachers come peddling sons of the devil, come peddling exactly what we want. Those who do not love the light, love darkness. Jesus asked them, which of you convict me of sin? And if I tell you the truth, why do you not believe me? He who is of God hears, apprehends God's words. Therefore, you do not hear because you are not of God, particularly in Corinth. They presume to be not only ministers, but ministers of righteousness. That further explains angel of light, messengers of truth, ministers of righteousness, a synonymous phrase, meaning messengers if you will, of truth, messengers of righteousness, ministers of righteousness. But in this case, you're also peddling a counterfeit righteousness. These Judaizers peddling a righteousness which comes through works of the law rather than true righteousness, the righteousness that we need to stand before God, the righteousness that is ours by faith alone in Christ alone. Look back at Second Corinthians chapter five. Paul answering the wicked false teaching that is coming out of these Judaizers in Corinth, preaches the gospel. He says in verse 16, therefore from now on we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. He has been made over. He has been born again. His nature has been transformed. His desires have been transformed. His will has been changed. His mind has been changed, right? His emotions are new. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. Now, all things are of God who has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, no other means, not through works of the law, right? Not by being circumcised, not by keeping law, but by the work of Jesus Christ alone. He has reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, that ministry is that God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and he has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ, not ambassadors for our own gain, not ambassadors for our own fame, not ambassadors for our own name. We are ambassadors for the Lord Jesus Christ pleading with you as though God were pleading through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf be reconciled to God. How is it that you, a wicked, undeserving, rotten, hellbound, hell-deserving sinner, can be reconciled to God Almighty? How is it? Miracle of all miracles, great upon grace because of what God has done in Christ for you. If you turn from your sin and put your faith in Him, verse 21, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. God in righteousness, both just and the justifier, takes your sin that is deserving of wrath, that is deserving of judgment, and He imputes that He places it upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Him who knew no sin becomes sin for you and I. That's the truth of God that is in Christ. You can't attain to that righteousness yourself. He takes your sin and He places it upon the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lord Jesus Christ bears your punishment in your stead. He is your substitute. He dies in your place. He who knew no sin, He made Him to be sin for us. So that then we might become the righteousness of God in Him. That's the righteousness that you need. It's the only righteousness that will suffice. It is the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ who was perfectly obedient, obedient even to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And He became obedient so that that righteousness could be credited to you by your works. May it never be by His work alone, by faith in Him for it, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the righteousness that we need. That's the righteousness of God as it is in Christ. They were presuming to be ministers of righteousness, but what were these Judaizers preaching? They were preaching a righteousness that comes by our own filthy, hell-deserving works. No righteousness at all. And they're saying, listen, you need to keep the law. You keep the law and you're right with God. Are I from the devil? You cannot be acceptable before God in your own filthy rags. In the filthy rags of your own works, it is impossible. And that's the filth that they're peddling. And that's the filth that every false religion today peddles too. It's the same thing just repackaged. You and I need to lay hold of the preciousness of that truth of an imputed righteousness, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. And when you sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous, who intercedes for us. Amen? It's in Him alone, clean to Christ by faith. They're peddling some damning lie. Hell awaits. Its mouth deeped open under the wicked. And some miserable will comes along, peddling that strife to their damnation. Oftentimes, while the people of God, who hold that precious truth in earthen vessels, don't preach it. Paul wants to cut off that wickedness. It is running a muck in Corinth. But listen, it is running a muck in the professing church this minute. Cut it off. Cut it off by preaching the gospel. Cut it off by standing against it, not tolerating it, saying something about it. Preaching against it. Cut it off by not entertaining it for one moment. Cut it off for the damnable offense that it is in the sight of God. Cut it off for what it will do to that person if they trust it or believe it or are deceived by it. Many of you in this room were deceived by that yourself before you heard the gospel. Cut it off. Cut it off. As Paul was in Corinth, we are in a war. Our enemy is diligently, earnestly at work. He is laboring, not just a worker, a deceitful worker. Cut off the opportunity that they presumed to have to regard themselves as ministers of righteousness, ministers of their own feudal imagination, ministers of their filth. And they're not ministers of righteousness. They're not ministers of the gospel. We need to call them out. How does it happen today? How does it happen? It's packaged in so many ways. Oftentimes today, someone wants to come along. Let me say this, there's a spectrum from overtly obvious to not so much and everywhere in between. So where do we often see it? Someone comes along professing to be a Christian and they want to compromise truth for the sake of unity. Can't we just get along? Not when you think that way and not when you do that. Not when you teach that, not when you practice that, not when you believe that. No, we can't. Antinomianism and legalism. Very common all over the place packaged in all kinds of ways. You can get it in whatever package you like. Pick up 50 of them at the dollar store. All for a dollar. They're passing them out for free. Antinomianism. I can't possibly earn it. So why try? We're all sinners. So why do anything? It's by faith alone. And so, I live how I want to live. Legalism. Gotta earn it. Gotta try harder. If I don't try harder, I'm not acceptable. If I do try harder, I am acceptable. Listen, I wouldn't go to church there, but I can take my kids for their activities. Besides, my kids don't know any better. They're not going to, they don't know the insidious indoctrination, lies, deceit. Where does it begin? Often begins with our kids. It's just a cute movie. It's just a cute movie. Doesn't matter that they've watered down the gospel to the point where it is absolutely unintelligible. It doesn't matter that they're packaging world philosophy in the dialogue of that cute quote unquote movie. My kids aren't going to know. Where does it begin? It often begins with quote unquote cute movies. They are indoctrinating our kids. It'll get into your family through the internet like roaches. It's amazing. Like the cracks and crevices that they can squeeze through to get themselves into a place, isn't it? Like, how did they get in it? Yeah, they're like roaches. They look for every available opportunity to squeeze them through the cracks of your defense systems. And often, frankly, our defense systems are weak and worthless apart from, entirely from the protection that God affords in Christ through the Holy Spirit. They'll get in through the internet, get in through those silly quote unquote movies. They'll get in through music. They'll get in through, get in through your eye gate, get in through your ear gate. You may think to yourself, what's the big deal? It is an unimaginably big deal. How effective is their deceit? How effective is their deceit? Listen to this from Galatians chapter two, verse 11. Now, when Peter had come to Antioch, I, Paul, withstood him Peter, the apostle Peter, the apostle Peter, I withstood him to his face because he was to be blamed. For before certain men came from James, the same sort that these Judaizers are in Corinth, they're the same sort, right? For before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles. But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy. Paul is like in utter amazement. Even Barnabas carried away with their hypocrisy. When I saw in verse 14 that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, if you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews? Now, Peter might have responded. Listen, it's no big deal. I just ate with them instead of with them. It's a very big deal. We're talking about the gospel. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law. For by the works of the law, no flesh shall be justified. But if while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves are also found sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin? Certainly not. If I build again those things which I destroyed, that's what Peter is effectively doing, right? In his actions. In his actions, he is effectively building that thing which was destroyed. He says, I make myself a transgressor. For I, through the law, died to the law that I might live to God. If you're here this morning, you, if you have never died to the law that you might live alone to the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are not right with God. You do not live to God. You live to your Father, the devil, turn from your sin, put your faith in Christ and be saved. He says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God because if righteousness comes through the law, then Jesus Christ died in vain. You wicked, well peddling false teachers. If righteousness comes through the law, then what did Jesus Christ have to die for? We believe your gospel, then Jesus Christ died in vain. Even Peter, even Barnabas, and a host of Jewish believers at the time, influenced by their treachery. Notice then, in verse 15, their condemnation, their condemnation. Therefore, it is no great thing if His ministers also transformed themselves into ministers of righteousness whose end will be according to their works. There is, in the future, a great unmasking. There is, in the future, a point in time where you'll stand before the righteous judge and in that day, every square inch of your heart will be examined and found to be in him or found to be of your father the devil. Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 17 of these false teachers, he says, if anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. Unless we think by that, he means the church building. He says, for the temple of God is holy which temple you are. False teachers will meet their end and it will be an end in accord with their work. They worked and peddled destruction, they will be destroyed. If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy which temple you are. Paul warns us about these liars in Romans 16 and gives us the remedy against them. Turn with me to Romans 16 as we close. Paul warns us about these liars and gives us the remedy against them. Romans 16, Paul begins in verse 17. Now I urge you brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them. Note false teachers, note false brothers, note those who cause divisions, note those who cause offenses contrary to that doctrine which is holy, just, and good, that doctrine that you've learned and avoid them. Cut off their opportunity. If you've been a member of this church for any length of time, you have seen it time and time and time and time and time again. How time and time again these wicked false deceiving false teachers, false brothers, these who cause divisions and offenses influence and manipulate and pull away brothers and sisters out of this church. You've seen that time and time again. How many times does it have to happen before we the people of God look at that proverbially and say, note that one, keep distance from him, avoid him because he is of this sort. If you don't obey this text, you do it to your own harm. I urge you brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you've learned and avoid them. For those who are such, do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly. And by smooth and flattering speech, deceive the hearts of the simple. You notice you've been here for any length of time. It is always the simple. Those among our number who have been noted, are they capable of falling? Yes, they are. But God proving them among us has preserved them, right? And we Philippians chapter three are to note those good examples and emulate their faith. We have them for examples here. Different example altogether. Their Lord is not Jesus Christ, but their own belly by smooth words and flattering speech. They deceive the hearts of the simple for your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf, but I want you to be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen. We need the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ with us. Amen. We need to be wise in what is good, simple or ignorant concerning what is evil. We don't want to be ignorant of Satan's devices. We don't want to make ourselves wise in the ways of this wicked world. We want to have the wisdom, that wisdom which is pure, that wisdom which is from above. We need the Lord's wisdom concerning those things which are good. Where do we get that wisdom? We get it from the Word of God. We get it from the Word of God. We must make progress in the Word of God. You must be actively growing and maturing in the Word of God. You must be submersed in God's truth, God's word, otherwise you'll be fed a lie. And like these foolish Corinthians, many of them, you will gladly put up with it. May it not be said among any here. Amen. All praise, honor and glory to the one who is revealed to us, sufficient truth in his Son to preserve us along the way for his glory. Let's pray. Go before the Lord now in prayer, asking for the Lord's help, asking for the Lord's protection, asking for the Lord to preserve you, asking the Lord to help you discern and cut off false teaching and error, not allowing that to gain a foothold in your life. Let's rely upon him for that. When you're done praying, you are dismissed. Let's pray.