God’s Word for You
Acts 20:29-31 Fierce wolves will come
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Thursday, December 10, 2020
29 I know that after my departure, fierce wolves will come in among you, and they will not spare the flock. 30 Men will rise up from among you and twist the truth in order to draw disciples away after them. 31 Therefore be alert! Remember that for three years I did not stop warning every one of you with tears, night or day.
Jesus gave the same warning: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). A ravenous wolf among the people of God will kill souls, tearing apart faith and ripping away the comfort and confidence people have in the gospel. The goal of such wolves inside the church is that they want followers for themselves, “to draw disciples away after them.”
One particular false teacher that the Bible warns about has risen up from inside the church, just as God warned his prophets and apostles (Daniel 7:8; 1 John 4:3). This is the Antichrist. We described him in the devotion on Acts 18:19-22. Some key things to remember about this enemy from within the church is that his opposition was already at work in the the days of the apostles (2 Thessalonians 2:6; 1 John 4:3), that Antichrist will hold up his own words, decrees, councils and traditions as being equally important or even more important than the Word of God itself (2 Thessalonians 2:4), and that he and his followers will deny the truth of how we are saved (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Are we saved by faith in Christ alone? Or is something else necessary? Antichrist will say that membership in his idea of the church is required, or something else, such as prayers to those who are not God. Most savage and destructive of all, Antichrist will deny that God has forgiven man completely and has declared this to be accomplished (the Bible teaches that God declares us to be righteous for the sake of Christ, Romans 3:24) but he will declare that man is only infused with a small spark of grace and that man must finish what God only began. This is in direct opposition to the words of the Old Testament (that the servant of God is not brought to judgment, Psalm 143:2), of the New Testament (“Mercy triumphs over judgment,” Hebrews 2:13), and of Jesus himself (“Whoever believes is not condemned” John 3:18).
But we should not be complacent after we identify in our minds who Antichrist is, because there will be other antichrists (1 John 2:18), who are false teachers. “If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you accepted, let him be eternally damned!” (Galatians 1:9). And here in this world, they should be avoided (Romans 16:17). Once a false teacher is recognized, that flock should seek another shepherd, a faithful one, who will tell them what Christ says even when it exposes sins in their lives and drives them to grief and shame—this is the true work of the law in our hearts. If you know of a person or a congregation that does not have a true shepherd, pray for them as Moses prayed: “May the Lord appoint a man over this community to lead them out and bring them in, so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd” (Numbers 27:16-17). Invite them to your own church, or one like yours that is near them. The soul is the most precious thing each of us has. Cherish and take care of yours, and pray for its health. May God feed it daily with his word and sacrament.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.