According To This Word

Get behind me, Satan!!! 

These are the harsh words that Christ spoke to one of His most faithful disciples. Why would Christ call Peter Satan? There are a few things that spring out of this statement that Christ made that we will look at in the context of leadership. This same statement could be made to thousands of so-called teachers and preachers in the world around us because they are not actually ministers of God; Instead, by teaching lies, they have unwittingly made themselves into ministers of darkness. These men are not possessed, but just as Peter did, they have seized on the lies of the Devil. 

With all of these people wandering around claiming to preach Christ, it can be pretty confusing to recognize those who are truly teaching Christ. So just how do we distinguish the light from the darkness? They are all pretty nice people and often have a strong charisma about them as well, so where has God drawn the line? In the gospel of Matthew, Christ made a profound statement to His disciples. 

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:17‭-‬19 NKJV

Whoever teaches men to break the commandments and the prophets shall be called least in the kingdom. Christ did not come to destroy the law and the prophets; rather, He came to expand them. The Jews could not see this, which tripped them up from following Him. Even today, this trips Christians up and keeps them from keeping His laws. This was all prophesied way back in Isaiah chapter 8.

The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread. He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the houses of Israel, As a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.” Bind up the testimony, Seal the law among my disciples. And I will wait on the Lord, Who hides His face from the house of Jacob; And I will hope in Him. Here am I and the children whom the Lord has given me! We are for signs and wonders in Israel From the Lord of hosts, Who dwells in Mount Zion.

Isaiah 8:13‭-‬18 NKJV

God gave His laws to the disciples to have them preserve them, and the task that had been the Jews for centuries, that is, to preserve the Bible, now fell to the Christian Church. The Christian Church preserved the Bible, but like the Jews before them, the Christian establishment at large eventually lost the understanding of what exactly they were preserving. Even with their lack of understanding, they continued to preserve the Bible for future generations.

So we see that God’s laws were not done away with, nor could they ever be. His word will be preserved for all time and cannot fail. One cannot commit adultery and not have the consequences of his actions eventually catch up with him. God’s laws are as immutable as the laws of physics, for He created them both.

We move into the next verse now, and we see the same question we are asking. How do we know if someone is a minister of God or not? 

And when they say to you, “Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,” should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?

Isaiah 8:19 NKJV

Although many claim to be ministers, they probably are not seeking out witches and wizards. However, it begs the question: from whom are they getting their guidance? This is addressed in verse 20.

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Isaiah 8:20 NKJV

What is the testimony? Well, it is everything in the Old Testament that is not the law. The prophets, the wisdom writings, etc. This eventually extends to the New Testament as well. Many, many places in the New Testament talk about false teachers, and even Christ spoke of those who are wolves in sheep's clothing. 

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”

John 8:44‭, ‬46‭-‬47 NKJV

Christ is the light; He is the light that shines out of the darkness. Satan is the exact opposite; he is the darkness composed of lies. The truth is a light because God is the truth. If someone has no light in them, then they do not have Christ in them. That is the seriousness of what we are dealing with here. Teachers claim Christ but have no Christ in them, so their guidance is not coming from God. Any teacher who does not teach and keep the Sabbath, Holy days, and other laws, well, let’s just read what Isaiah says once more. 

To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Isaiah 8:20 NKJV

These words are straight from our Father. As teachers, it is vitally important that we are not teaching that God’s law is done away with or no longer necessary; otherwise, we fall into this category. We are held responsible for what we teach, so the closer we stick to what the Bible says, the safer and more productive we are.

It’s easy for Satan to use us against each other, he just puts out little tidbits of thought for us to latch onto, and he can get us to speak his words to each other, just as Peter spoke his words to Christ. It’s not mind control; it’s walking according to what sounds good to us and what we feel should be the case. This is heavily behind teachers believing that the law and Sabbaths are done away with. The problem is when these teachers start teaching these false ideas. They become liable for what they teach, and to teach that God’s law is done away with, is very dangerous indeed. They become wolves leading God’s sheep astray rather than the shepherds they ought to be. 

It is imperative that we recall the words "To the law and the testimony!" when assessing and instructing teachers to determine if they possess the light of Christ. Those who do not speak in accordance with this word lack enlightenment. As the Bible instructs, we must scrutinize the spirits and thoroughly test them against the scriptures. Our compass and benchmark is the Bible, the law, and testimony. As believers, we must be vigilant in seeking the truth and upholding it in our own lives and in the teachings we receive. Let us not fall prey to the lies of the enemy but instead stand firm in the light of Christ teaching the truth and light that is the Bible.