We’ve all received them — emails claiming your computer is infected, your account has been compromised, your package is waiting. The scammers are relentless. And while most of us have gotten good at spotting the obvious fakes, there’s a far more dangerous kind of scam operating in plain sight: spiritual deception.
Pastor Josh White opened his March 5 sermon with a warning that hits close to home for anyone who’s ever gotten one of those emails. But he quickly pivoted to something more serious. “What is the most important scam?” he asked. The answer shapes everything about how we walk with Christ.
The Most Dangerous Scam
Peter doesn’t waste time getting to the point. In the opening verses of 2 Peter chapter 2, he writes plainly: “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.”
“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.”
— 2 Peter 2:1
This wasn’t a problem unique to the first century. Peter was writing to believers — people who had already trusted Christ. And he’s telling them, in no uncertain terms, that false teachers would arise from within the church itself.
How to Recognize False Teaching
Paul gave a similar warning in 2 Timothy 4, charging Timothy “in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead… Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”
— 2 Timothy 4:2
The word of God is our standard. When someone teaches something that contradicts Scripture — whether it’s about who Jesus is, how we are saved, or how we should live — that teaching is wrong, no matter how winsome or popular it may be.
The Satanic Disguise
One of the most sobering truths in Scripture is that Satan himself disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). That means the false teachers we’re warned about aren’t always obvious. They often come across as kind, loving, and reasonable. They preach love and unity. They tell us what our itching ears want to hear.
“But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”
— Galatians 1:8
Paul doesn’t hedge here. The gospel is not negotiable. If someone adds to it, subtracts from it, or replaces it with something more palatable, they are accursed — not the person who stands on Scripture.
Testing the Spirits
John gives us a simple but profound test in his first letter: “By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:2-3).
“By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.”
— 1 John 4:2-3
True teachers — and true believers — confess that Jesus is who Scripture says He is: fully God and fully man, the only way to the Father, Lord of all. Anyone who diminishes His deity, questions His atonement, or rewrites His words is not from God, regardless of how religious they sound.
What Happens to False Teachers?
Here’s where it gets uncomfortable. Peter says their condemnation “has long been impending and their destruction has not been sleeping” (2 Peter 2:3). These are strong words. The consequences are real.
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
— 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
Paul doesn’t soften this. The unrighteous — those who persist in rebellion against God — will not be in God’s kingdom. But notice the purpose of this warning: “And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:11). The warning is for us, but so is the hope.
The True Gospel vs. Humanism
One of the greatest scams in the modern church is the replacement of the true gospel with humanism — a system that is ultimately about us, our feelings, and our success. Humanism tells us we are basically good, that God wants us happy, and that sin is really just a mistake.
The true gospel tells us something different. Sin is not a mistake — it’s an offense against a holy God that separates us from Him. Repentance is not optional — it’s the necessary response to recognizing our guilt before a righteous Judge. And Jesus is not just a good teacher or a moral example — He is Lord, and confessing that with our mouths while believing in our hearts is how we are saved (Romans 10:9-10).
So What?
Pastor Josh ended with a question every listener needed to answer: Have you personally submitted your life to Jesus as Lord? Have you genuinely repented of your sins — not just said a prayer, but turned from your old way of thinking and living?
There’s a difference between knowing facts about Jesus and having a personal, life-transforming relationship with Him. The false teachers Peter warns about may have known the facts. But they never submitted. They never repented. And their end was destruction.
If you’ve never truly trusted Christ — if you’ve just gone through the motions, or followed a gospel that makes you feel good but never convicts you of sin — today is the day. Come to Jesus. Confess Him as Lord. Repent. Be saved.
And if you have trusted Christ, then take Peter’s warning seriously. Be discerning. Test what you hear against Scripture. Stay alert. The scam artists aren’t just in your inbox — they’re in the pulpits too.
Scripture References
- 2 Peter 2:1 — False teachers among you
- 2 Timothy 4:1-4 — Preach the word
- Galatians 1:8 — Any other gospel is accursed
- 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 — Satan disguises as angel of light
- 1 John 4:1-3 — Test the spirits
- 2 Peter 2:3 — Their condemnation is impending
- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 — The unrighteous will not inherit
- Romans 10:9-10 — Confess and believe to be saved