We are commanded to be vigilant, for there are those among us who masquerade as ministers of grace while laboring to undermine the very foundation of our faith. These are not merely confused brethren in need of gentle correction, but practiced deceivers—wolves in sheep’s clothing—who have long heard the true gospel and yet persistently resist it. Their strategy is subtle: they cloak themselves in the language of grace, speaking of free justification and eternal security, yet their message is a Trojan horse for works-based doctrines that nullify the finished work of Christ and rob believers of assurance.
The Mechanics of Deception
These false teachers are not novices in manipulation. With fair speeches and flattering words, they beguile the hearts of the simple (Romans 16:18). They alternate between guilt and flattery, twisting Scripture out of context to serve their own ambitions. Their motivation is not the glory of Christ but self-promotion and personal gain. They will compromise the truth of the gospel for the sake of influence, and they are quick to shift alliances, repenting of past errors only to introduce new ones. The result is a trail of confusion, instability, and uncertainty among those who follow them.
They are adept at misapplying passages about unity and love, weaponizing these concepts to pressure believers into tolerating error and fellowshipping with falsehood. They present a gutted gospel, stripped of the power and implications of justification in Christ, leaving believers with a diluted understanding of salvation and a fragile sense of security.
The Assault on Assurance and Sonship
At the heart of their teaching is the assertion that believers are subject to punishment and loss of fellowship when they sin. This is not a minor error—it is a direct assault on the believer’s confidence before God and their identity as sons and heirs. By recasting God’s loving discipline as punitive condemnation, they foster fear and condemnation rather than renewal and restoration. The conscience is left wounded, and the boldness to approach the throne of grace is eroded.
This is not a theoretical danger. If you accept their doctrine, you forfeit the very assurance Christ died to secure. You lose the liberty to come boldly to God as a beloved child. The inheritance is obscured, and the joy of sonship is replaced by anxiety and striving. The finished work of Christ is rendered insufficient, and justification by faith alone is quietly abandoned.
Exposing the True Nature of Their Accusations
Predictably, these wolves will accuse those who stand for the pure gospel of grace of promoting licentiousness or offering a license to sin. But this accusation exposes their own denial of grace and the reality of the new creation. They have a form of godliness but deny its power—they deny Christ in us as our very life. Their teaching on the Christian life is Christless; the closest they come to holiness is through threats of punishment. If they refuse to teach Christ as sanctification, what remains but fear and bondage?
When we proclaim Christ as the reality of sanctification and urge believers to approach the throne of grace boldly through His blood, they call it dangerous. Yet this very boldness is the means by which we are renewed and enjoy the sanctification already ours in Christ. Their accusations only reveal their own spiritual bankruptcy. We need not defend ourselves—they expose themselves by their rejection of the gospel’s power.
The True Gospel: Finished Work and Present Reality
The authentic gospel proclaims that justification and sanctification are accomplished facts, grounded in Christ’s finished work and His life within us. Our assurance and boldness before God do not rest on our performance, but on the blood of Christ. We are not slaves cowering under threat, but sons and heirs who enjoy secure access to the Father.
To accept any other message is to surrender the riches of our inheritance and the liberty for which Christ has set us free. Hold fast to the truth: your standing before God is unshakeable, your identity as a new creation is irrevocable, and your sanctification is a present reality because Christ Himself is your life.
Romans 16:18 – “For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.”
Let no one rob you of your confidence or dilute the gospel. Stand firm in the finished work of Christ, and refuse every doctrine that would bring you back under bondage and fear. The gospel is not up for negotiation—it is the power of God unto salvation for all who believe.
