There are presently 2 huge diabolical movements of deceiving the elect. One is promoting a different gospel and has called itself the Grace Reformation. The other is promoting a different Jesus and has called itself the New Apostolic Reformation.
The false prophets in both these movements will understandably masquerade themselves well as servants of righteousness and will lure away many professing believers as prophesized. They should be very skillful in deception by disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. Not surprising that they really call themselves Apostles in the New Apostolic Reformation as stated in 2 Cor 11:13-15. And since they are so skillful in deception, the defense of their authenticity by their followers and sympathizers – that they are humble, preach good biblical sermons on grace and do a lot of good to help the young people for example – surely fall short. A “Berean” Christian should watch out for their doctrine of salvation and Christology instead. For the master of these false prophets, the devil, surely will not promote the true gospel and true Jesus.
It is one thing to believe in the sovereign will of God that He still give spiritual gifts today and I sincerely believe; but quite another to believe that signs and wonders are a necessity to share the gospel. The following Scripture in Luke 16:30-31 dispels that premise.
Luke 16:30-31
30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’
1 Cor 1:17
17 For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.
As Paul was even careful not to empty the gospel of its power by eloquent wisdom like what the hyper grace false teachers did, how much more would it be through signs and wonders ?
Our Lord had warned specifically in Matt 24:24 that false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray even the elect in the last days and will He confuse the elect even more by empowering many to do signs and wonders as a necessity to share the gospel as well ?
Though we have to be wary of the New Apostolic Reformation prophets who promote these signs and wonders as THE means of sharing the gospel emptying the gospel of its power and twisting the doctrine of Christology in the process, we should not dismiss or despise that God can still give such spiritual gifts today for certain unique circumstances on the other hand. We are exhorted not to despise but to test these spirits. 1 John 4:1. 1 Thess 5:20-21.
Martin Luther, the champion of sola scriptura, said this, “The signs here spoken of (Mark 16:17-18) are to be used according to need. When the need arises, and the gospel is hard pressed, then we must definitely do these signs, before we allow the gospel to be maligned and knocked down.” – Believer’s Bible Commentary.
