The Bible warns about many false doctrines. Books, magazines, and the internet today are loaded with many false teachings of all kinds and this post will look at the 10 common examples of false doctrines that exist in many churches today.
Some of these false doctrines some Christians hold on to very firmly due to ignorance or just plain stubbornness are nowhere to be found in scripture.
This article, however, will show you 10 examples of false doctrines you need to be aware of so that you don’t get deceived by them or false teachers teaching them.
10 Major Examples Of False Doctrines.
Below are the 10 examples of false doctrines and false teachings you will find in the church today you need to protect yourself from.
- Jesus Christ Isn’t The Only Way.
- God Isn’t A Trinity.
- The Doctrine Of Limited Atonement.
- Jesus Is The Archangel Micah.
- The Doctrine Of Annihilation.
- Eternal Security By John Calvin.
- The Holy Spirit Is A Force.
- Repentance Isn’t Required For Salvation.
- Baptism Regeneration.
- Preterism.
1. Jesus Christ Isn’t The Only Way.
This false doctrine told in some churches or false religions states that there are many ways to go to heaven and to find the truth and that Jesus Christ is just one of the paths to finding the truth or going to heaven.
But one thing the false teachers who teach such a heretical false doctrine usually forget the word Jesus Christ said in John 14:6 that, He’s the way, the truth, and the life and that no come can come to the Father except through Him.
If you are such a person who falsely believes that Jesus Christ isn’t the only way to finding the truth as some false religions of this world may want you to believe, then you are deceived, dear. Any attempts to use other means to find the truth will just lead you astray.
2. God Isn’t A Trinity.
The above false doctrine or false teaching assumes that God is just one person and not three distinct persons in one and such people who are anti-Trinitarian are usually modernists.
God’s word tells us in 1 John 5:7 that there are three distinct beings in the Godhead: The Father, the Word (who became Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one and bear record in heaven.
Therefore, any false teacher who tries to tell you that the trinity doctrine is false is not telling you the truth and isn’t rightly dividing the word of truth in their teaching.
3. The Doctrine Of Limited Atonement.
This false doctrine that some churches and religious cults teach assumes that Jesus Christ didn’t die for everyone as 2 Corinthians 5:15 tells us but only for pre-selected individuals.
But the above false teaching told by some heretics is contrary to God’s word as the above bible verse clearly tells us as God has made salvation available to everyone which Titus 2:11 reminds us.
God’s grace that brings salvation is available to everyone and not just a few preselected individuals. Of Couse, God can’t false His free gift of salvation of you if you don’t want to be saved. You must be willing to accept God’s love gift of salvation to be saved and have eternal life.
4. Jesus Is The Archangel Micah.
Believe it or not, certain religious cults teach that Jesus Christ is Micah the archangel Revelations 12:7 talks about who fought Satan and His angels.
However, false teachers who teach such a damnable heresy such as those in the Watch Tower Society and others lack a complete understanding of the divine nature of Jesus Christ and who He truly is.
By saying that Jesus Christ is the archangel Micah, they degrade Christ into a created being just like the angels of which He’s not as He has always existed even before the angels were created as the Word as John 1:1 tells us.
5. The Doctrine Of Annihilation.
This doctrine states that after the great white throne judgment or the last judgment that happens after the 1000 year millennial reign of the Lord Jesus Christ here on earth all unsaved humans, fallen angels, and Satan himself will be totally destroyed.
Implying that they will no longer exist thereby saying that they won’t face the eternal punishment Mathews 25:46 talks about. Jehovah’s witnesses and SDAs are the ones who usually teach this false teaching of annihilation.
But this teaching is false because both the old testament and the new testament don’t support this false doctrine of annihilation. This is why Jesus Christ said in Mark 9:48, that the fire in hell is unquenchable where the worm will not die.
6. Eternal Security By John Calvin.
The “once saved always saved” doctrine sometimes called eternal security states that once we have been saved and born again through our faith in Jesus Christ, we cannot lose our salvation no matter what we do.
Scripturally, though, this is contrary to numerous warnings in Scripture about falling away and losing salvation (Hebrews 3:12-14; 2 Peter 2:20-22; Matthew 7:21-23).
So, anyone who tries to tell you that you can’t lose your salvation even when you continue in willful sin when the above bible verses prove otherwise is likely a false teacher as that person is directly contradicting God’s word.
7. The Holy Spirit Is A Force.
Some religious cults namely the Jehovah’s Witnesses teach that the Holy Spirit isn’t a real person like the Father and the Son but a force or feeling that takes over you.
However, this isn’t true as God’s word tells us that the Holy Spirit is a person or third personality in the Godhead as we see in 1 John 5:7. This is why the Holy Spirit just like the Father and the Son is also referred to as He as well as God, too.
Don’t listen to any false teacher especially the Watch Towers who will try to tell you that God’s Spirit isn’t a person as they are in serious damnable error as God’s Spirit is a person who indwells in believers guiding them into all truth as John 16:13 tells us.
8. Repentance Isn’t Required For Salvation.
False teachers who usually say that you don’t need to repent of your sins to be saved are usually Calvinists who have misinterpreted Ephesians 2:8 which says that we are saved by grace through faith and not of works which is true.
But these heretics who say repentance isn’t needed for salvation when God’s word says otherwise in Acts 3:19 believe that you only need to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be saved and that you don’t need to abandon your sinful lifestyle.
They claim that only faith alone will save you and that repentance isn’t needed at all forgetting that faith without works is dead. One thing you must know is that repentance is mandatory for salvation as the latter cannot be without the former first happening.
9. Baptism Regeneration.
The belief states that water baptism regenerates or saves a person who has already believed in Christ as his or her Saviour (John 3:16-18; John 20:31) but this false teaching has no backing from the scripture.
False teachers who teach such heresy usually misinterpret what the apostle Peter said in Acts 2:28 forgetting that he told them to first repent and then be baptized and not vice versa.
One thing you need to know is that baptism alone doesn’t save or cleanse one from sin as it’s the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross responsible for doing that. Also, baptism doesn’t regenerate a person as the Holy Spirit is the one responsible for that (Titus 3:5-7).
10. Preterism.
Last but not least, the doctrine of Preterism is the belief that most, or all, of biblical prophecy, was fulfilled in the first century with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Titus in 70 AD.
However, the above false doctrine cannot be found anywhere in scripture, as God’s word is clear that more prophecies are yet to be fulfilled.
One such example of prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled is the millennial reign of Christ on earth (Revelations 20:7), the great white throne judgment (Revelations 20:11-15), and many others.
Conclusion.
The above 10 examples of false doctrines are just among many countless false doctrines and false teachings that exist in many churches today and I hope after reading this post, you won’t be deceived by false teachers teaching these destructive heresies leading many astray. Stay blessed and don’t forget to share.
See Also.
- 10 Common False Teachings [You Must Avoid At All Costs]
- 10 Signs Of False Doctrines [To Be On The Lookout For.]
- How A Christian Should Behave [In Present This Evil Word?]
Sharing is caring.
Two were left off your list: The belief in a literal 1000 year reign of Christ which is nowhere’ to be found in scripture with exception of the highly symbolic book of revelation. Obviously this is an impossibility since the present heaven and earth are destroyed immediately after the judgment and the second— the most evil doctrine of all— that of Eternal Conscious Torment— in plain literal language the scriptures repeatedly say the wicked perish, they are destroyed- Romans 6:23 John 3:16 are just two of many. We are told twice in Revelation that the lake of fire IS the second DEATH. Hell and death are thrown into this lake of fire making it clear the lake is symbolic and NOT meant to be taken literally. Only believers t the gift of eternal life— “the wicked will be destroyed”
Eternal fire/ destruction / punishment mean the punishment is FINAL not ongoing.The protestants got this doctrine of demons from the Roman Catholic church who got it from the pagans. How any Christian can believe this when we it is so easily refuted is incomprehensible.
I think Elle G White’s teachings mistake you. The 1000-year reign is literal and there are several verses in the old testament and the new testament that support the literal millennial reign of Christ on earth, not in heaven as most SDAs falsely believe. Secondly, the doctrine of hell is as it is, everlasting without end which is why Jesus said that their worm dies not in a fire that will never be quenched. Hope that’s enough for you to understand. Have a blessed day, dear.
White? Annihilation was not invented by 7 Day Adventist or Ellen White. I was raised in Southern Baptist church as well as Presbyterian and Non-denominational. Until I finally realized they all teach false doctrine every single one of them.You clearly dont understand the difference between figurative and literal language. It is in the isolation of verses that ALL false doctrine originates and that’s exactly what you’re doing. you can easily look up words like death, destruction, and perish and see that’s literally what happens to the unbeliever. There’s only one gift of eternal life —just one and that is to the unbeliever. If you think of it in logical terms to think that God would create a body that could feel pain but is no longer human and could not be destroyed by fire? it’s just nonsensical. If a person sins for two years or 10 years or 20 years that is not justice to have them burn it into eternity —that is a pagan myth unfortunately the majority of so-called Christians in our churches do not study like the Bereans and do not study the scriptures to be sure what they’re being taught in their churches is true. The Bible clearly refutes eternal,Conscious torment.ECT Is the ‘doctrine of demons’ — all human beings who have any decency know that torture is evil. To attribute evil to God is blasphemy.
I thing you need to read your bible further, dear. God bless.
God bless you for speaking the truth.
God bless you, too and glad you found this post a blessing to you.
Read Acts 16:30-31. This is John 3:16 in question and answer form. It is important to
understand that the gospel (“good news”) remains unchanged. Nothing is stated that
anyone has to pass an investigative judgment to be saved. However, Ellen White, in The
Great Controversy, page 486, states that Christians must pass one. This is heresy and
another gospel. Galatians 1:6-9 states that whoever presents another gospel is damned.
Ellen White never recanted this error and is dead. So which resurrection will those who
are damned be in? The second one- the resurrection of damnation (John 5:29, KJV).
Seventh-day Adventists must be warned of this fatal error. Will they repent now?
Thanks, for your reply. Indeed, what you have said is true and many need to be aware of this. God bless.
You would be considered a false teacher because you are teaching in this article that a true Christian can lose his salvation. This is absolutely untrue. A Christian cannot lose salvation. Most, if not all, of what the Bible says happens to us when we receive Christ would be invalidated if salvation could be lost. Salvation is the gift of God, and God’s gifts are “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29). A Christian cannot be un-newly created. The redeemed cannot be unpurchased. Eternal life cannot be temporary. God cannot renege on His Word. Scripture says that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).
Two common objections to the belief that a Christian cannot lose salvation concern these experiential issues: 1) What about Christians who live in a sinful, unrepentant lifestyle? 2) What about Christians who reject the faith and deny Christ? The problem with these objections is the assumption that everyone who calls himself a “Christian” has actually been born again. The Bible declares that a true Christian will not live a state of continual, unrepentant sin (1 John 3:6). The Bible also says that anyone who departs the faith is demonstrating that he was never truly a Christian (1 John 2:19). He may have been religious, he may have put on a good show, but he was never born again by the power of God. “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16). The redeemed of God belong “to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God” (Romans 7:4).
Nothing can separate a child of God from the Father’s love (Romans 8:38–39). Nothing can remove a Christian from God’s hand (John 10:28–29). God guarantees eternal life and maintains the salvation He has given us. The Good Shepherd searches for the lost sheep, and, “when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home” (Luke 15:5–6). The lamb is found, and the Shepherd gladly bears the burden; our Lord takes full responsibility for bringing the lost one safely home.
Jude 1:24–25 further emphasizes the goodness and faithfulness of our Savior: To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Thanks for your input concerning your question about losing your salvation kindly check what Hebrews 10:39 says. Hope that helps. God bless.
you have left out that terrible false teaching called the rapture.
a total misinterpretation of scripture. many people and churches hold to this false teaching.
I am sure the rapture is just fine as it’s different from the second coming. God bless.