Beware the Subtle Divide: A Call to Guard the Truth
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. ~ Romans 16:17-18
Not everyone who speaks about Jesus is truly serving Him. That may sound harsh to some ears, but Scripture doesn’t mince words, and neither should we. In Romans 16:17–27, we are warned to “watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught.” These individuals don’t come with a warning label. They often sound persuasive, kind, even spiritual. But their goal is not truth. They serve their own appetites, not the Lord Jesus Christ, and “by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.”
This warning isn’t aimed at the world. It’s aimed at those inside the community of believers. Satan doesn’t only attack from outside, he infiltrates, twists, and deceives from within. And that’s why Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, urges the church to avoid them. This isn’t about being divisive; it’s about refusing to tolerate those who distort the gospel and bring in destructive teachings (2 Peter 2:1).
The solution isn’t to become suspicious of everyone, but to become wise to what is good and innocent to what is evil (Romans 16:19). That means knowing the truth so well that lies become obvious. It means not dabbling in error just to “understand other views” or “explore perspectives.” God doesn’t call us to flirt with falsehood, He calls us to cling to the truth.
Paul rejoices over their obedience, but his joy doesn’t make him passive. He reminds them that their strength doesn’t come from themselves, but from “Him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ” (Romans 16:25). This gospel was once a mystery, now revealed and proclaimed to all nations, and its purpose is clear: to bring about the obedience of faith.
Truth leads to obedience. Real faith submits to the Word of God. And God promises that “the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet” (Romans 16:20). That’s not a metaphor for good feelings or positive energy. That’s a spiritual reality rooted in the victory of Christ.
So if you’re walking in obedience, keep going. If you’re confused by all the voices calling themselves Christian but saying different things, go back to the Word. Not every voice is from God. Test everything by Scripture. Hold fast to what is true (1 Thessalonians 5:21). And don’t be afraid to mark and avoid those who twist the doctrine of Christ. That’s not legalism. That’s loyalty.
Let God be true, and every man a liar (Romans 3:4). To the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ. Amen.
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2 Chronicles 33:14-34:33
Romans 16:10-27
Psalm 26:1-12
Proverbs 20:19
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New Testament: Romans 16:10-27
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Doxology
But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw her onto a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her I will throw into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works, … ~ Revelation 2:20-22
Did we not awake to what we thought would be one fine and sunny day, only to see, out there on the horizon, a Beast rising up out of the Sea of Humanity? Did we not do a double-take, looking again, and find perverse God-haters and daffy morons ruling over what was once our “One Nation Under GOD” as mayors, and governors, while in our honored seats of Congress, our Senate, and our Supreme Court sat madmen, pedophiles, tyrants, cokeheads, and devil upon devil bowing down to an ill-omened specter from Africa in what should be our well guarded Oval Office? Out there on the horizon, out of the apocalyptic dust and debris stirred up by the tail of this Beast can you not hear the faint sounds of the rattling of sabers, the pounding hoofbeats of the warhorse, the distant roaring of the cannon, and the horrid cries of anguish of your brothers and sisters and their children in the impoverished countries of the earth now growing louder and louder in our once Great Crown Jewel? Are you deaf? The enemy is no longer at our gate, he is in our land and he is in our house. We are in great peril! Our precious Crown Jewel is taking upon itself the tarnished dross of Third World Brimstone Badlands. Legions of ill-omened-specters, spirits of fear, raging vandals, and destroyers have flown in from the outer darkness under the shadow of the Black Swan summoned by this evil entity to coordinate with those things that have crawled up out of the nethers to spiritually, intellectually, and literally, kill, steal, and destroy our precious Crown Jewel, while spirits of error, wilderness spirits, all dressed up like Angels of Light are appearing, here and there, masquerading as messengers of revelation knowledge in what are supposed to be our Solemn Assemblies across the land. These specters, raging vandals, spirits of fear, and destroyers have come to wear out the Patriot while their dark counterparts, the spirit of Jezebel, the spirit of error, the religious spirit, and lying spirits, all dressed up like Angels of Light have come to confuse, divide, and deceive God’s people. These hellish rockers, pied pipers, and seductive divas come to fiddle, pipe, and rock the naive, spellbind the gullible, mesmerize the foolish, and beguile the self-righteous and the religious with seducing spirits into a utopian trance only to have them awaken later out of their woke and stupid stupor in the fiery abyss of Abaddon, only to realize that they spent their entire lives dancing off into the terrifying, Mephistophelean darkness with the Harlot – and her wilderness spirits!
WEIGHTY THINGS © Will Callery
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. ~ Romans 16:17-20
Overview: Romans 5-16 Click Here to Watch Video
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