There is only one way to be deceived, and that is to lose touch with Scriptures intended message. Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul were concerned for those who were listening to the messages as they spoke them. This is why they also spoke their warnings of deception. Paul made clear the dangers:

Acts 20:29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them. (NASB2020)

In our last post we looked at a quote from Dr David Jeremiah. In it we looked into it, and found what one would not expect of him. The Scriptures were being inspired by God’s Holy Spirit as they were being given and penned over hundreds of years. This was the same Holy Spirit who Jesus sent into our inner man to teach us the truth of those very same Scriptures which He had inspired. We take on the mind of Christ, as we yield to the truth in the word of God. But wrong doctrine can be dangerous to us as well as to the world into which we are sent.

We tend to think that to come to belief in and to know the Lord Jesus is an automatic guard against being deceived. But our Savior the Lord Jesus in at least one case warned His own disciples. Listen:

Matthew 24:3 While Jesus was seated on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, and said, “Tell us, when will this [destruction of the temple] take place, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end (completion, consummation) of the age?” 4 Jesus answered, “Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. (AMP)

Some deception is very obvious to you if you know the Word, but some is very subtle. Satan can appear as an Angel of light, as he often does in the teachings of today. You will often notice that there is very little Bible involved in some pastoral teachings: you need to learn what to look for. The lack of scriptural support is a dead give away, but also understand that all pastors will claim scriptural authority. And it’s not necessarily their fault; every pastor is trained in a denominational doctrine. These men most often want to speak the truth, but we all can and do err.

And then there are the (let’s call them) New Age twisters of most passages and familiar terms. The spirit they serve is not guiding them to understand the word of God. They have thousands, perhaps millions of followers. They lure them in while using these biblical terms and phrases, and even promises; of course they integrate scripture taken from its context but add that new age flavor. Discernment is possibly more needed then ever in these closing days of the history of mankind.

But having said all this remember that these things we are told will happen. The end of Satan’s deceptive divides will not come until sometime after believers in Christ will see the Antichrist in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God, we are not there. And the world is not yet quite to the level of deception seen in Scripture to occur for it, but something is definitely changing.

If Jesus was concerned for the very ones that He chose to bring us the Gospel; then no one is exempt from the possibility of being deceived. Therefore praying for His understanding as we read and study is our duty to ourselves, and to our family and friends. Being able to recognize when others fail to discern what God is saying is also a duty to oneself. Walking in the Holy Spirit. Walking in communion with Him; in constant prayer is connecting us to Gods understanding. Abide in Him and speak the truth while it is yet day

In our next post (Lord willing) we will look into just how Satan uses Doctrine and the word in combination to deceive us.