Have you been deceived?

 

HAVE YOU BEEN DECEIVED?

As the world is going through this period of trial and testing, let me ask a thought provoking question; Are you among the many who have been deceived? To some people this question may sound rather preposterous and inconceivable in this modern era of higher learning, science, and technology.

Nevertheless, inconceivable as it may sound we have been forewarned saying, “Let no one deceive himself, if anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1Corinthians 3:18-19).

Regardless how wise one may think he/she is in regards to the things of this world, he/she cannot understand the spiritual things, because the natural mind does not receive the things of the Spirit, they are foolishness to him/her and he/she cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned.

And so,we have been forewarned by the greatest Teacher of all times saying; “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” He said again, “At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.”

He also predicted of the time when, “False Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect,’ and said, ‘See, I have told you ahead of time” (Matthew 24:4, 5, 10,11, 24, 25). 

There is also the prophetic word which reminds us of the great whore [church] who sits on many waters [nations] with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication [intimate political relation], and intoxicated [deceived] the inhabitants of the earth with the wine of her fornication.

Since it is predicted that the many and not the few that will be deceived, the thought provoking question is, “Are you among the many that are deceived?” The deception will be so intense and widespread, if it would have been possible, even the very elect would have been deceived.

So then, what assurance can one have to ascertain that he/she is not deceived! For example. with this Corona virus pandemic who should receive the highest level of love and affection! Is it first and foremost our neighbor by getting vaccinated, or is it first and foremost to God our Creator by having faith in the power of God and not in the wisdom of men, and ourselves by not  defiling the temple of the Holy Spirit and then extend love to our neighbor?

First of all a deceived person does not know that he is deceived. He is one who has been misled, or made to believe as true something that is false. A deceived person is sincere, but is sincerely wrong. One makes himself/herself vulnerable to spiritual deception when he/she begins to diverge from the faith which was once and for all delivered to the saints. And this was prophesied to happen long ago.

Jude a servant of Jesus Christ wrote saying, “Beloved, being very eager to write to you of our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For admission has been secretly gained by some who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly persons who pervert the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4).

Ungodly persons have perverted the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ by placing the wisdom of men over the power of God, by placing love towards our neighbor above the love of God and by showing more respect to the defiled corrupt human body than the natural undefiled human body. What a deception!

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph