HAVE YOU BEEN DECEIVED?
Permit me to 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).
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. Therefore, what assurance can one have to ascertain that he/she is not deceived!
First of all, a deceived person does not know that he/she is deceived. A deceived person 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 not honoring him with an acceptable offering on the days He has ordained to be honored as Lord. For thus says the Lord, “You shall observe My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord (Leviticus 19:30; 26:2).
It is the duty of a son to honor his father, and the duty of a servant, to honor his master. The Lord therefore said, “If then I am a Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My fear?
The Sabbaths therefore were ordained for man to come before the Father and Master, with the acceptable gift to honor Him as Lord and for this reason Jesus said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath; so the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Jesus Christ being Lord or Master of the Sabbath signifies that we as sons and servants must honor Him on that day, which was ordained for that purpose.
The antidote for deception is to abide in the truth, and do not diverge from the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. We have been admonished saying, “See that what you have heard from the beginning remains in you. If it does, you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. And this is what He promised us – even eternal life” (1John 2:24-25).
The reason for the apostle John giving this admonition was to avoid deception. He said, “I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you.” What we have heard from the beginning; and allowed to abide in us so as not to be deceived is the old commandment.
The Apostle John wrote; “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. This old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning” (1John .2:7).
According to the Apostle John, the word which was heard from the beginning was, “That which was from the beginning which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ‘The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1John. 1:1-3).
The old commandment or the Word which have been heard from the beginning became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
When He came to the world He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot will pass from the law until all is accomplished”.
He further gave a serious warning and said, “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19).
Pause and consider thoroughly, in all of the old commandments written by the Word which was from the beginning, which one of them that has been violated with impunity? The one which has been violated with impunity and held in contempt; is the one the Lord specifically reminded us to keep saying; " Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" and which was ordained, to honor and reverence Him as Lord.
The first great commandment which is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind is fulfilled by practicing the first four of the Ten commandments which constitutes the act of true spiritual worship.
And the second great commandment which is to love our neighbor as ourselves is fulfilled by practicing the last six of the Ten Commandments and being demonstrated by using our different gifts, talents and abilities for the benefit of others.
The main reason why the original apostles proclaimed to us what they have seen and heard, concerning the Word, is for us to have fellowship or communion with them, it is for us to consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as we see the day drawing near.
If you have been taught otherwise, and have been practicing anything contrary to the word which was heard from the beginning, you have strayed away from the faith, and have unfortunately been deceived.
Whosoever does not listen to Moses and the prophets, will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead, because they testify of the Word which was from the beginning. It is up to us to judge ourselves. If we judged ourselves truly, we should not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are chastened so that we may not be condemned along with the world. For the crux of the matter is, the Lord’s Sabbath/s are holy both to the Lord and to His people and that is the way one demonstrates his/her love, respect, gratitude and adoration to the Lord for what He did for humanity on that particular occasion.
And the sure way of knowing that we are not deceived is by adhering to the instructions which state; " Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him" ( 1 John 2:3-5).
Avoid being one of those who are under the huge cloud of deception by which Satan has deceived the whole world.
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