Don’t Be Deceived: Part 1

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him for the signs of the end of this age of man’s rule over the earth and the coming of Jesus’ rule as King of kings and Lord of lords, His response started with, “be careful that you aren’t deceived” (Matthew 24:3,4 paraphrase).

While deception existed in the 1st century after Christ, and heretical “Christian” sects began popping up almost immediately, there is no denying that the ability to expose others to deception has become faster and easier than ever.

Just think for a moment about how the flow of information world-wide has expanded in the last 40 years, for better or for worse. Social media apps and video sites like YouTube have allowed an exponential increase in platforms from which people can thrust truth, lies, or a combination of the two, into our daily lives. Did the All-Knowing Son of God have the internet in mind when He gave us the warning about deception almost 2,000 years before its inception?

The thought of being deceived is a scary thought to me, because I wouldn’t know! A deceived man does not know he is deceived. You and I could be deceived right now and not know it. I hope we aren’t too deceived to recognize that we could be deceived.

Being deceived means believing a lie to be the truth. A silly example would be the deception of Santa Claus which is taught to many young children. Parents “pretend” there is a bearded man who comes down the chimney on Christmas Eve and leaves presents under the tree. Children are fully convinced it is true when the person they trust most in the world tells them this story. Media reinforces the idea with movies, news stories, and advertisements.

Right or wrong – not the point – it is a deception. Praise the Lord that we can be led out of deception and into truth! I could testify to several instances in my life where I was led out of deception. One such instance occurred on a car ride home in fourth grade when, prompted by a discussion with my classmates earlier that day, I asked my parents if Santa Claus was real. Another was the day – at 25 years old – when I realized Jesus is real!

Here’s another fearful truth about deception. The Bible says that God will send a strong delusion on people who do not love the truth and who instead love unrighteousness, which will cause them to believe the lie and be condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

The good news is we don’t have to be highly educated or even smart to identify deception and reject the lies that bombard us daily. All we need is love for Jesus and a Biblical paradigm, which is like wearing a pair of glasses that filter the information coming into our brains. When we view the world through a Biblical paradigm, we are able to sift the information to find the truthful components and dismiss the lies.

I’m reminded of those “mining” attractions that my children always want to do in tourist towns. You buy a bag of dirt, go to the running water with your wood-frame dirt sifter, and pour the bag of dirt into it. As the water runs through the dirt in the sifter, and you move the sifter back and forth, the dirt washes away in the running water, and there remains the amethysts, crystals, fools gold, and other assorted gemstones, which proceed to live in a small plastic bag in my children’s bedrooms, for the rest of my life. The water washing away the dirt makes me think of Ephesians 5:26, where Jesus sanctifies and cleanses His bride (the Church) by “the washing of water by the Word.” When we view all incoming information through the lens of His Word, we can eat the meat and spit out the bones. We can strain out the camel and the gnat too (Matthew 23:24)

How do we get a Biblical paradigm? By reading and studying the Bible, with the help of the Holy Spirit, and choosing to believe every word is true. We must immerse ourselves in God’s Word and meditate on it like King David did. Put Scriptures on post-it notes and stick them where you will see them often. Choose a plan that helps you read through the Bible in a year. If you read one chapter of the Bible a day, you will read through it several times over a lifetime. Then share what we are learning in God’s Word with friends or family, verbally or in writing. I learn much more when I turn around and share something I’m learning with someone else.