Avoiding Deception

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many." -Matthew 24:4-5 When one is deceived it means they have believed a lie so much so that it now seems as truth. This is what one of Satan's many schemes. He prowls around like a lion deceiving the nations waiting to devour who he can (1 Peter 5:8). Deception can happen to anyone to who is not full of truth. People who are unwise, and have no knowledge. We attack deception with the truth of God's Word. I have been reminded in many ways how closely our world today matches with Israel in the major and minor prophets books. Hosea writes in chapter 4:1-6 these words:

Hear the word of the Lord, O people of Israel! The Lord has brought charges against you, saying: “There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land. 2 You make vows and break them; you kill and steal and commit adultery. There is violence everywhere— one murder after another. 3 That is why your land is in mourning, and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing. 4 “Don’t point your finger at someone else and try to pass the blame! My complaint, you priests, is with you.[a] 5 So you will stumble in broad daylight, and your false prophets will fall with you in the night. And I will destroy Israel, your mother. 6 My people are being destroyed because they don’t know me. Since you priests refuse to know me, I refuse to recognize you as my priests. Since you have forgotten the laws of your God, I will forget to bless your children.

The Israelites traded the truth for a lie...they were deceived! There was a lack of correct teaching, and a lack of good theology, they were giving into every wind of doctrine. So there was no spiritual growth, there was no standard or foundation to stand on. The priests were not preaching right, this is what a great deception looks like. So how do we become more knowledgeable so we may have wisdom in the face of deception that is so wide spread throughout our country? Isaiah 5:20-21 says: "What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever." We must have a plan (Proverbs 20:18, 24:5-6) Lack of planning is folly. There has to be some kind of goal, and adjusting later on is okay. Here is the big question: What is your plan for spiritual growth? Growth is not an automatic process, it is intentional. The only thing that is really automatic to life is death. You're born, you will die. Everything else will require work, planning, and pain. It is a gradual growth, and it begins with consistency. Daily being in the Word of God, intentionally setting time aside to be with the Lord. Growing is daily, not spastic. It must be simple, attainable things. Focus on growing in areas where you have been gifted and are strong in. For me it's writing, music, and reading. This is all application to life. Next is developing an awareness of who you are, and who God is, especially to who God is. What you know and think about God decides how you live your life. This is why we must posses good theology, lack there of leads to destruction as we saw in Hosea. Lastly, reflection. This is taking the things we experience and evaluating, meditating, thinking, reflecting on what there is to learn. What happened that was good? What happened that was bad? Then taking these findings and applying them to life. Wisdom in an intentional thing, you choose whether you will be foolish, or if you will live your life purposefully. Will you live in deception or truth? Will you live in bondage or freedom? Jesus said in John 8:32 "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free." When we live in that truth and in that knowledge, and when we begin to apply it, and pursue God's wisdom we can do what Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:2, "You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others."