DECEPTION
As Margaret and I were driving on Friday heading towards the coast for a well needed holiday, our conversation turned to talk about some ministries and even friends and acquaintances who had got into some area of error in their lives. I began to think about this and asked the question:
What are the reasons a Christian falls into error?
- Our heart can deceive us Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? NKJV
- We can be deceived by the teachings of false teachers.
- We can be deceived by the “the great deceiver” Satan himself.
How can we safeguard ourselves from error?
- By having a love for the truth
(a) Being Biblically literate
(b) Learning to rightly divide the Word of Truth
(c) Comparing Scripture with Scripture
(d) Not taking Scripture out of context
(e) Spending quality time daily in the Word of God
(f) Learn how to meditate on the Word of God
- Not being gullible when you hear new teaching but, learn to “Search the Scriptures” But we must have a hunger for truth, and letting the Holy Spirit lead us into all truth
- Have Mentors you trust who you let speak into your life, ever remember, “there is wisdom in a multitude of counsellors Prov.11:14
- Learning to walk in the Spirit, keeping short accounts with God and man, and spending quality time with the Lord every day.
We are living in exciting but also difficult days, the Lord’s return for His Church is ever closer, much of the Church is either becoming complacent, or caught up with many secondary matters, and there is a flood of extreme teaching bursting on the Church, and gullible Believers are embracing these teachings and nearly shipwrecking their lives and sadly blaming God and the Church when these teaching don’t work out as promised.
As Believers we need to be cautious when we hear new teaching, but NOT closed minded as God is still restoring truth to His Church (IT IS ALREADY THERE IN THE WORD). The Apostle Peter challenges us to be established in present truth (what God is saying to us (from His Word) today.
If we are very honest we will concede and agree with the Prophet Jeremiah that our hearts have or can deceive us, and we need to take seriously Solomon’s words, that we need to “guard our heart”.
The evil one knows the Bible much better than we do, his deceptions have spawned many False cults, and deceived many Ministries and believers by taking truths to extreme, it has been said that “heresy is 90% truth and 10% error” so as there is much truth in the teaching we can let ourselves be blinded by the error. You would never be tempted to rob a bank (and justify it) sadly some may justify other sins in these days of compromise, that is why we must develop a love for the truth. James tells us “We have not because we ask not”, let me recommend from today you pray:
LORD INCREASE MY HUNGER AND LOVE FOR YOUR WORD?
Some of my readers may think this is a very negative blog today, may you see it as a word of warning not to get fearful, but do everything to walk in truth.
I would really appreciate your comments and response to this simple blog please ?
