Scripture of The Day
March 11 ,2021
And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. (Matthew 24:4)
By Ed Henderson
We live in a time of great deception. The Bible tells us that it will be that way more and more in the end-times. A definition of being deceived is to be misled by false appearances or false statements or to be misled or falsely persuaded by others or by our own self. Someone who is deceived has accepted “as true or valid what is false or invalid” and that may come through a witting or unwitting
source. Some of the most deceptive teachings come from sources that sincerely believe what they are teaching but they are sincerely wrong. Their teaching may even be a half-truth but a half-truth is a whole lie which is even more deceptive.
The good news is that we can take heed that no man deceive us. That means we can do something about it. We do not have to be deceived, but there are several truths we must recognize.
We are all susceptible to deception – For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. (Titus 3:3) For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. (Galatians 6:3) But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. (James 1:22)
We have a personal responsibility – Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. (Ephesians 5:6) That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: (Ephesians 4:14-15) Did you hear that? Let no man deceive you! That means NO man, including your Pastor, Sunday school teacher, TV evangelist, or any other man or woman. The Bible warns against deceptive teachers (2 Thess. 2:3, 10). Paul, in his graphic warning to the Corinthians, says: “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works” (2 Cor. 11:13-15).
The apostles invited scrutiny to guard against deception. Paul commended the Bereans who “were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). Herein is the solution to avoiding deception – Seek the truth, love the truth, obey the truth, abide in the truth. “If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:31-32). Follow the practices of the Bereans and search the scriptures daily to find out for yourselves what the truth is. We have that responsibility and we cannot delegate that responsibility to someone else. We will not get a pass for being lazy and not checking out things for ourselves. Be a Berean and be not deceived!!!
