THE DANGERS OF DECEPTION (part two)
Last week, we saw how deception originated with Satan. Satan used deception with Eve and he hasn't changed his MO since. He is still trying to draw us away from Christ by using lies and deceptions. Being deceived hurts. It especially hurts when it's done by someone we trust. And it also hurts when someone minimizes it and says they were only joking.
And we saw how deception causes a lot of problems. We looked at the story of Jacob and how he deceived, how he got deceived and how it helped his wife Rachel to be willing to deceive. And all of it caused problems. What a tangled web we weave when our desire is to deceive.
Today, we'll look at some of the things we can be deceived by. What can we be deceived by?
1) Wealth.
Job 15:27-31, “Though his face is covered with fat and his waist bulges with flesh, [an indicator of prosperity] he will inhabit ruined towns and houses where no one lives, houses crumbling to rubble. He will no longer be rich and his wealth will not endure, nor will his possessions spread over the land. He will not escape the darkness; a flame will wither his shoots, and the breath of God’s mouth will carry him away. Let him not deceive himself by trusting what is worthless, for he will get nothing in return."
The worthless things would include wealth, power, pleasure; things like that. These things have plenty of worldly worth but not spiritual worth. One could be deceived into thinking as long as I have these things I have everything I need when in reality, if you don't have salvation it's all worthless.
Jesus talked about the need to build up treasures in heaven, not treasures on earth for the treasures of earth are temporary and can bring problems where the treasures of heaven are eternal and bring joy and fulfillment. The deceitfulness of wealth will choke the effects of the word in us.
When Jesus explained the parable of the sower to his disciples he said this in Matt. 13:22, "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful."
Part of the deceitfulness of wealth is that I think it won't be a hindrance to my spiritual life. I think it won't get in the way of me being able to be effective for Christ. If my focus is on obtaining wealth then my focus will not be on the things of Christ.
There can be many worries of this life when you have wealth. You're worried if the stock market will crash, you're worried about what you have getting stolen or broken, you're worried about making sure you keep what you have and accumulate more. These worries and obsessions take precedence over the word choke it and deprive it of oxygen. Then the word doesn't grow and bear fruit; it eventually starves and dies out.
1st Tim. 6:9-10, "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."
If my focus is money I will fall into traps. I will fall into the traps of greed and dishonesty. I will involve myself in foolish things to get more money or to spend the money I have on foolish pleasures. If I love money I set myself up for all sorts of evil. Money itself is not evil; it's the love of it that's evil.
And I see that if I am eager for money ie: fanatical about money, I can be deceived to the point that I am led astray from my faith. If that happens I open myself up to becoming one sorry individual.
Verse 17, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment."
To clarify-in using terms like wealth and rich it doesn't just pertain to those we might deem as wealthy or rich; it can apply to anyone who loves money or puts their hope in it. Yes, the rich will most likely be the ones who fall into this trap but it's not exclusively them; it can happen to any of us. Nor does this mean that just because you're rich you will fall into this trap. You can be wealthy and not love money.
But we can't think that we're excluded from being deceived by wealth just because we don't have a ton of money. And what exactly constitutes being rich? You might not call yourself rich, but to someone who has less than you do you might be.
We see that one of the deceits of wealth is I can put my hope in it. I can be deceived into thinking it can solve all my problems; it's all I need to be happy, safe and secure. But if I think this way I'm deceived. The only sure thing is God. The only hope I have is God.
And it's not money that gives me everything for my enjoyment; it's God. Now God might use money to bring that about but my hope and trust is not in the money; it's in God. My pursuit isn't money; it's God. My treasures aren't here; they're in heaven. We can be deceived by wealth.
2) False prophets.
Matt. 24:1-13, "Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
Lots of people have been persuaded by people claiming to be a prophet or Jesus. Charles Manson told his followers he was Jesus. David Koresh did the same thing. All these cult leaders convince their followers that he is their savior.
You might be thinking, well, these people aren't believers so a true believer would never fall for this stuff. But look what happens with those on TV. Granted, they might not claim to be Jesus but how many 'false teachers' do we see on TV convincing millions to send their money in so they can get this magical prayer towel or specially blessed holy water?
How many fake healers are out there deceiving people? How many preachers are spreading the health, wealth and prosperity gospel? How many are preaching nothing but 'feel good' messages, where they don't ever mention anything about sin and its consequences? We have to watch out for these types of deceivers too.
Rom. 16:17-18, "I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people."
Smooth talk and flattery. Tools of deception. Selfish ambition; serving themselves. These types of deceivers will coerce and manipulate to get you to think you are serving a worthy cause but in actuality you are serving them. We have to be committed to growing in our faith and knowing the word so we can recognize when it's not being taught correctly.
The bible says it's important to test the spirits to see if they are from God. If we don't, we may fall into the trap of being led away from the faith. 1st Tim. 4:1, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons."
Some Christians will be deceived to the point of abandoning their faith and follow these deceptions and lies instead. It goes with what Jesus said earlier, "Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved."
What are the 'things taught by demons'? One of the things would be fine sounding arguments. Paul was concerned for the church in Colosse and Laodicea. Col. 2:1-4, "I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments."
What constitutes fine sounding arguments? Usually something that's intelligent, logical, reasonable, plausible but yet contrary to biblical truth. It might even have an element of truth to it yet not be completely true-hence the deceptiveness of it. Like certain arguments from science and astronomy that reject the theory of God creating everything. People like Stephen Hawking can sound pretty convincing and he can even be right about the things that fit into the category of astrophysics but he's wrong about his views on God.
Or take the arguments regarding religion and philosophy. People of other faiths can present a very good argument when it comes to trying to discredit Christianity. And, unfortunately, as some have been persuaded to convert from another religion to Christianity, there are those who have abandoned the faith and chased after falsehood.
"A weaver crafted an "antique" tapestry which was done so skillfully that even the experts thought it to be genuine. The tapestry sold for a record price. However, the secret finally came out when the weaver's assistant revealed how it was done. Using special threads, the tapestry was worn away by being dragged behind a car, it was given a musty odor by exposing it to tobacco smoke, it was faded using ultra-violet light and even deftly ingrained with centuries-old dust collected from the crumbling rafters of an abandoned church."
Some people go to great lengths to create a fake. People are no different when the created fake is themselves. So we need to be able to spot the fake. How? Through our knowledge of the word. And through examining their fruit. Jesus said we will know them by their fruit. If they are posers they will eventually be exposed because we will recognize their fruit as being bad. Their deeds will not ring true. Their promises will not be kept; their lies will be revealed.
When I fake things like righteousness, peace and joy eventually I'm not going to be able to carry on the facade. My charm will dissipate and be replaced with my true colors. And there comes a point in all this where the person deceives himself.
Nathaniel Hawthorn said, "No man can for any considerable time wear one face to himself and another to the multitude without finally getting bewildered as to which is the true one". In carrying on the facade I lose myself to where I'm not sure who I really am anymore. Deception is dangerous
3) Pride.
Gal 6:3, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." That's pretty self-explanatory. If I think I'm the greatest thing since sliced bread but in reality all I am is moldy bread; I have a problem. If I really am something I won't think it; I'll just be it.
One of the ways in which we are deceived by pride is when we are deceived by our own intelligence. 1st Cor. 3:18-20, "Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a “fool” so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.”
Sometimes we think we're pretty smart. But intelligence does not equal wisdom; at least not spiritual wisdom. Later in chapter eight Paul says that knowledge puffs up. I can get a swelled head because of all the knowledge I have. But if I reject spiritual wisdom I'm actually a fool.
Paul says I should become as a fool, which means I should become humble and teachable, as if I actually don't know anything (which in one sense is true). So that I may have my eyes opened to true wisdom and seek it. Not that knowledge isn't important but if I don't have spiritual wisdom to go along with it I haven't really gained anything.
Speaking of thinking much of yourself and catching the wise in their craftiness: 'A newly promoted Colonel had moved into a makeshift office during the Gulf War. As he was getting unpacked, he noticed a private coming his way with a toolbox. Wanting to look important, he grabbed the phone and stated speaking, "Yes, General Schwarzkopf, I think that's an excellent plan. You've got my support on it. Thanks for checking with me. Let's talk again soon, okay Norm? Bye, now."
Looking proud, he said, "Now, what can I do for you there, Private?" "I'm just here to hook up your phone." As futile as this charade was for the colonel, so it is for worldly wisdom. I am deceived into thinking knowledge and intelligence is all I need. Because of pride I am showing myself to be a fool.
4) Sin.
Gal 6:7-8, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life."
Paul Harvey once described how an Eskimo kills a wolf. He first coats his knife with animal blood then allows it to freeze. He later adds another layer of blood and lets it freeze. This process is repeated until the knife is completely concealed by the frozen blood. The Arctic hunter then fixes his knife to the ground with the blade facing up.
The unsuspecting wolf senses the blood and begins to lick the frozen blood. His appetite for more blood increases with each lick. He begins to lick more vigorously and unknowingly starts slicing his own tongue on the razor sharp knife. But the wolf doesn't stop! He continues to satisfy his thirst for blood with his own warm blood. His perpetual desire will not be satisfied until he is overtaken by death.
This wolf would be deceived and not aware of what he's doing to himself. That's how sin can be for us. We are drawn to the "blood" and we can't see the blade underneath the blood. Next thing you know we're lappin' away and we become enthralled to the point of not recognizing what's happening to us. And if we don't come to our senses before it's too late we are in deep trouble. Sin is packaged in an attractive manner but always contains the blade of destruction.
Heb 3:12-14, "See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first."
I believe this passage counters some misconceptions we can have when it comes to sin. The misconception that once I became a Christian I couldn't have a sinful, unbelieving heart again. The misconception that once I have a relationship with God that I wouldn't ever turn away from him. The misconception that my heart would never become hard again.
But to realize that all these things could happen to a genuine Christian is eye-opening. Sin is deceitful. It convinces me that it's no big deal. I'm saved now, I don't have to be concerned about my sin now; it's all been forgiven. It is a big deal. If I allow sin to enter in it will grow and do more and more damage like a flesh-devouring bacteria. The more sin I let in the more I become desensitized to it. The more desensitized I become the harder my heart will become.
Things start to change in my life. I drift away from the church. I drift away from prayer and bible study. I pull closer to old behaviors. Ever so subtly I become what I once was. Part of the deception is that I think something like that could never happen to me. I think that the excited feeling I have now will always be there. We don't see how a genuine Christian could ever want to go back to their old life. And yes, it is foolish, but it happens.
It's not a snap decision; it's a long, drawn out process. Little by little, bit by bit, unbeknownst to me, it's happening. We're told that we share in Christ IF we hold firmly TO THE END the confidence we had at first. My salvation and perseverance are not a foregone conclusion. We need to take sin seriously.
That's why the writer urges us to encourage one another. That's what I'm doing now; encouraging you to first recognize the possibility of this happening to you and secondly, urging you to speak into another Christian's life who you might think is in danger. We can't be like, "I know they're backsliding right now but God will get a hold of them and they'll get back on track." Not necessarily. Otherwise you wouldn't find warning passages like this one.
Sin creates apathy. Apathy creates distance. Distance creates separation. Separation creates death. Sin is dangerous. We won't be hardened by sin's deceitfulness if we understand that we can be.
Pride, sin and deceptive people are dangerous. Pride convinces us that we're good. Sin convinces us that it's no big deal. We have to be aware of people, even supposedly religious people, deceiving us.
We need to be committed to growing in the faith. We need to stay connected to God through his word and prayer. We need to stay connected to each other and allow ourselves to be held accountable and receive input from the people who love us.
