Introduction:
So far in our study, we have looked at how we can be deceived. We can personally be deceived by gaining too much wisdom of this world that we discount the Word of God as irrelevant and unimportant. We also can experience deception by hearing the Word preached to us and then doing nothing with it.
Make no mistake about it: choosing to guard against being deceived is not something we should take lightly. Especially since the Bible warns us in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 (NKJV) 3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.
This Scripture certainly puts us on notice that in the end times there will be a great falling away from the Church of Jesus Christ because there will be a great deception that will blanket this earth.
We especially need to take notice since the deception of the end time will be far worse than anything that we have experienced to this point. And, in fact, if we take an honest look at the things that are happening in the world right now, we might consider the possibility that we are indeed entering the into worse phase of deception.
Let me tell you what the Bible says about it, and you determine for yourself if we are entering that worse phase of deception. If you have your Bibles turn with me to the Old Testament to the Book of Isaiah 5:20.
Scripture:
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV) 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Point #1
It is one thing to sin, we all sin, but it is a whole different level to call sin good. That my friend is deception at a much higher level.
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV) 20 Woe to those who call evil good...
I believe that with each sin that we commit, there is a level of deception that we surrender to that opens the door for that sin. James puts it this way in his Epistle "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed." And in that "evil desire" that James refers to, we will find the deception that tells us it is all right to sin. It won't hurt anything. In the case of Eve, the deception was to be like God she and Adam must eat of the tree of good and evil. In the case of David, the deception was that no one will find out his sin with Bathsheba. I am the King of Israel; I certainly may make this sin go away.
After Adam's and Eve's sin, the Bible records that Adam and Eve hid from God as He was looking for them in the Garden. After David's sin with Bathsheba, David did everything he could do to try to hide his sin certainly from her husband and for that matter from all of Israel.
We can understand those responses of Adam and Eve and King Davd because after we sin, we feel guilt and shame, and we don't want the everyone to know what we have done. We want to keep it between God and myself. Let me do an experiment to see if that is true or not. Will anyone stand up and tell the congregation the worse sin you ever committed? I didn't think so.
But as we approach the end time, deception goes to a whole new level. It is not only going to tell you that it is all right to sin, but also it is going to tell you there is nothing wrong with that sin. The deception is going to replace the feeling of shame and remorse with an attitude that says it is a good thing I did after all everyone is doing it. I see nothing wrong with it. I can do what I want if I am not hurting someone else.
Think about it? Hasn't the world in the last few years started calling good what the Bible has said is evil, sinful? Didn't our country just openly celebrate gay pride last month? Things would pop up on my computer like "Microsoft supports gay pride month" and the news broadcast certainly highlighted gay pride month". Hasn't our country started calling good what God has called evil?
But that is certainly not the only thing. My Bible tells me in Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV) 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. You turn on the television and you seldom get through an entire show where they have not used some profanity or outright cursed God. Those shows are sending a message: it is good to have corrupt words come out of your mouth although the Bible calls it evil. Not only are they trying to deal us that it is good, they also are trying to tell us it is funny.
And listen Christian, that worse level of deception will catch you if you are not careful.
Point #2
It is one thing to sin in private, but it is a whole new level of deception when it is acceptable to bring your sin out in the public's eye for everyone to witness.
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV) 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness.
The Bible warns us of some of the signs of the last days. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 (NKJV) 1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!
Let's take for example "without self-control" and see if that has gone public. Over the fourth of July weekend, did you know that 140 people were murdered nationwide over that holiday weekend. Did you see this week in the local news where there was a brawl at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Flowood and people were attacking one another in the restaurant? How many times have you been to a restaurant and seen a brawl? For me, none! Did you know that thirty (30) police officers have been shot and killed this year; and in addition, there has been thirteen (13) vehicular assaults on officers resulting in death.
In days past, you might have lacked self-control, but you tried to rein it in in public places, today people's lack of self- control is out in the light. You might not have exhibited self-control in your home, but you tried to exercise restraint in public. Today, the restraint has been lifted. Lack of self-control is seen in the light.
Isn't the lack of self-control just like the Bible said: out in the open? And you can look at some of those other characteristics of the end time and they are out in the open also.
Point #3
It is one thing not to follow the Word of God in your own life, but it a whole new level of deception when you start telling others that the Bible is a bitter pill to swallow and got to be removed from society.
Isaiah 5:20 (NKJV) 20 Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
In Isaiah's Scripture the sweet thing that he is referring to is the Word of God.
Psalm 19:8-10 (NKJV) 8 The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; 9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.
We profess to be a Christian nation, but prayer has been out of our schools since 1962 and the Bible exited the schools in 1963. And why? because someone said it was a bitter pill for them to swallow listening to Christian prayers and hearing readings from the Bible. They reasoned that they should not have to put up with the desire of the majority if it offends them. Better for the majority to suffer than the minority to suffer. And that is exactly the outcome because unbelievers were outspoken, and Christians were silent.
And those same unbelieving people believe that the world is in a better place today because prayer and Bible reading was taken from school. And we as Christians look at the world today and say to ourselves those people are super deceived.
The problem is we are just at the beginning stages of seeing the deception worsening.
Conclusion
God has a one-word warning to us: "woe". Don't do it. Don't get caught up in the great deception. Avoid it at all costs.
