The Art of Deception

Chuckle: "The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and complications from repeated pokes in the belly.  He was 74."

 

Quote: “All deception in the course of life is indeed nothing else but a lie reduced to practice, and falsehood passing from words into things.” --Robert South

 

THE ART OF DECEPTION

 

    "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles (evil powers) of this world rather than on Christ"  (Colossians 2:8 NIV).

 

Make no mistake, the father of all deception is Satan himself.  To deceive is to "make someone believe what is not true; fool or trick; mislead; or defraud."  We all need to understand that deception is the opposite of that which is true.  There is so much deception in our society today that it is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish real from fake, true from false, trustworthy from unreliable.  Many political ads are classic deceptions as half-truths, innuendos, distortions, and outright lies are used to deceive the public about political opponents.

 

Those most susceptible to spiritual deception are not well founded in the truths in God's Word.  If we know what we believe and why we believe it, we are much less likely to be deceived.  Is your Christian faith based on the fact that you were raised by Christian parents or is it based on your own study of the Bible and your personal commitment of your life to Jesus Christ?  If you don't have a firm basis for your faith, you can become prey for the occult and false religions of all kinds.  We see all sorts of "religious sects" with just enough truth in their teachings to appear genuine.

 

Young people who are trying to find answers to life's questions are particularly susceptible to being deceived.  Many are intrigued by the "far out" and most bizarre.  Many cults use clever seduction techniques for luring young people into strange and mystical rituals.  Also, many young people have little or no foundation of truth with which to compare what they are reading and hearing.  That's why it's so important for Christian parents to teach their children and grandchildren the truths of God's Word to help them defend against being deceived.

 

False teachers can also be found in the church, as Paul witnessed in the church at Corinth. "False apostles, deceitful workers, (transform) themselves into apostles of Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:13 NKJV).  Scripture predicts this kind of apostasy will continue to grow until Christ returns.  So. how can we prepare ourselves and our children to avoid being deceived spiritually, politically, or morally?

    1. Be a serious student of God's Word.  Study, meditate, and pray.  2. Know what you believe concerning your faith and why you believe it.  3. Practice your faith by keeping your own life pure and uncompromising.  4. Become knowledgeable of the political issues as you prepare to vote when elections are held.  5. Study the records and listen carefully to the words of the candidates.  For some help, go to http://www.Christianvoterguide.com and click on your state.

 

Love, Jerry & Dotse