Are You Being Deceived?

“For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen Ones. See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.” (Matthew 24:24-25 NLT)

Deception isn’t just for the last days. Satan has been deceiving people since the Garden of Eden.

In John 14:12, the verse we looked at in yesterday’s post, notice Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in ME, will do the same works I have done.” It’s not enough to believe in His Name. What are the implications?

Think about the works Jesus did while here on earth. He healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, walked on water, commanded the winds and waves to be still, turned water into wine, and many others. But remember what He said in John 5:19: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

What’s my point? We only have access to the Father through the Son. Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” Yesterday we noted that there were those who performed miracles through the power of Jesus’ Name, but they had no relationship with Jesus, and, thus, no relationship with the Father.

Jesus gives us insight into how we can know we have eternal life in John 10:27: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.” May I ask you, wherein lies your faith in your eternal life? In a verse, or in the verse’s Author? How will you know the difference? Are you listening to His voice?

“But don’t we listen to His voice as He speaks to us through His written Word?” Absolutely, as long as you’re reading His Word and not simply listening to it through the lips of someone else. What God’s Spirit says through His Word as you’re reading or listening to it being read can be quite different than listening to someone else’s understanding and interpretation of His Word.

The people were badgering Jesus to tell them plainly that He was indeed the Messiah, and He said to them: “I have already told you, and you don’t believe Me. The proof is the work I do in My Father’s name. But you don’t believe Me because you are not My sheep.” (John 10:25-26) What’s He saying to them? “You aren’t hearing Me because you’re not of My flock!”

If we are Jesus’ sheep, we’ll hear His voice, not only as He speaks through His written Word, but as His Holy Spirit speaks in His still small voice, directing us day be day in the way we should walk. But please note, the Holy Spirit will NEVER tell us something that is contrary to God’s written Word.

The “proof” that we’re God’s child is found in Roman’s 8:16 when Paul writes: “For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” What does that look like? It’s more than an emotion, it’s a deep spiritual conviction that apart from Jesus we are nothing and apart from Him we can do nothing.

It’s a oneness of spirit that confirms that we don’t want anything other than what God desires for us. Our contentment isn’t from anything material – anything that is of this world – but is solely derived from knowing our sins are forgiven and our eternal home is in heaven with the Owner and Keeper of our heart and life. It isn’t in our theology, as important as that is, but in our confidence that Jesus is exactly who He claimed to be. Our eternal destiny doesn’t hinge on right thinking alone, but on right believing.

Jesus will never play games with us. He’ll never say one thing and do another. He’ll never deceive us into believing a lie. He IS the embodiment of all Truth! He IS the Life of the Father! He IS the only Way to heaven!

Please don’t be deceived by Satan’s lies!

Blessings, Ed 😊