Deception

N

newktguy

New Member
What does the Bible say about deception? And preventing yourself from being deceived? Being deceived is one of my biggest fears and I am always skeptical about what I read and I always take it in with an open mind, especially on the internet.(I don't even like to read an online Bible on my phone)

The reason I bring this up is because you always hear books about people going to heaven and hell like Mary Baxter and her Divine Revelation series and then you have that book about that boy, "Heaven is for real" and it just makes me wonder. Out of all these books about Hell, are they all described in the same way? And what about Heaven? And if all accounts are different and they contradict each other, doesn't that mean they are false? My younger brother who is very close to God seems to believe everything he sees and he doesn't question it and I just see that as dangerous behavior because the bible says there WILL be deceivers, just like Harold Camping.

The bible said deceivers will come in sheep's clothing and that's why I'm always reluctant to believe everything I see/read and I constantly ask God to guide me in the right direction...... especially on the internet where anyone can write up anything they want.
 
Last edited:
I am so glad that you asked this question, because I feel that it is actually a question on the minds of many, but no-one wanted to be the first to ask it.

Let me tell you this... I am actually quite cautious regarding when someone claims to have a vision of Heaven or Hell. If you have read my post in the topic about the girl who died already, then you know exactly why... because in a lot of ways the little details about Heaven and Hell really do not matter... put simply, if God wanted us to know the lengthy details of the operations of Heaven or Hell, He would've put it in His Book. Quite honestly I ignore a lot of people who claim to have seen visions like that, because a lot of them simply exalt themselves instead of exalting Jesus.

Now regarding deceivers, I am going to give you a simple but very true answer with two main points:

Firstly, The Bible says that if anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it. (James 1:5)

You will never find the wisdom of God in books; God is the author of wisdom, and it is Him that we should always go to first when we want to know something.

This helps for this reason... we can not be deceived if we are certain of what we know.

Secondly regarding deceptive teachers, you are correct, there are many false teachers out there... yet the good news is that it is fairly simple to detect them.

"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world."
(1st John 4:1-3)

Basically what this means is this: The enemy will always attack Jesus, and His redemptive work.

There are churches out there that sound entirely right in every area, but they deny that Jesus is God, and therefore nullify His saving work.

If the church is condemning you then they are false, if they make you always feel guilty and look at your sins then they are false, because all of these things ignore the redemptive work of Jesus.

Basically if the church points to man instead of to Jesus they are false.
It's about Jesus, not us!

Remember that we all have been charged by Jesus to go into all the world and preach the Gospel (the "Good News").

Good news of what? Good news that our sins are forgiven and our debt is cancelled. That He (Jesus) completed His work and that we are saved by Grace and not by works, and that we have defeated the enemy through the authority and salvation of Jesus Christ.

If the message tears you down instead of builds you up in Christ, it is false.

Paul in Acs 20:24 writes that above all he was honored to preach the "Gospel of GRACE" .

I'll stop now before I write a wall of text, but if you have any other questions, please ask.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top