“But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”
–2Timothy 3:13
WHY WRITE ABOUT DECEPTION WHEN THE DECEIVED OFTEN APPEAR HOPELESSLY SO?
The end times are a time of OVERWHELMING deception–and nowhere is that deception more heavily layered and ubiquitous than in the United States of America.
The Many Layers of End Times Deception: Deception in the Church
During a recent discussion, a few questions on the topic of deception were posed.
1- How can one fight against spiritual deception?
The only biblical way to fight is through constant prayer to a merciful God.
MORE: SPIRITUAL WARFARE: The Explosive Power of the Believer’s Prayers
Men will disagree. But then, men usually disagree with the Bible.
How many times has the reader heard “IF ONLY I could talk to so-and-so, I could change his/her mind“?
No amount of logic, reasoning, evidence, proof, compassion, encounters, empathy or useless words can break a person out of spiritual deception.
2- If only God can awaken a spiritually deceived person, why write about deception? The deceived will disbelieve and ignore what you write. Why warn of deception? The deceived will not hear.
One never knows what God will use to awaken someone who one feels has been hopelessly deceived. Perhaps the person will never open a Bible and God will use another way to crack open the dark recesses of some lost soul’s heart.
Besides, even though there is NO good time for disobedience, the end times are a particularly bad time to disobey the LORD God Almighty.
“he that winneth souls is wise.”
–Proverbs 11:30
MORE: The Nature of Spiritual Deception
3- If only God can awaken a spiritually deceived person, why not just pray instead of sharing the gospel?
Again, one never knows when God will open a person’s understanding and by what means.
Prayer, in conjunction with the gospel, is a powerful combination against deception.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the way expressly chosen by God for salvation.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;”
–Romans 1:16
MORE: Gospel of Jesus Christ: Power of Eternal Life
A person who receives the gospel and is converted will no longer be deceived. That person will, from that moment on, have the Holy Spirit of God living within.
The Holy Spirit will then lead a person into ALL truth.
“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth”
–John 16:13
It might take a little while for the person to learn to be led by the Spirit. The Spirit will lead a person (particularly a new convert) to the truth, but the person may be used to listening to others and might ignore the Holy Spirit.
For a little while.
But the Spirit is powerful and insistent.
The Bible does not lie.
Does the reader have the Spirit of truth?
Does the reader listen?
Would the reader like to be sure?
Make Your Calling and Election Sure: End Times Survival
Time is Running Out: Today is the Day of Salvation
THE GOSPEL
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. ”
–1 Corinthians 15:1-8
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”
-–Romans 1:16
“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
-—1 Corinthians 1:18-19
RELATED ARTICLES
- Deception is Everywhere in the End Times
- Do You Know if You are Going to Heaven? Be Sure!
- 10 End Times Deceptions – Part One
- The Nature of Spiritual Deception
- Avoiding Spiritual Deception
- False Watchmen, Merchants of Fear and Antichrist Deceivers
- The Many Layers of End Times Deception: Deception in the Church
- The John Hagee Deception: Jesus not the Messiah for the Jews
- Satan Has Counterfeited the Christian Church
[Portions of this piece appeared originally in End Times Prophecy Headlines: July 2-3, 2016.]
MORE
- Eternal Salvation Through Jesus Christ: Salvation Messages from End Times Prophecy Report
- Do You Know if You are Going to Heaven? Be Sure!
- Deceitful Workers are Victims of Deception Themselves
- END TIMES PREPARATION: 15 Ways to Prepare for the End Times
- End Times Survival, End Times Preparation
- 35 Most Important ETPR Articles
by Jeremiah Jameson
–with Mondo Frazier
image: ETPR/pd
© Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report, 2012-16. © Mondo Frazier and End Times Prophecy Report, DBKP 2007-2016. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Jeremiah J. Jameson and End Times Prophecy Report with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
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