The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. – 1 Timothy 4:1-2 NIV
Deception. It’s a scary word, especially in a Biblical context. To think that something you are taught to believe could lead you away from eternity with God. And these days, prominent personalities from all walks of life are proclaiming grand ideas. Filling our minds through news channels, talk shows, websites, self-help books, even schools. And not only are they telling us all about their “truth” – they are also telling us how wrong everybody else is. How is a Chriatian supposed to discern the truth in the midst of all the chaos? How do we avoid being “tossed back and forth by the waves and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”? (Ephesians 4:14)
We must know the Bible for ourselves. If we read the whole Bible we will see that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We will see that God’s redemptive plan has been in place since the beginning of time. That God’s Word weaves the magnificent true story of the Creator and his plan for his creation. And that no word penned by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit has been proven false. That He has not hidden his plan from his children. Only those that reject him are veiled from the truth. God’s salvation plan is not a secret. The end of the story has already been written. No plan of God’s can be altered – regardless of whether or not any generation agrees with it or feels it’s fair.
Read the Bible! The whole Bible! There are countless reading plans available to guide you. Study it. Understand the context in which it is written. See the application to your own life. Understand the future of the earth as prophesied. Rest in the promises of God. Allow every God-breathed word to permeate your life and impact everything you do.
And any teacher that you allow to inspire you must proclaim the most important truth of all. They must publicly acknowledge that Jesus is the only way to heaven. They must proclaim that we are all sinners in need of a Savior and that God came to earth in the person of his Son Jesus to pay the only price sufficient for our salvation. That it is only by receiving the grace of God through the shed blood of Jesus that we have any hope of eternal life. That only when we surrender our life to Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to dwell within us will we be washed clean of our ugly sin. If they do not proclaim this truth or if they twist it or distort it in any way, they are deceiving you and you must flee their instruction.
One day we will all stand before God. Whether it is at our own death or on the day Jesus comes back to finally judge the earth. And the most important question we’ve ever had to answer will be before us. – Who is Jesus to you?