Saints, Be Not Deceived

Jesus warned us to ‘Be Not Deceived’. Why was it so important to Him that He repeated it often?

The technique used by God’s adversary, Satan, is the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid. That is the definition of deception. Here are the steps used by the Devil to falsify the truth, God’s Word:

1. Question God’s Word

2. Contradict God’s Word

3. Deconstruct God’s Word (lie, and deceive over and over until people believe it )

Man was created to live forever in perfect health and peace, and in communion with God.

Man was given one command.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 God blessed them; God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. Genesis 1

Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in that day that you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:15-17

Know that Satan desires is to make himself equal with God as we read in Isaiah: 14:12-14

“How you have fallen from heaven, O [a]star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! 13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. 14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

Satan begins this mission by destroying God’s spiritual union with man. Satan deceives man to rebel against God’s command (Word) bringing death to mankind [separation from God’s fellowship, provision, and peace]. In the third chapter of the Bible we read…

Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, [1. Question God’s Word] “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from [a]any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, [2. Contradict God’s Word] “You surely will not die! [3. Deceive or Deconstruct the meaning of God’s Word] 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3

Notice encapsulated in these few sentences is the greatest lie man has come to believe: You will become like God (Humanism)

Here is where the conflict of the ages began. Man created with a free will was given a choice. He chose to disobey God’s command.

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. Think about the deception of contradiction Satan uses. Eve did not die immediately but in time God’s Word was true. Adam chose to believe the present instead of the future to fulfill God’s Word. I almost think Adam loved Eve so much (and not knowing the reality of death) that he did not want to live without her and decided to disobey God.

Man brought a curse on the earth and the serpent is cursed.

“Because you have done this, Cursed are you more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you will go, And dust you will eat All the days of your life;

God declares war on Satan providing a future redeemer, a savior, Jesus

And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Satan counters God’s declaration of war by attempting to defile the blood line of man thereby preventing God’s prophesy of a Savior coming to redeem mankind. Genesis 6

2…the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose 4. …when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men [giants - the Nephilim] which were of old, men of renown.

Satan almost succeeds in destroying the blood line that would bring the Savior, Jesus.

5 Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 The Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved [e] in His heart. 7 The Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, from man to animals to creeping things and to birds of the [f]sky; for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

We are created with a free will and have the choice to decide between God’s Word and deceptive lies. Again here are the steps used by the Devil to falsify the truth, God’s Word:

1. Question God’s Word

2. Contradict God’s Word

3. Deconstruct God’s Word (lie, lie, lie, deceive)

This assumes you know God’s Word. Be not deceived begins by living by and comparing the deception to His Word. The Bible was written by 40 authors over 1500 plus years as prophetic secretaries wrote down what God told them to write. Recognizing the fulfillment of the promise He would deliver us with a savior in Genesis 3 along and with hundreds of other prophesies should strengthen your faith in His Word.

And I will put enmity [a force, a power, Jesus] Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Today we are experiencing great deception brought on by the Devil and authors of the Great Enlightenment that began in the 17th and 18th centuries (Karl Marx, Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, Marquis de Sade, Charles Robert Darwin, etc.). These were deceptive ideas that followed 16 centuries of faith in the precepts of the Bible. How did we accept these lies? We lack the knowledge of the truth found in God’s Holy Bible. Remember, In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. We did not evolve. If we do not believe in creation how much more do we ignore in the pages that follow?

Be not deceived! Know the truth and the truth will set you free.

"If you continue in My word, you are truly My disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:31-32

Read the Bible everyday!