Don’t Be Deceived – Part Five

This post is the “fifth” in a series of posts, that addresses the absolute Biblical requirement for Christians to exercise Biblical discernment.

It’s not possible, in these short posts, to cover all the numerous reasons why Biblical discernment is so vitally important. But what simply cannot be ignored is that Jesus warned us that in the last days, prior to His return, the world would be subjected to the greatest spiritual deception that it has ever seen. 

In Matthew 24:3-4 NASB the warning precedes the specifics. “And as He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.”

There are a number of “birth pains” that Jesus identifies throughout Matthew 24 but with regard to the spiritual deception, they are specifically identified in Matthew 24:24-25 NASB “For false christs and false prophets will arise and will provide great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance.” Jesus summarized the deception in three specific areas:

1. False prophets – deceptive false prophecies
2. False messiahs – deceptive false Gospels
3. False miracles – deceptive false validation

What we are dealing with here are false prophecies given by false prophets, false doctrines (Gospels) regarding the divinity and accomplished work of Jesus given by false teachers or preachers (wolves in sheep’s clothing) and false signs and wonders, as in not originating from God, initiated via the same false prophets and teachers/preachers. Each attack, and I don’t use that word lightly, is specifically focused on distorting or invalidating the truth that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. 1 John 4:1-3 refers. And this test that we are admonished to exercise is to compare what is being taught with the clear teaching of the Bible, regarding prophets and prophecy, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and signs and wonders that do not glorify God, but in actuality, glorify man and enrich their pockets. Think Simon the Sorcerer (Acts 8:9-25 refers).

Admittedly, this is no small task but the Apostle Paul was no stranger to these attacks, and he more than adequately addresses them in Galatians 1:8-9 NASB when he says: “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, even now I say again: if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!“

So when you read this statement from the Apostle Paul, what should be one of the first things that you would deem necessary to ascertain? In order to recognize what is “contrary“, would it not be “what is the gospel that Paul and the other Apostles preached”? And pardon me for asking this question but I do need to ask it; do you know what the gospel specifically is, that Paul and the other Apostles preached? And if not, why not? How are we to exercise spiritual discernment pertaining to what is “contrary”, if we are not conversant with what the Gospel of Jesus Christ actually is? 

What would you think if I told you that Jesus was a spirit that was produced in heaven? And that He was the spirit brother of Lucifer, and His earthly birth was not by a virgin but came about through sexual intercourse with Mary by his father god who resides on a planet near a star called Kolob? What if this “Jesus” worked toward becoming a god by taking Mary, her sister Martha, and Mary Magdalene as wives, and thereby producing children necessary for him to become a god? And the godhood that this Jesus achieved enabled him to become the god of this world, taking his place among the multitude of gods ruling over numerous other worlds? Would any of this raise any red flags? It should, because that is what the Mormons or the Church of the Latter Day Saints believe. Would this qualify as a “contrary” Gospel? Is there any possible chance that we as Christians who diligently study God’s Word, would even remotely entertain the reality that we worship the same Jesus and that the believers of the Church of the Latter Day Saints are our brothers and sisters in the Lord? I’m going to go out on a limb here and say you would say “NO!”, but there are some who do. Click here if you would like more info. And what did the Apostle Paul advocate we do with anyone who advocated a gospel contrary to the Gospel of Jesus Christ? 

In order to know what is “contrary”, one must know what the “contrary” contradicts and value the truths of our faith above those who would advocate any less. Considering what Jesus did and does for us, we owe Him no less.

More to follow.

Worthy is the Lamb! Blessings!