DECEPTION IN THE LAST DAYS

by Alan Yusko Jan 1997

This tract looks at the subject of deception. Some questions will be answered: Why does the devil use it? Will it abound in the last days? What can a person do to protect himself from deception. It is hoped that as the reader studies this tract that he will strengthen himself to stand against the deceptions of the evil one and his servants in these last days.

One of the characteristics of the last days will be widespread deception on earth. The Lord Jesus is coming back soon and the devil and his hordes know this. The devil has already been judged and knows his fate is eternity in hell. He hates God and His creation. Right now spiritual battles are being fought for the souls of men and women. The devil knows if he can deceive a person so that they die without the Lord Jesus as Saviour then that person will spend their eternity in hell, the lake of fire.

We'll start by looking at a few warnings (repeated more than once) about the dangers of deception:

Matthew 24:4
4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:11
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Matthew 24:24
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Mark 13:5
5. And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any [man] deceive you:
6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am [Christ]; and shall deceive many.

It is interesting to note that the Lord Jesus repeated Himself several times while warning about deceivers and deceptions. There is a clear warning about deceptions coming into the world. In fact the danger is so real that the Lord Jesus felt it necessary to repeat the warning more than once. I think everyone should take heed to the warnings about deception due to the importance that the Lord Jesus put on that subject. Don't feel you are somehow exempt from deceptions. Everyone should prepare themselves so they may withstand all the deceptions of the enemy. Later in this tract we will cover how a person can protect himself from deceivers and deceptions.

The deceptions will center around the simple plan of salvation found ONLY in the Lord Jesus Christ. Deceivers have the goal of leading people to hell. That is accomplished by misleading others so they will not accept the ONLY way a person may be saved, the Lord Jesus Christ!

ONLY ONE WAY TO BE SAVED!

In the Bible God makes it clear that there is only ONE way to be saved and that is through the salvation provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. Here is what the Bible says about the only way a person may be saved:

Acts 4
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

John 14
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Romans 6
23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The above verses give a good summary of the fact that salvation is only found in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the ONLY way to be saved and as a result all other so-called ways lead to destruction and hell.

THE PURPOSE OF DECEPTION

Since salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ, the devil's goal is to mislead and deceive people so they will be lost in hell. The ultimate goal of deception is to keep a person away from the ONLY way to be saved, the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the main purpose of deception. Once the Lord Jesus is rejected the person will die with their sins unforgiven. As a result they will spend eternity in the lake of fire separated from God. Below is a warning to everyone about being deceived from the salvation only found in the Lord Jesus Christ:

Colossians 2
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

AGENTS OF DECEPTION:

Who deceives here on earth? Can we just blame the devil? Ultimately it is the devil as he is the master of deceit. However men must make a choice and many choose to reject God. As a result they accept false teaching and become a source of deception to others.

2 Corinthians 11
13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Many good looking, charasmatic speakers are in reality, agents of deception used by the devil. In the verses above God considers them false apostles and deceitful workers. However they certainly look and sound good. Unfortunately many listen to their teaching and get caught up in their deceptions.

Romans 16:18
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Ephesians 5:6
6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

HOW MANY DECEIVERS?

How many deceivers are out there? Is it just a few people or will deception be widespread? The apostle Paul gave a warning before his death. He could have spoken on any subject but chose the topic of deceivers Look at the following Scripture for the answer about how many deceivers are in the world:

Acts 20
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears.

This warning from the Apostle Paul plus all the warnings from the Lord Jesus about deceivers indicates that there will be many people who are deceivers. This is a great warning of danger and it should be heeded.

2 John 1:7
7. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Many deceivers are in the world and they all do the same thing... One way or another they deny the Lord Jesus Christ. Either they deny the doctrine of the Trinity, or they preach some kind of works based salvation. The end result is to preach about another way to be saved other than the way God has revealed in His Word, the Bible. I've heard a good saying: "if you are wrong about God, then you are wrong enough to lose your soul for all eternity". To deny the Trinity is to deny that the Lord Jesus is God manifest in human flesh (the Second Person of the Trinity). The simple definition of the Trinity is this: There is only ONE God and within the one God there exists three Divine Persons: God the Father, God the Son (the Lord Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. These three Divine Persons are the one God.

God became a man (the Lord Jesus) and died on the cross in payment for sin. He now offers salvation to all who will receive His love gift with a repentant, trusting heart. Everything needed for salvation was completed at the cross. The death of the Lord Jesus and His shed blood is all that is needed to wipe out the stain of sin forever. However deceivers deny this and attempt to add on to the finished work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. The center of salvation is shifted away from the Lord Jesus Christ to the person who must perform certain rituals, works, penance, or purgatory in order to merit favors from God and remove sin. In teaching this, deceivers have denied the fact that salvation is a free gift. Salvation is a gift to be received by faith and not earned by works of any kind.

Romans 6
23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Ephesians 2
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

HOW DOES A PERSON PROTECT THEMSELVE FROM DECEPTION?

The simple answer is to be a Berean! Now what does being a Berean mean? Look at the following Scripture:

Acts 17
10. And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming [thither] went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

Notice what the Bereans did after hearing the Apostle Paul teach. Did they blindly receive everything he said? No, verse 11 states that they searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. What they did was to listen to Paul and then go the the Bible to check him out. They checked what God had already revealed with what the Apostle Paul was saying. Now did Paul get angry because they didn't take everything he said blindly? Today the men who have blind followers get very angry when their teachings are compared with the Scriptures. However Paul didn't get angry.... have a look at verse 11. Scripture says that they were considered 'more noble' than those in Thessalonica because they took the time to 'check out Paul' with the Word of God. It is a good, noble, and Christ honoring thing do to by checking out teachings by the Scriptures! It also is good protection from deception.

The bottom line is: don't accept teaching if it doesn't line up with Scripture. The Word of God is the standard and the final authority. If some slick talking false teacher starts spewing out various doctrines that don't line up with God's Word, then reject the deceiver and his teaching! Don't tolerate false teachers - reject them and their soul damning teachings.

Are people doing that today? Who is turning to the Word of God to see if what is being taught by various 'super teachers' agrees with Scriptures? Are people putting teaching to the test OR are they just blindly soaking every wind of doctrine into their brains like a dry sponge looking for water? Unfortunately the latter seems to be true. Deception abounds just like the Lord Jesus warned. Who is listening? Who is a Berean that checks out doctrines and teachings with what God has already revealed in His Word, The Bible?

God's Word goes on further to say:

Matthew 7:15
15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

2 Peter 2:1
1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

1 John 4:1
1. Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

TRY THE SPIRITS. Does that mean to blindly accept teaching without testing to see if it lines up with the Bible? Of course not! Christians are to test all things and cling to the good. There are many false teachers and many deceivers. A good Berean puts all teachings to the test with his Bible. By using the Word of God a person will be able to judge between the good and evil teachings.

1 Corinthians 6:2
2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

1 Corinthians 14:29
29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.

YES, Christians are to JUDGE between GOOD and EVIL!

I think God's Word is very clear. Christians are to put every teaching to the test and the measuring stick is the Holy Bible, God's Word. If it does NOT line up with the Word....then REJECT it! Don't believe the popular lie that says: Don't judge. Yes we are commanded to judge and avoid evil teaching and false teachers.

CONCLUSION

This tract has looked at several warnings from Scripture about deceivers and false teachers. Christians have been warned as one would warn someone who is in great danger. The only safety from deceivers is the Word of God. By rejecting teachings that are against God's revealed Word a person is protected from deception. Of course that means reading God's Word on a very regular basis (daily). It also means finding and attending a good Bible believing, born-again church that loves God and His Word.

We are NOW in the days where doctrines of devils are spreading everywhere! The world is quickly heading toward apostasy as God's Word said it would happen in the last days.

1 Timothy 4:1
1. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;

2 Timothy 4:3
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

We are also living in those days when many will not endure sound doctrine. Rather than submitting to the Scriptures and sound doctrine, terrible error and false teaching can be found in many churches in our land. Seducing spirits and doctrines of devils are coming into the churches... and rather than rejecting them and standing for truth, the cry is: 'God will judge so don't you do it' or 'you are being unloving and divisive!' It is time to obey the Lord Jesus Christ and heed His warnings about deceivers and false teachers. This may mean finding a new church or stop supporting some ministry that teaches false doctrine. At any rate Christians should always be on the alert in these closing days before the return of the Lord Jesus. Deceptions will not go away. Instead things will get worse as the world comes closer to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Be alert and aware of the very present danger of deception.

Even so come, Lord Jesus!

2 Peter 2
1. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

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