Who Shall Deceive Many?

Hello To All:

Near the end of our previous essay (please see "They Shall Deceive Many," February 11, 2014), the question was laid before us, regarding our willingness to consider the possibility that we can be deceived. How are we doing with this most challenging of realities? Have we allowed the Spirit of God to take us to that place of revealed truth where we recognize that we can be deceived? Let us be reminded of the words of our Lord, where it is written (Matthew 24:4): "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you."

Now we come, in this essay, to what is a potentially more difficult and challenging question: "Who Shall Deceive Many?" If we have come to a place of personal revelation regarding our own capacity to be deceived; are we now ready to consider the possibility that we could be counted amongst those who will "deceive many?" I am compelled to recognize that many of you, my beloved, are digging in your heels and crying foul. You are thinking - how can the elder say this of us? You are thinking, look at the text - does it not refer to false Christs? We are not false Christs! We are not the deceivers!

My beloved brethren, I will agree with you, that at first reading, our text (in its context), seems to be speaking about false Christs. Verse five states: "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Let us be reminded, that the interpretations of first readings are most often influenced by institutional bias. We see what we have been taught to see! We should not assume, that what we have been taught to see, is the revealed truth that can only come through Jesus of Nazareth, who is the Christ, the Son of The Living God. We need to dig deeper! We need to go beyond whatever institutional bias we have chosen to embrace! We need to ask Jesus to lift the institutional blinders from our eyes! We need the truth!

Let us take a moment. Let us step back a bit. Let us take a broader look at God's Word. Let us consider what Jesus would teach us with regards to deception.

1. "Be not a witness against thy neighbour without cause; and deceive not with thy lips." (Proverbs 24:28).
2. "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of     another." (Ephesians 4:25).
3. "These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates." (Zechariah 8:16).
4. "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds." (Colossians 3:9).
5. "Ye shall  not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another." (Leviticus 19:11).
6. "Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise." (1 Corinthians 3:18).
7. "Little children, let no man deceive you..." (1 John 3:7).
8. "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:19-20).

Take some time to look deeply into the above texts. Each of these texts is speaking with regards to those whose lives belong to God. These texts are speaking with regards to believers. We should be asking our Lord Jesus Christ to help us to see ourselves in the context of each of these passages from His word. And, if we are willing to take this journey on the road of truth, we should not only recognize that we can be deceived; but, we should also recognize that we are capable of being a deceiver. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of The Living God, have mercy upon us, for we are sinners, redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. Amen and Amen and Amen.

Before returning to the Matthew 24 text, join with me in looking at a passage where a young elder is cautioned about the dangers of deception. We find written at 2 Timothy 4:1-4:

1. "I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom;"
2. "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
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."

Again, we are reminded of our sinful inclination to search out those who will tell us what we want to hear. We are very willing to be deceived. But, the text also reminds us that there are teachers who are willing to tell us what we want to hear. These are teachers who are willing to be deceivers. Can we see ourselves in this context my beloved? Do we recognize that we could be amongst those seeking someone to tell us what we want to hear? Are we willing to consider the possibility that we could be a teacher willing to tell others what they want to hear, rather then telling the truth? These are sobering questions. But, if we ignore them; and if we refuse to see ourselves in them; then most certainly, we are in great danger of being deceived!

It is time to answer the question, posed by the title to this essay: "Who Shall Deceive Many?"

Our Lord Jesus Christ, in a very direct manner, answers our question. We find written at Matthew 24:5, the following: "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many." Our institutional bias tends to make us focus on the words "I am Christ," while interpreting those words as being related to the deceivers who are making the claim to be Christ.

But, is this what the text is saying? We need to fully immerse ourselves into the context. Jesus is speaking. He is speaking directly to those who belong to Him. We need to understand that He is also speaking directly to us. We must not allow a personal bias to separate us from this very personal connection to Jesus. Thus, when He says - "For many shall come in my name" - He is speaking to His disciples, and to us, who shall travel the world in His name. Thus, when He speaks of those who come in His name, as those who will say "I am Christ" - He is identifying the truth that His disciples will confess that Jesus of Nazareth (He is the one speaking to His disciples) is the Christ; and thus, He is identifying those believers, the ones who confess that He is the Christ, as the potential deceivers. This is the right understanding of this text. This understanding identifies you and me, my beloved, as potential deceivers. This understanding takes us to the truth of this text. Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

When next we gather, I shall share a personal testimony, regarding a time when our Lord Jesus Christ exposed me as a deceiver.

Until next time my beloved brethren, in Christ Jesus, I continue to be:

Your servant and your fellow pilgrim,
Elder Theophilus