How to be free from deception

The Sign, not signs.

In Matthew 24:25, Jesus, warning the disciples of the end times, says, “Be Sober, Be vigilant.”

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”
Philippians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

DECE’IVE, v.t. [L: to ensnare.]
To mislead the mind; to cause to err; to cause to believe what is false, or disbelieve what is true; to impose on; to delude.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Sober- of sound mind, or think soberly, serious
Vigilant- watchful, to avoid danger.
‭‭I Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Whenever the end times, or last days, is spoken of in scripture, it is often prefaced with a warning of deception. Some form of the word deceive appears 75 times. Be on your guard against being deceived.

In the Jewish encyclopedia, 40 false Messiahs have been recorded in Israel since Jesus.

“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭22‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Four examples of Jesus’ warning:

Matthew 24:4 Take heed
Matthew 24:5 shall deceive
Matthew 24:11 shall deceive
Matthew 24:24 shall deceive

First, signs and wonders alone cannot guarantee the truth is spoken. Second, even The elect, chosen, would be deceived if it were possible. God chose them, our security. It’s the greatest danger to threaten the believer.

Pilate says to Jesus, “What is truth?”

Three coordinates of truth:

Jesus is the truth
God’s word, the Bible, is the truth
The Holy Ghost is truth

All three must testify the truth and agree.

Jesus again:

“But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!”
‭‭II Corinthians‬ ‭11‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Liberation Theology, Marxism, Revolutionary — use the poor.
Eastern Guru and the New Age movement.
Father Christmas, Liberal Theology, the Bible is not the word of God.

Pride opens the door to deception. Contention cometh before pride and pride before the fall.

The Lie. The first lie: “For God, knows that, in the day you eat of it, your eyes will be open, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” … ‘So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took off its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Flattery

“A man who flatters his neighbor Spreads a net for his feet.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29‬:‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.”
‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭26‬-‭29‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.”
‭‭II Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

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

God’s wrath comes on the deceiver and the deceived.

“and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
‭‭II Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬-‭12‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The love of the truth (agape)

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except their come, a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2 Thessalonians 2:3

Falling away by believers who are deceived.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that do his righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.
1 John 3:7

For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers, lust and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Titus 3:3