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He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them (2 Thessalonians 2:10, NLT).
The Bible teaches that the end-time Antichrist will work through spirits of deception. Many will forsake what the Bible teaches, agree with false doctrines, and be misled politically.
That’s the macro level, the finality of the end times with the anti-Christ, but Scripture also teaches that the spirit of the anti-Christ is already at work (1 John 4:3) on a micro level, which means. . .
Right now and with us!
In the last days, deception will influence many with increasing intensity and frequency, impacting all levels of our culture — culminating in the Antichrist — but with many current manifestations.
A couple of weeks back, a lady left a message at the church where I formally pastored. The message: “Hi, I’m Susan, and I’m calling for Lisa, who is in the hospital, and they are going to take her off oxygen. She is a member of your church and has left her estate to your pastor. He’s an older man with grey hair. I don’t know his name, but I need to talk to him.”
HHHHMMMHHM!
This message was forwarded to me for some reason! And I must admit, upon hearing the message, my emotions danced (and I typically don’t dance) with expectation. Then, my internal scam meter activated itself.
Warning! Warning!
I waited a couple of days and called the number she left and found her inbox folder filled, unable to accept further messages.
It’s happened before. One time, a lady claiming that she had assigned me as the executor of her large estate came to a church service and wanted to see me personally. I even prayed for her afterward.
It’s easy to fall prey to scammers — both financial, political, and doctrinal. Deception operates through enticing our desires with promises too good to be true, and yet we believe them, suck it all in, and then discover the scam too late.
As Scripture warns. . .
For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
The spirit of deception operates on many levels, some of which impact our daily lives. How many times have you heard of someone stumbling into an internet ploy and losing money?
We think, “It won’t happen to us,” but let’s be humble — it could, and it might. How can we bolster our scam meter?
Realize that we want to believe good news (it’s our created nature) and that sometimes, like Jesus saving sinners, impossible news can be true. But with out-of-control desires, sans the curtailment that Scripture provides (doctrinally, politically, emotionally, and financially), all of us will get scammed, either right now or for eternity.
Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32).
Fortunately, we have an end-times scam meter!