Christ warns us to be on guard against spiritual deception, and prophecy warns that there is a great deception coming (Matthew 24:4-5, Revelation 12:9, Revelation 13:1-14, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). There have been sermons given suggesting how we can protect ourselves from deception, but I feel there are important points that are being missed. Thus this post.
The first thing to realize is that Satan is the deceiver and he is more powerful than any human being. He is able to deceive the whole world (Revelation 12:9). We are only able to escape his deception because God works with us, first with the Holy Spirit with us when He calls us and later with the Holy Spirit in us when we are converted. It is God, through the Holy Spirit, that enables us to know the truth and escape being deceived by Satan. On our own, without God's help, we have no chance. On our own, we will be deceived. See 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, 2 Corinthians 3:14-16, and 2 Corinthians 4:3-4.
Therefore, the most important factor is the degree to which God helps us. If God wants to severely correct us, to teach us a strong lesson for our long-term good, He can allow Satan to deceive us long enough to fall into the great tribulation, and then let us wake up when it is too late to go to the place of safety.
God corrects our faults. He gives us according to our works. What we sow, God will see to it that we reap. This is for our good. He wants us to experience the fruits of our doings, good or bad. God teaches us this way. It is a learning thing.
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Galatians 6:7).
"But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who 'will render to each one according to his deeds' " (Romans 2:5-6).
"For He repays man according to his work, And makes man to find a reward according to his way" (Job 34:11).
"Also to You, O Lord, belongs mercy; For You render to each one according to his work" (Psalm 62:12).
"If you say, 'Surely we did not know this,' Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, does He not know it? And will He not render to each man according to his deeds?" (Proverbs 24:12).
"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 17:10).
"You are great in counsel and mighty in work, for your eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah 32:19).
This is the basic principle behind all of these points.
Don't Deceive Others
This is a simple point. If you do not want to be a victim of other people's (or Satan's) lies, don't lie to others.
You want to tell someone a lie? You want to deceive someone? Go ahead. God may say to you, "Ok, you believe in lying, let's see how you like it. Let's see how you like being lied to. I will let others lie to you, and you will believe their lies. I will let Satan deceive you, and you won't wake up till you are in pain that you cannot escape from. What you sow, you will reap. You sow lies, you will reap lies. I am going to let you experience the consequences of you own ways".
For an example of God teaching the lesson of lying to someone who lies, study the life of Jacob. He lied to his father to get the blessing. See how much he later became a victim of lies. He was deceived by Laban about his wife. He was lied to by his sons about Joseph being killed, and he suffered needlessly about this.
Believe and Live by the Bible First
God clearly teaches us to live by every word of God, the whole Bible in other words (Matthew 4:4). He teaches us to believe and trust Him and His word more than man. We have the example of Herbert W. Armstrong, and Loma, who believed God more than their churches and obeyed God more than any man, church, or religious leader.
We must do the same. Only God and His word, the Bible, are 100% trustworthy. Man can sin, any man, and man can make mistakes. If we want protection from religious deception, we must believe the Bible first. We must make it our way of life to believe what God says in the Bible more than we believe any leader, minister, tradition, or church, even in the true Church of God.
We can make mistakes in understanding the Bible. But God looks at the heart. If our attitude is right, if we are trying to believe and obey God more than man, God can be patient with our mistakes and guide us into all truth (John 16:13). This will protect us from serious deception. But if we disobey God's instructions by believing man, any man, more than God's word, God can let us reap what we sow - if we believe man, who is deceitful, more than God who is true, God can let men, inspired by Satan, deceive us. "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children" (Hosea 4:6).
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10).
"And he [Abram] believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness" (Genesis 15:6).
"For what does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness' " (Romans 4:3).
"And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.' And he was called the friend of God" (James 2:23).
"Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him" (Isaiah 51:1-2).
Along this line, we should listen to warnings. Warnings are given in love to help others. On the other hand, Satan's accusations are for harm. If someone tries to warn us, in writing or verbally, in an article or sermon, or face-to-face, we should consider what is said and compare it with the Bible. If it is true, we should heed it, but if it is in error, we should not believe and follow the error. The Bible is the test (1 Thessalonians 5:21, Acts 17:10-12).
But to do this we need a humble and open mind. Vanity and pride are the enemies of wisdom. Lucifer lost or corrupted his wisdom when he became vain and proud of his beauty (Ezekiel 28:17). So to have the wisdom to not be deceived, seek humility, and listen to advice with an open mind. "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14).
Have Zeal for the Gospel and the Ezekiel Warning
God has given us precious knowledge others do not have. He has commanded us to share that knowledge by preaching the gospel and the Ezekiel warning to others who do not have that knowledge.
God gave us this knowledge, not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others that we share it with. "And as you go, preach, saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is at hand.' Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:7-8).
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
If we misuse the knowledge God has given us by selfishly holding on to it for ourselves, trying to make ourselves "ready", but not sharing it by effectively preaching it to others, God can take it away from us. He can let us be deceived. God has sacrificed to give us this knowledge, but if we do not sacrifice to share it, He can take it away. We can lose it. We can fall away. Paul understood this. "For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16). The parables of the talents show this also (Matthew 25:14-30). A good tree bears good fruit, but if a tree does not bear good fruit, it can be cut down (Matthew 7:19).
God commands that we warn the wicked. "Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter" (Proverbs 24:11). "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul" (Ezekiel 3:17-21).
God is merciful, but He is also just. If we fail to show mercy to others by sharing the truth God has given us, God will be just to take that truth away from us and let Satan deceive us. "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). God will be merciful to us, but only if we are merciful to others.
We MUST get the warning out. God commands us, all of us.
To get the warning out, we need the open door promised to Philadelphia. But to have that open door we need to practice what we preach. As we tell the public, "Don't believe us, don't believe any church, tradition, or religious leader, believe God, believe your Bible", we must do the same and teach our members the same. We also need top-down governance, not the voting of men, so Christ can lead us. We also need zeal for the gospel and Ezekiel warning inspired by love for our neighbors and love for God's name and reputation, to glorify His name by showing His love and fairness to get the warning out to those who do not know they are sinning while there is time for them to escape the coming punishment.
As individuals, we need to seek a fellowship to support that has these characteristics.
And if there is no such faithful group?
This may sound shocking, but if you are ordained as a minister or local elder, you can baptize and you can raise up a faithful group. If no one else is doing it, then maybe you need to step up to the plate.
Somebody has to do it.
Sounds scary? Yes. But where is your trust in God and zeal for helping others?
If there is no other way to fulfill the commission, how can you refuse?
Do you say, "God has not called me to raise up a new group"?
What? You think Proverbs 24:11, Ezekiel 3:17-21, and Matthew 28:18-20 do not apply to you?
Do you think this applies to apostles only? Many leaders of COG fellowships are not apostles, nor do they claim to be.
"And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.' Amen" (Matthew 28:18-20).
Christ gave the command to the apostles, but was it for apostles only or for the whole Church of God? It could be for the whole Church and Christ spoke to the apostles to give to the Church.
The answer is in Acts 8. "Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:1-4).
It was the Church that was scattered, not the apostles who stayed in Jerusalem, who preached the gospel everywhere. Also, Christ sent out seventy who were not apostles to preach the gospel (Luke 10:1-11).
If there is a faithful group you can support that will have a wide-open door promised to Philadelphia, obey Proverbs 24:11, Ezekiel 3:17-21, and Matthew 28:18-20 by supporting that group. But if there is none, and you understand the points I am making - if the only way you can fulfill those passages is to raise up a new group - then the ball is in your court. You have to do it. You cannot say to Christ in a judgment, "I was not able to do what you commanded in Proverbs 24:11, Ezekiel 3:17-21, and Matthew 28:18-20". There was a way, but you were afraid to do it (Matthew 25:25).
Now, it may happen, if you raise up a small but faithful group to do the work, that some other ministers will do likewise, and you may have an opportunity after that to join with one of them. You may not have to carry the ball always on your own. But somebody has to start. And you might be the only one.
Am I causing division? Obedience to God is more important than unity. Christ Himself said He did not come to bring peace (Matthew 10:34-36). The unity that Christ desires is unity first with Him and the Father.
There will never be unity between Philadelphians and Laodiceans before the tribulation.
There are scattered Philadelphians, I am sure, but they need leadership. An ordained minister needs to step up.
And if you are able to do it, but refuse, don't complain if God lets you be deceived by Satan because there was something you could have done to share the truth with others, but you didn't do it.
And as far as division in the Church is concerned, separation does not have to be contentious. It can be peaceful if both sides are willing. Be willing to separate peacefully. But if the fellowship you leave wants to make it a battle, that is their choice, not yours.
Does this mean leaving your comfort zone?
Did Christ leave His comfort zone when He was crucified? Will the millions of people who go through the tribulation leave their comfort zone when some of them eat their children?
Read Mr. Armstrong's autobiography, and learn from his example.
Read also the book of Jonah.
Do Not Listen to Demon Sources
Satan and his demons are expert liars. Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).
God clearly tells us to avoid the occult (Leviticus 19:31, Deuteronomy 18:10-14). Yet some like to look at non-biblical prophecies, such as Catholic prophecies, which are not inspired by God and are either non-inspired or inspired by Satan and the demon world.
If God wants us to know something prophetically, He will tell us in the Bible or through a true prophet, not through demon-inspired prophets.
If we disobey God, who for our own good and protection tells us to stay away from occult sources, and we go to demons to know the future, God will see, and the principle of "what you sow you will reap" can take effect. God can say, "Ok, you want to listen to demons contrary to my warnings, I will let Satan and the demon world deceive you. You will be deceived and not wake up until you are in the tribulation, and you will pay a price".
We must believe what God says in the Bible, and we must obey Him and live by every word of God if we want the spiritual discernment to escape deception.
Summary
Here is a summary of my points above. To protect yourself from being deceived:
1. Do not lie to others. Don't practice the way of deception.
2. Believe what you see in the Bible more than you believe any church, tradition, or man. Do not let the church or any man interpret the Bible for you, but, as Mr. Armstrong did, let the Bible interpret the Bible. Believe God.
3. Be humble and listen to warnings with an open mind. Compare the warning with the Bible to see if it is true. Practice humility and purge out pride and vanity in your mind and life. To avoid deception, you need wisdom, and pride and vanity destroy wisdom.
4. Have zeal, motivated by love, to get the gospel and warning message out to the millions who need it. Do what has to be done, within God's law. Find a Philadelphian fellowship, with a wide-open door, to support. If there is none, and if you are an ordained minister, if there is no other way, it falls to you to raise up a faithful group to do the work. Do you love God and your neighbors enough to leave your comfort zone, to do the hard thing?
5. Avoid pagan, possibly demon-inspired prophecies. Avoid the occult as God commands. Be content with the prophecies God gives us in His word, and do not look to Satan to learn more about the future.
Further Reading
For further reading related to the subject of this post, see the following in this blog:
March 6, 2010 - Preaching the Gospel - We Reap What We Sow
January 4, 2015 - How Do You Know God Leads Your Understanding of the Bible?
June 21, 2015 - Paradigm Shift from Herbert W. Armstrong to the Father's Call - a Case Study in Progress
February 18, 2016 - Did God Put You Where You Are in the Church, and Should You Stay There?
March 22, 2017 - Preparation for Passover, and Satan's Big Lie to the Church of God
July 25, 2010 - Am I Sowing Discord Among Brethren?
July 29, 2024 - Satan Accuses, God Warns
August 4, 2013 - "Good Intentions", without Believing God, Is a Recipe for Disaster
March 10, 2015 - Two Approaches to Understanding the Bible
January 10, 2018 - Principle of Knowing God's Revelation - How Can One Know the Truth? / How to Preach the Gospel More Effectively
June 28, 2024 - Does God Call Every COG Leader to Discover New Knowledge on His Own?
August 27, 2012 - Renewing an Atmosphere of Faith in the Church of God
June 13, 2012 - Why Should We Believe?
October 21, 2020 - The Best Way to Teach Church Authority
On the subject of our need to avoid reading or listening to pagan prophecies or expressions of the occult evil spirit world, see the following posts:
December 29, 2012 - Robert Thiel Leaves Living Church of God to Start a New COG Group
January 5, 2013 - Don't Play with Fire
January 25, 2013 - Bob Thiel Response and My Reply
January 26, 2013 - Putting Scriptures Together
April 20, 2013 - Why Did God Kill King Saul and Turn the Kingdom over to David?
April 28, 2013 - Do Not Cause Others to Sin
May 5, 2013 - How Should We Prepare to Resist Satan's Deceptions?
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