“Take heed that no one deceives you.”
(Matt 24:4, NKJV)
Readers should not miss the greater context of the subdivision we are currently engaged with. We are still exploring the bronze altar in the outer court of the tabernacle, still unraveling the mystery of lawlessness, and its antithesis, the mystery of godliness. The bronze altar is the place where the mystery of godliness must become manifest. We center this around 1 Tim 3:16. We have extensively delved into the first aspect, where God appeared in the flesh. First we examined the various aspects surrounding his BIRTH. Then we started with the widely encompassing theme of Christ being justified in the Spirit, which focuses mainly on his DEATH, as Rom 5:19 (KJV) says “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Phil 2:8 states it beautifully – “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
An important element of this is the fact that Christ came to die for man’s sin, trespasses and iniquities. We are currently engaged with examining the principle spelled out in 1 John 3:4 –“Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” In the previous teaching we pointed out the acute relevancy of this text for our time by attempting to pinpoint what the implications of Matt 24:12 are – “And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of the many will be made cold.”
When the disciples in Matt 24:3 come to Him and enquire about the secrets of the end of times, asking “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”, Jesus answers them in the next two verses, saying “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” More important than when this will happen or what the signs will be is rather the fact that deception will be the hallmark of the end times.
Christ is the Way (John 16:6) and deception is the action through which believers are subtly lured away from this Path. The original meaning of deception makes this clear – “to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way … to lead away from the truth, to lead into error, to deceive … to be led aside from the path of virtue, to go astray, sin … to be led away into error and sin” (Thayer). You are tricked into straying from His path onto a side path, thus losing your calling and purpose. Alas – “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov 14:12). The worst part of this is that it seems right at the time. How does this happen? 1 John 4:6 contends that there exists “a spirit of error”, a demonic force that blinds your spiritual eyes and discernment. In the next teaching we will look at the reason this happens.
- Sela: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how the spirit of error operates in your life.
- Read: Jos 10; Est 3; Isa 26
- Memorise: Isa 26:7 (very important within the context of this teaching)
