I’ve heard it said for years: ‘Deceived people don’t know they are deceived.’

We read in Matt. 24 where Jesus met with His disciples on the Mount of Olives, where they had come to Him privately and asked Him about the ‘end of the age’, and what ‘signs’ might point to His ‘return’ (3).

As Matthew records for us, the very first words out of His mouth were: “Take heed that no one deceives you.” (4)

Anyone care to guess why Jesus might say such a thing? I’m pretty confident when I say that Jesus knows how easily…we can be deceived.

I know that you know what that word means, but as a matter of record, let’s just put this out here in print- ‘to be deceived is to be tricked or misled into believing something that is untrue. This deceiving, or deception… is usually a result of someone deliberately withholding or distorting the truth for their own advantage.

I would also have to add that deception can result unintentionally…when a person who is deceived themselves then pass on errant information to others, deceiving them as well. Hence, the profound statement made by Jesus early on that when He said the ‘blind follow the blind, they both end up in the ditch’ (Matt. 15:14).

And as you are probably aware, there are multiple places throughout the NT scriptures where we are admonished not only by Jesus, but other writers as well… that we ‘take heed…and be not deceived’. James even specifies…’be not deceived…brethren’ (James 1:16). Can we assume that it might be possible for ‘brethren’…to be deceived?

In case you are wondering …just ‘how’ is one deceived, Paul clues us in in one place suggesting it can be done with ‘empty words’ (Eph. 5:6). Think in terms of a ‘con man’ or desperate salesman who tells you everything you want to hear in order to ‘close the deal’. Politicians have been known to do that in campaign speeches on ‘rare’ occasions, and yes, sarcasm was intended there when I used the word ‘rare’. But we’ll come back to that aspect later.

Jesus went on there in that private meeting following up that serious warning with: “Many will come in My name…saying, ‘I am the Christ’, (or ‘I am of Christ’), and will deceive many.” (Matt. 24:5). Keep in mind they are not claiming to be ‘Jesus’ Himself, but the ‘anointed one’, which is what that word ‘Christ’ actually means.

How might these ‘many who will come in His name’ …deceive so many other unsuspecting people? Once again, I point you to what Paul warned in Eph.5:6 – with ‘empty, meaningless words’.

Now we know that Jesus warned early on to be on guard against ‘false prophets/teachers’…who “come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves’ (Matt. 7:15). That’s the same passage where Jesus expounds on the importance of ‘good fruit’ (16-20).

We tend to think of malicious people who intentionally and purposefully go out to deceive people for ill gain and selfish reasons, simply because they would ‘disguise’ themselves as ‘sheep’, in order to mislead others. But I also have to believe that many people are deceived by people who themselves have been deceived…and are simply ‘passing on bad info’ that goes unchecked or unverified. My goodness…how many of us have been guilty of ‘clicking and sharing’ something we ‘saw on the internet’ and couldn’t wait to pass that on, only to find out that what you shared was totally fabricated and false. But it sure sounded good to you at the time, did it not? This tendency we have is worthy of a whole lesson in itself, but it also speaks to the fact how prone we are to do that…to pass on lies, whether it was intentional or not. There’s good reason why God likens us to ‘sheep’.

As Jesus continued on in that same discourse with His disciples, He mentions how other ‘false christs and prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive’, even hinting that the ‘very elect’ might also succumb to the deception. (Matt. 24:24). But friends, that does not negate the fact that God is still in the ‘miracle business’ and can still perform ‘signs and wonders’, which makes this point all that more troublesome. I suppose that is why Jesus again wants to point out that it is by the ‘good fruit’ and the ‘love we demonstrate’ which is how we can know who belong to Him, and who don’t. (John 13:34-35’ 1 Cor. 13:1-3).

We are familiar with the ‘many who will come’, reminding Jesus of all the great ‘wonders and signs’ they performed…”in HIS Name”, and will be turned away hearing those dreaded words: “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who continue to practice lawlessness (sin)” (Matt. 7:22-23). That passage in 1 Cor. 13 that I just referred to also reminds us of the many things one can boast in, when it comes to being involved with ‘spiritual matters’, and yet it count for nothing. But it’s a line I read in John 16, where Jesus was sharing more insights with His followers, that really stood out to me, illustrating the height of deception that was coming. It’s where He told them “a time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God a service, or is ‘helping’ God out (John 16:2)

And don’t be so quick to think He was referring to ‘radical Islamic fundamentalist’ who are out to ‘kill anyone who does not serve Allah or Mohamed’. Who are the ones that stoned Stephen in Acts 7? Who were the ones that had Peter and others imprisoned and beaten for preaching the gospel?

I would imagine that words like I’m sharing here with you today could cause some unrest within your soul, having you pause and examine your own heart, which is never a bad idea (2 Cor. 13:5). So how is one way to do that, to examine yourself to see how susceptible you are to being ‘easily deceived’? Well, one way might be to ask yourself how do you respond to God’s word when you see, read, or hear it? That might be a good place to start. What does the word of God say? And is it enough to simply ‘hear it’, maybe even ‘agree with it? James might suggest otherwise (James 1:22).

I’ll be back, Lord willing.