How does a person know if they have been deceived?
The great danger of deception is one does not know they have been deceived unless something opens their eyes to the truth. Jesus said, “If, therefore, the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness” (Matthew 6:23).
It is that very condition the Apostle Paul warned about in the last days.
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 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” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV).
The last days will be marked by a level of extreme deception the apostle calls, strong delusion.
It is not just the press and media giving misinformation. It is more than leaders who are lying to the people and a revisionist education system. The people have refused to “receive the love of the truth.”
Jeremiah described such a time in the history of Israel. “An astonishing and horrible thing has been committed in the land: The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end” (Jeremiah 5:30-31 NKJV)?
Because the people will not “receive the love of the truth”, they are given over to believing “the lie”; not just the lies of government or of revisionist history. They are given over to “the lie”. It is the same lie Adam and Eve believed when confronted by the serpent in the Garden of Eden. “Your eyes will be open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5).
As men and women refuse to “receive the love of the truth,” they assume the authority to determine the standard of right and wrong, truth and error, good and evil.
When humans assume such authority truth becomes a lie, right becomes wrong, and good becomes evil. The people love to have it that way and their pleasure is found in those things known at one time to be unrighteous and evil.
Behavior God calls an abomination becomes acceptable.
The pastors and preachers of the land rewrite the standard of holiness to fit political correctness and tolerance of the culture.
Even the truth, once known to be certain, becomes corroded.
In midst of this strong delusion, the church revises the character and nature of God. His love and grace excuses the unrighteous behavior. They have fallen into the error of Psalm 50:21, “You thought I was altogether like you.”
Do you see this is the very condition creeping upon the Church in North America?We live in the very condition described by the Apostle Paul.
How can a believer avoid falling prey to the strong delusion?
4 Powerful Ways to Avoid Strong Delusion
1. They must seriously ask, “Do I receive the love of the truth?”The Psalmist declared, “Oh how your love thy law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97 NKJV).
2. They must fall in love with the infallible, inerrant, absolutely true Holy Word of God.
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers…” Psalm 1:1-3 NKJV).
3. Believers must be committed to defending the fundamental principles and precepts of the Word of God and make them the standard and rule by which they live their life. It is not enough to just say you believe it is infallible, you must live it daily.
“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4 NKJV). Holiness must become the standard for your life and entertainment.
4. The believer must stir up the fire of the Holy Spirit in their heart. It is only His power they will be able to stand in the face of such strong delusion.
Further Reading:
6 Things to Do When Your Church Is in Delusion
This post was written as an answer to the reader question we received on the post How to Escape the Delusion in the Church: “Great post Pastor, I look forward…
How to Escape the Delusion in the Church
It was the perfect setting… that would soon become the perfect storm. She had a perfect marriage. Truly, they never fought or argued. They had a perfect home and lived…
Moral Relativity Is Making the Church Irrelevant
Do you remember the old question, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to see or hear it, does it make a crashing sound?” In…
How This Culture of Deception is Leading To the Antichrist
What is to be made of the words the Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy? “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from…
What Happens When the Church Preaches Fake News
Most every person can remember an occasion as a child when no amount of persuasion from our mom or dad could convince us to change our opinion. Our peers had…
5 Serious Dangers Found in the Church Today
Have you ever been driving and come upon a road sign that said, “Danger Ahead: No access”? Did you look down the road and think, “It doesn’t look that bad.”…
2 Vital Steps to Avoid Deception
How will a person know if they are deceived? If the only things they hear, or read, or see agrees with their deception; if the only influence on their thinking,…
How to Escape the Delusion in the Church
It was the perfect setting… that would soon become the perfect storm. She had a perfect marriage. Truly, they never fought or argued. They had a perfect home and lived…
Moral Relativity Is Making the Church Irrelevant
Do you remember the old question, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to see or hear it, does it make a crashing sound?” In…
How This Culture of Deception is Leading To the Antichrist
What is to be made of the words the Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy? “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from…
America Is In Great Danger!
Why are tolerance and political correctness a danger for America? Wouldn’t they promote greater inclusion and help make our country a haven human rights, a safe zone for religion and…
The One Thing That Will Destroy This Generation
There is one thing that will destroy this generation of young people if the church doesn’t begin taking actionable steps now to protect her from Satan’s deception. The opportunity of…
What Happens When Pastors Stop Preaching Truth?
What happens when what was once always considered to be truth suddenly becomes a lie? What happens when those whom God has called and raised up to be voices of…
Why Relativity is a Danger to the Church
I had been looking forward to meeting with this group for sometime. They had invited me to come study with them. It was a Pastor-on-the-hot-seat type of study. They would…
5 Serious Dangers Found in the Church Today
Have you ever been driving and come upon a road sign that said, “Danger Ahead: No access”? Did you look down the road and think, “It doesn’t look that bad.”…
Moral Relativity Is Making the Church Irrelevant
Do you remember the old question, “If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to see or hear it, does it make a crashing sound?” In…
What Happens When Pastors Stop Preaching Truth?
What happens when what was once always considered to be truth suddenly becomes a lie? What happens when those whom God has called and raised up to be voices of…
It Is Not a Political Problem – A Double Tragedy
Be sure to read part one of this post here: It Is Not a Political Problem – Part One The philosophies and reasoning of the Enlightenment and humanistic philosophy have battered…
Why Christians Should Not Unhitch From the Old Testament
“[First century] Church leaders unhitched the church from the worldview, value system, and regulations of the Jewish scriptures…Peter, James, Paul elected to unhitch the Christian faith from their Jewish scriptures,…
What Happens When a Culture Gives In to Distortion
What happens to society when an entire culture gives in to distortion? How does this impact a generation and what long term damage is done? Accurate reporting and a free…
Who Will Be a Man of God in This Generation?
It reminds me of what it was like playing sandlot baseball as a kid growing up in Spokane, Washington. Rarely did we have a new baseball for the games, they…
The Shifting Sand of Political Correctness in the Church
Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount with three very interesting parallels. He talked about the high risk of living on an exciting freeway as opposed to the restrictive life…
Church, Heed Not the Song of the Sirens
According to Greek mythology the music of the Sirens was alluring and captivating. Sea captains and sailors would hear the sounds of the beautiful music and wanting to hear more…
Does the Church Have a Hearing Problem?
Is it just me, or does it seem the majority of people have a hearing problem? All of us have heard stories of husbands or wives who have selective hearing….
What Happens When Pastors Stop Preaching Truth?
What happens when what was once always considered to be truth suddenly becomes a lie? What happens when those whom God has called and raised up to be voices of…
Why The Church Must Stay Firm About Homosexuality
The dialogue is both interesting and curious. Pastor Stan Mitchell, pastor of GracePoint, a mega church in Franklin, Tennessee, explains that LGBT individuals may be “full members” of his church…
4 Ways The Church Can Seize This Moment in History
Click here to download this podcastThere seems to be a plethora of sources declaring this is a fortuitous moment in history. History is filled with stories of fortuitous moments being…
America Is Filled With Idol Worship and False Gods
Discouragement and despair are horrible taskmasters. They wear at your soul. The Psalmist David wrote, “For the enemy has persecuted my soul. He has crushed my life to the ground….
How God Uses Blood Moons to Speak to the Church
Click here to download this podcastFour blood moons took place in 2014-2015. Each of them happened on a major Jewish holiday. Two of them happened on Passover and two of them…
It Is Not a Political Problem – A Double Tragedy
Be sure to read part one of this post here: It Is Not a Political Problem – Part One The philosophies and reasoning of the Enlightenment and humanistic philosophy have battered…
It Is Not a Political Problem – Part One
The divided nation of Israel made a tragic choice. They chose Ashtoreth or Astarte and Baal over Almighty God. This is how the prophet Isaiah recorded it. “Hear this O…
Modern-Day Judaizers Are Threatening the Church
On Wednesday, my daughter posted this post to her blog A Little R & R, and I asked her if I could share it here. As she says, “My post…
Why the Term “Forever President” Is a Dangerous Trend
What does the “New Deal” of President Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) and the “Great Society” of President Lyndon Johnson (LBJ) has in common? Both were progressive political programs designed to move the United States of America…
An Open Letter to Andy Stanley: Why Basics Matter
Dear Andy Stanely, The sermons you have delivered to your church family over recent months have caused deep concern in the Christian community across America and around the world. You…
What Happens When the Church Rejects the Truth of God’s Word?
Read the first post in this two-part series What Happens When the Church Preaches Fake News. Why would anyone actually choose to accept deception over truth? It makes no sense,…
The Role of the Church in an Anti-Christ Culture
What does the Church do when it is facing an anti-Christ culture? The Church in the USA has not faced open persecution since the Revolutionary War. The Pilgrims fled the…
Why the Church Must Reject the Doctrine of Tolerance
They came into the studio almost daring people to say something. The program was dealing with teen pregnancy and teen sexuality. Without notice to the keynote speaker, the panel had…
Who Determines What is Truth?
Evolution is a viable scientific explanation for the origin of life. Fetal tissue in the womb is not viable life. Government cannot legislate morality. Men and women are born homosexual…
This is What Happens When a Christian Loses Their Identity in Christ
The second epistle to the believers in Thessalonica addresses the concern they had about missing the second coming Jesus Christ. Some were teaching the second coming had already taken place….
2 Vital Steps to Avoid Deception
How will a person know if they are deceived? If the only things they hear, or read, or see agrees with their deception; if the only influence on their thinking,…
6 Things to Do When Your Church Is in Delusion
This post was written as an answer to the reader question we received on the post How to Escape the Delusion in the Church: “Great post Pastor, I look forward…
How to Escape the Delusion in the Church
It was the perfect setting… that would soon become the perfect storm. She had a perfect marriage. Truly, they never fought or argued. They had a perfect home and lived…
How This Culture of Deception is Leading To the Antichrist
What is to be made of the words the Apostle Paul wrote to his spiritual son, Timothy? “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from…
America Is In Great Danger!
Why are tolerance and political correctness a danger for America? Wouldn’t they promote greater inclusion and help make our country a haven human rights, a safe zone for religion and…
arius says
September 15, 2017 at 5:26 amPeople are born into the great delusion and believe it to be the truth are following norms that punishes anyone even themselves for seeing, seeking or telling the truth:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3VRNgApKh0&t=2962s