|
"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ." (Galatians 1:6-7 NIV)
I have a vase full of silk leaves. The autumn colours are vibrant and true to life. In fact, they appear so real, unless you touch them you can easily be deceived.
In our technical world of computers and other devices and techniques, photos, documents and conversations can easily be altered to look like the real thing when they aren’t. In fact, we have become a society where we need to question the validity of a lot of things, if we want to be sure they’re the real thing and not a false representation.
In the apostle Paul’s day and age, they did not have technical gadgets and means to falsify conversations or documents, spreading falsehoods however was still quite rampant by means of word of mouth. In fact, the Christians of Galatia were being led astray by falsehoods being taught by those who were seeking to twist the gospel according to their own thoughts, for their own purposes. Paul however exhorted the Galatians to not be deceived.
How though, do we guard against deception when it comes to the Word of God: discerning whether the teachings we hear are true or false? First, we must know and study Scripture, always praying for discernment and wisdom. Second, we must compare any new ideas or doctrine that are being floated about, even by Christian institutions, against the Word of God. What does God say about such things? Do they line up with the truth of Scripture or do they go against it?
Merriam Webster describes deception this way: A deception is defined as the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is false or invalid. Today the art of deception is often seen through repetition, by introducing the falsehood over and over again in various ways through the media, or the written and the spoken word, which gradually acclimatizes people to seeing untruths as acceptable within society. Once, what was a shock to our beliefs according to Scripture, a glaring untruth, slowly becomes the norm, because we see it everywhere and it is presented as normal, good and acceptable.
Paul exhorted the Galatians however, do not be deceived for God cannot be mocked. Therefore, guard against present day deceptions by being a person of truth who knows their Bible, prays for discernment and wisdom and compares new ideas or doctrine against the Word of God to see if indeed they line up with his truth or not, for all else is not the real thing.
Prayer: Lord God empower us to be people of truth, not deceived by the lies of this world. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
|
