What is it to be deceived?
To deceive means to cause to roam from safety, truth, or virtue, to go astray,
err, seduce, wander, or be out of the way. All people, if left to themselves by
God, are deceived. They are self-deceived. "The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9) "If we say that we
have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (I Jn. 1:8) They
are deceived by Satan. "And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison, 8And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in
the four quarters of the earth…" (Rev. 20:8) They are deceived by men,
especially by false religionists. "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many." (Matt. 24:11) This deception is so clever, so blinding and so
seductive that all fall into it but those who are kept from it by the almighty
hand of God. "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall
show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall
deceive the very elect." (Matt. 24:24) Christ makes it known that it is not
possible to finally and fully deceive the elect of God. Though they are born
deceived and may for sometime be deceived by self, Satan and men, God will
reveal to them the truth as it is in Christ the Truth. He will guide them by His
Spirit into all truth. He will give them an understanding of the word of truth.
He will put in them the love of the truth. But none are so deceived as those who
are lost in the midst of a local church where the true gospel is preached. These
imagine that because they are a member of a gospel assembly or because they have
some head knowledge of gospel doctrines that all is well with their soul. They
have no real commitment to Christ, no real love of the truth and no experience
of Holy Spirit wrought grace in the heart. What pitiful creatures they are! Dead
in the midst of life. Blind in the midst of light. Deceived in the midst of
truth. A part of the group but not of Christ's body and worst of all, satisfied
and continuing in this state! What a shocking day awaits them! Oh God, let us
not be among such! Cause us to be delivered from such deadly deception! Bring us
to love Christ, believe His gospel and be one with His faithful people! Do not
let this word be our epitaph, "DECEIVED!"