The whole range of
deception and deceivers is very broad. At opposite ends of the range are two
deceivers both of which display the spirit of antichrist. On the one side there
is the preacher who is quite willing to freely and quickly speak peace to any
and all on any basis. If they profess to be a Christian, if they have had a
religious experience, if they claim to believe some doctrine, if they are
morally upright or if they act religious, he speaks “peace” to them, tells them
they are right with God, demonstrates a confidence in their standing before God
and constantly reassures them of such. It does not matter that they do not know
and believe the truth because he doesn’t. It doesn’t matter that they are not
born from above by the Holy Spirit because he isn’t. It doesn’t matter that
their hope of salvation is not in Christ alone, by grace alone, through the
bloody death of Christ alone and through God-given faith alone because his
isn’t. It has been rightly said that the only person who will give assurance to
a lost man is another lost man!
At the other end of the range is that man who
refuses peace to anyone! His message is one of constant doubt. It is a gospel of
works, of bondage and fear and leaves all without hope. He refuses to set forth
Christ as that Good Hope. He makes salvation to ultimately depend on the doing,
maintaining and a system of legalism rather than on the finished work of Christ.
He refuses full assurance to anyone, guides his hearers into perpetual
introspection and knows nothing of true joy in Christ. He and his hearers are as
lost as those previously mentioned. He does not show that peace made by Christ
through the blood of His cross. His followers never have peace because he
doesn’t. They never demonstrate grace and love because he doesn’t.
Thank God
there are some sent of God who speak the peace of the gospel of Christ
crucified. They cannot “speak peace,” that is regard as truly a Christian and
the object of God’s mercy and saving grace, any but those who have heard and
believe the true gospel wherein God’s righteousness is revealed. But to all who
have heard and have some God-given understanding of the one way God remains just
in justifying sinners, to all who believe on and love Christ, His gospel and
people as they truly are, to these who believe the promise of salvation in
Christ, he speaks the gospel which speaks peace, assurance, joy and blessing to
them!