Search The Scriptures: December 31, 2000
DECEIVED
Introduction:
A. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the Search the Scriptures broadcast
for today. On behalf of the Danville church of Christ, I am delighted to welcome you to this
period of bible study. Before beginning today, I wish to address several calls we’ve had
concerning audio tapes of the Search the Scriptures program. We do make taped copies of this
program available free of charge. If you wish to receive a copy just contact me at the Danville
church of Christ. That phone number is 745-4708. You can also reach me by email at
JRB894@cs.com. Also, in the future we may be making these programs available on CD. I’ll be
updating you on this in coming programs. My friends, this morning I wish to discuss the subject
of deception. Or more correctly I want to talk about the possibility of being deceived. I believe
everybody understands that it is possible to be deceived. For example, it is possible to be
deceived in a matter as simple as directions. Often in my travels I find it necessary to consult
maps in an effort to reach my destination. Frankly, I must confess, like most men I usually
consult a map as a means of last resort, but when I find myself somewhere completely unknown
to me, and if I have a map, by following it, I can usually get to where I am going. Probably just
about everybody - with a little effort, and some common sense - could do the same thing. That is,
we all can read a city map and then make our way from point A to point B. Also, think about this
ladies and gentlemen. When reading a map it is inconceivable to suggest that two men beginning
at the same point and traveling to the same place would disagree on the road needing to be
traveled. That is, if two men beginning in Brownsburg and wishing to go to Chicago consulted a
map, it would be absurd to think that one man would go north on I-65 while the other would
insist on going east on I-74. Such would be absurd! Well, my friends, the bible is sort of like a
road map. It directs us to God. Jesus said in Jn.14:6 I am the way, the truth, and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me. Most bible believers would agree that the bible is
the only source of information instructing men and women on how to get to the father through
Jesus Christ. Yet, instead of everyone agreeing on what the bible says, there is considerable
disagreement. Men and women can read the same bible and come away vigorously disagreeing
with one another. For years I’ve been amazed how men and women can read the same bible and
yet never agree on what it says. Have you - like me - ever wondered why people can’t
understand the bible alike? Sure you have! Why can’t men and women read the same bible, and
come away in absolute agreement about what it says? I may sit with a man in a car in the parking
lot of Methodist Hospital, and find we both agree the quickest, and best way to reach Louisville,
Kentucky is to drive south on Interstate 65. Yet we might take the bible and read a passage of
scripture and our conclusions on what is being said - would be 180 degrees apart. Why? Why
can’t men and women understand the bible alike? Why can’t men and women agree on what the
bible teaches? And, the reality that people do not understand the bible alike is an established
fact. What has not been established, however, is, WHY? It isn’t that there are no answers to the
question Why are people not understanding the bible alike? Instead, it’s because men and
women have not consulted the bible to see why it isn’t being understood alike. The apostle Paul
reveals to us the reason the bible is not understood alike in his second epistle to the Corinthians
when he wrote in 2 Cor. 11:3 but I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his
craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. In this verse
we find Paul warning that just as Eve was deceived so can the rest of the human family be
deceived. Also, Paul wrote in 1 Tim. 2:14, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being
deceived, fell into transgression. Ladies and gentlemen, deception is the means by which the
devil led the human race into sin, and today deception is the means by which the minds of men
and women are corrupted when it comes to understanding the bible. It is true, however, that
many do not understand the bible because, frankly, they never read it, but many more do not
understand the bible because they have been deceived. That is, many have been duped into
believing something that is not taught by the bible; or a bible text has been abused and twisted so
as to become perverted. The bible gives many warnings about the possibility of being deceived.
Let’s look at a few. Jesus said in Matt. 24:5 for many will come in my name, saying, I am the
Christ, and will deceive many. Also, the apostle John said, in issuing a warning, said in 1 Jn. 3:7
little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he
is righteous. According to this text, it is possible to be deceived when it comes to matters of
becoming righteous. Also, Paul gives us several warnings about being deceived In Eph. 5:6 he
wrote let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God
comes upon the sons of disobedience. Then again he says in 2 Thess. 2:3 let no one deceive you
by any means; for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of
sin is revealed, the son of perdition. Then in Gal. 6:7 he warns, do not be deceived, God is not
mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. My friends, each of these verses
points to the possibility of being deceived. And being deceived has nothing to do with one’s
intelligence. Men and women, regardless of their intelligence can be - and often are deceived. I
believe that many people think they cannot be deceived because they happen to have a high IQ,
or have a great amount of education. But, my friends, intelligence and deception are not mutually
exclusive. That is, a highly intelligent person can be misled about the teaching of the bible, just
as easily as anyone. The man who became the apostle Paul is a good case in point on this. He
was a highly educated man. He wrote in Phil 3:4-5 if anyone else thinks he may have
confidence in the flesh, I more so: circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the
tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee. He was schooled
in the finest schools available to Jewish boys in the first century. He was well bred and scholarly.
He said in Acts 22:3 I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at
the feet of Gamaliel. Let me remind you who this Gamaliel was. Gamaliel was an eminent
teacher of the bible during the first century. About Gamaliel the bible says in Acts 5:34 that he
was a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people. And by this man, Paul was (now
returning and completing Acts 22:3) taught according to the strictness of our fathers' law, and
was zealous toward God as you all are today. No one can deny that Paul was an intelligent and
highly educated man, but at the same time he was misinformed about the scriptures. He was
deceived when it came to Christ. He said he was ignorant in 1 Tim. 1:13. He was behaving the
way he sincerely believed he should, but he was misinformed. He said in Acts 26:9 indeed, I
myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. One might
be well informed in many areas, but misinformed when it comes to the scriptures. And if this is
the case, then he or she can be easily deceived. Let’s consider this possibility as it pertains to
another area. For example, if a person has little or no information in clothing materials, he may
be sold a polyester shirt thinking it’s wool. He may have a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics but be illPage
informed about clothing, and because of this, he can and will be deceived. Also, a person who is
not acquainted in precious stones may be deceived when making a purchase. He may be sold cut
glass thinking he’s buying a diamond. Now, in these and other fields, we may acknowledge that
it is possible to be given misinformation and thereby be deceived. But in the area of religion we
are not as willing to make such an admission. Why? God knows we can be deceived and he has
given us warning after warning. Let consider some of the specific ways we can be misled and
ultimately deceived as it relates to the bible.
I. First there is the possibility that we were given untruthful information as a child. Paul told
Timothy in 2 Tim. 3:15 that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. But, did you know
the opposite is also true? If one is taught error in childhood then one will be raised deceived.
That person will be raised sincerely ignorant about the bible. Have you ever stopped to consider
how you came to possess your current religious ideas and beliefs? The chances are good they
were passed down to you by your parents or your grandparents. Also, the chances are good that
these beliefs were never questioned by you. You were comfortable with them and you never
allowed them to be challenged by the Word of God to insure they were true. Also, as you grew
older, those beliefs were actually reinforced by the church you were raised to attend. Each week
you heard a preacher or a priest bolster your belief. Ladies and gentlemen, such as this
contributes greatly to the possibility of being deceived. Children will believe anything they are
taught and you and I were no different. A child may believe that a shiny new quarter is more
valuable than a crumpled up ten-dollar bill. But this is not something that will be reinforced by
others as the child grows older. That is, later on, a child will be informed correctly that a tenPage
dollar bill, no matter how wrinkled is of more value than a quarter. But this does not usually
occur with religious doctrine. A child may be taught early to believe the doctrine of once saved
always saved. And as he gets older, instead of being encouraged to reexamine this belief using
the bible as a guide, he has this doctrine reenforced by attending a church where it is taught.
Therefore, it is not unusual to find intelligent men and women believing something, religiously,
that is not remotely taught by the bible. They were told these things as children, and later had
them authenticated by the church where they have always attended. These people are deceived,
and have been since childhood. This is not an affront to their intelligence, nor to the integrity of
their parents - because the parents may have been equally deceived. Saul of Tarsus may have
been encouraged to begin the religious life he did at the urging of his parents. It was to his honor,
and theirs, however, that he questioned his long-held beliefs after his encounter on the road to
Damascus. Upon learning the truth, he abandoned those things he once held to be true. Being
taught, something biblically wrong is one way many are deceived.
II. Another way many come to be deceived is by the cunning and insincere come-on of false
teachers. And regardless of what we would like to believe, there are false teachers in the world.
If you doubt this listen to what Paul wrote in 2 Tim. 3:13 but evil men and impostors will grow
worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. Whether we want to admit it or not, there are
men (and women) who are deceiving many by teaching error. False doctrine is being taught by
those who are phony and who often know they are deceptive. They are out to get from people all
they can, and they cloak their deception with insincere and untrue biblical references. Preachers
and church leaders are not to be looked upon as authorities. Paul warned in Rom. 3:4 indeed, let
God be true but every man a liar. Here Paul is alerting us to the fact that man - no matter how
honest he seems to be - can and often will lie to us. And if we believe those lies we are deceived
- no matter how sincere we are. Jesus told of this in Matt. 15:14 when he said of some false
teachers of his day, they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both
will fall into a ditch. Also, Peter said in 2 Pet. 2:1-3 but there were also false prophets among
the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in
destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift
destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth
will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time
their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. Many people are
deceived by these false teachers - teachers in which they have placed their complete trust - and
teachers who have taught them using deceptive words. There are people who are intelligent and
trustworthy who have not used the abilities God has given them to understand his will. Like
sheep - they just fall in line behind their minister, or their priest or their Pastor and accept
without any misgiving what is being taught. Many people place absolute confidence in their
Pastor without ever once thinking he could be deceiving them. Not many today have the same
spiritual integrity that belonged to the Bereans of Acts 17:11. There - we are told - now these
were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great
eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so. My friends,
when you are told anything from the pulpit or even on radio programs, pick up the bible and
search it to see if what you are being taught is the truth of God. Whenever you are told that
baptism is an outward sign of an inward work of grace, ask to be shown the bible verse
teaching this. Whenever someone tells you to say the sinner’s prayer in order to be saved, ask
for the bible text where this is taught. When your minister tells you to ask Jesus to come into
your heart and save you, ask for the scripture authorizing this. Now, if bible verses cannot be
given, then you are being misled. Are you allowing yourself to be deceived by the false teaching
of others?
III. Also, a third reason many people are deceived is because they do not have a love for the
truth. I know this sounds harsh, but Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 2:10-12 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. In this passage, Paul is speaking of those who would be
deceived because they did not have a love for the truth of God. If you do not love the word of
God, then you are not likely to understand it. You are apt to be misled easily and become
deceived if you do not love the scriptures with all your heart. The Psalmist, David, wrote in Psa.
119:14-16 I have rejoiced in the way of your testimonies, as much as in all riches. I will
meditate on your precepts, and contemplate your ways. I will delight myself in your statutes; I
will not forget your word. If we do not have this kind of love for the word of God, then we are
setting ourselves up for deception. Paul makes it plain in 2 Thess. 2:11 that we will believe
anything if we do not love the scriptures. We sometimes wonder how bright men and women
could possibly believe that the virgin Mary has appeared to people instructing them to pray for
world peace. And, we often marvel at those who believe that a statue of Christ is shedding tears
or dripping blood. The answer to these and others is, whenever one abandons his love for the
truth of the bible, then he will be deceived and will believe anything. Perhaps you have
wondered why some men and women could believe they can and should handle snakes in their
assemblies in order to prove their faith. We may read stories of these churches that have
members who get all worked up and reach in a box filled with rattlesnakes, and we ask, how
could these people believe that? The answer is simple. Whenever one stops loving the
testimonies of God’s word, he will be deceived into believing anything. Listen again to what
Paul wrote in 2 Thess. 2:11 and for this reason [That is, the reason that they did not love the
truth, according to verse 10] God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the
lie.
IV. But, there is a fourth reason men and women are deceived, and that is because they are
simply unwilling to do what the bible says. Jesus said in Jn. 7:17 if any man is willing to do
his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God. My friends, there are many people
who are capable of reading the bible and understanding precisely what it is saying. Yet because
of their unwillingness to do what it says, they impose upon themselves a misunderstanding of it,
and are deceived. It is distressing whenever we are deceived by the teaching of another, whether
the person is a minister or even our own parents. But it is outrageous and unforgivable when we
- because of our unwillingness to obey the scriptures - deceive ourselves. Self-deception is often
the most damning and disgusting because we don’t even know it’s happening. Consider these
warnings about being self-deceived. John writes in 1 Jn. 1:8 if we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. James has this to say in James 1:22 but be doers of
the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. Then again in James 1:26, he writes, if
anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own
heart, this one's religion is useless. Ladies and gentlemen, my disagreement with Baptist
preachers is not over what Jesus had to say in Mark 16:16. We would both agree that Jesus said:
He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.
Our disagreement sets in when it comes to DOING what Jesus said must be done. Our
differences are anchored in the reality that only one of us is willing to DO exactly what Jesus
said to do, and the other isn’t. I do not spend hours trying to disprove the Lord’s statement, I am
perfectly willing to obey that verse as it is written. Any conflict I might have with Methodist
preachers over the mode of baptism does not stem from what the bible says. For example we
would be in total agreement that the bible says in Rom. 6:4 therefore we were buried with him
through baptism into death. Any Methodist preacher and I could agree on what this verse is
saying. We both can read that baptism is a burial. Now our religious discord comes in the form
of obeying what is taught here. I am happy to bury (or immerse) people completely when I
baptism them, but Methodist preachers are not. Then again, any dissension that might exist
between me and any Christian Church preacher is exclusively one of willingness to obey only
what is revealed in the scriptures. For example, any Christian Church preacher and I would both
agree on what the bible says in reference to the music used to worship God. We can both read
and understand passages such as Eph. 5:19 that says speaking to one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Controversy
arises only when it comes to DOING what this verse says. I am content to sing psalms, hymns,
and spiritual songs, making melody in my heart, but this is not so with preachers within the
Christian Church, because they insist upon adding mechanical instruments of music. Now, my
friends, when one is unhappy with the teaching of scripture, whether it is in relation to baptism
for salvation - or baptism by immersion - or singing (instead of playing on an instrument). Then
one begins to quibble, and then suddenly - to them - the bible no longer is easily understandable.
No, my friend! The bible is clear and it can be understood. The problem is, many are just
unwilling to obey it, and many have only deceived themselves.
V. The final reason we will consider this morning that contributes to deception is arrogance.
That is, men and women, are so charmed by their own wisdom that they cannot possibly think
they could ever be wrong. Paul said in Gal. 6:3 for if anyone thinks himself to be something,
when he is nothing, he deceives himself. He gives the same warning to the Corinthian church in
1 Cor. 3:18. There he writes let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise
in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. The world is filled with people,
who acclaim their own knowledge and wisdom, while rejecting the wisdom of God revealed in
the bible. And this mental arrogance will blind these people so that they will be easily deceived.
Furthermore, this pompous view of one’s own intelligence will just deepen that deception. Paul
says that this kind of person must become a fool that he may become wise. This is just another
way of saying that before one can recognize the truth of the Word of God, he must first
acknowledge his own spiritual ignorance.
CONCLUSION:
A. Religious deception is a reality, and it is something about which we have been warned many
times in the scriptures. We would do well to remember the words of Paul that we began our
study with this morning. I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so
your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. But any deception corrupting
our minds, and damning our souls is something we can guard against. Acknowledge that no
human being is an authority in religion. Love the truth of God with all your heart. Do whatever
the bible tells you to do, without question and without rationalization. And recognize your own
limitations. If everyone who studies the bible will execute these safeguards, then we could
eliminate deception, and all would begin to understand the bible alike.
B. Our time is gone for today. Stay tuned for some important closing announcements, and be
with us next Sunday at 7:00 AM as we once again Search the Scriptures. Until then, this is
J.R. Bronger saying goodbye for now.