Don’t Be Deceived – January 19, 2009

This message is primarily for those who call on the name of Jesus Christ as their own Lord and Savior from sin, and serve as a Chaplain or a gospel minister in a jail, prison or a follow-up ministry such as a rescue mission – in the United States.

All Scripture quotes are usually taken from the New King James Version (NKJV) of the Bible, copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. When quoting a text, any deviation from the NKJV text is placed within parenthesis signs (). These usually occur as direct translations from the original languages, or as notes from the original setting to help apply the text to today’s culture.

ALL CAPITAL LETTERS are sometimes used to emphasize words in a text, or to make a comment about a biblical text, or emphasize a statement.

Currently, one of my prayers for ministers of the gospel in prison, jail and rescue missions, AND for the souls they serve HAS BEEN THAT THEY not be deceived.

In my past chaplaincy experience, WHICH WAS FROM 35 TO 15 YEARS AGO, most of the false teaching about God “out there” and coming into correctional facilities was from cults and secular humanistic self-help groups. As we turn the corner on yet another year, I have been alarmed to realize this has changed significantly.

NOW, in 2009, the deception about God and how to approach living, is coming IN THE MAIN from what professes to be the church of the Lord Jesus Christ!

I know biblically that Satan has always sought to infiltrate the true church. Jesus taught that he would. In Matthew 7:15 He said, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you (in context, followers of Christ) in sheep’s clothing (the garb of a true prophet of God) but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

Further in the parable of the tares sown in the good field of wheat in Matthew 13:24-30 and further explained in verses 36-50, Jesus clearly said, “the enemy who sowed them is the devil.” (Matt. 13:39).

What is really different today is the make up of those in the professing church who claim to be evangelical Christians. As never before, it seems a much greater percentage of them are undiscerning as to what, and to whom they listen to, and follow.

A great part of the professing flock of God has little or no ability to tell the difference between what’s truly from God and what’s not!

If your commitment is to the word of God and to the gospel of Jesus Christ defined by it, you ought to be alarmed. You may be asking, humanly speaking, “Who’s to blame?” I believe the greatest fault lies at the feet of weak spiritual leadership.

Let me cite two RECENT examples.

In December 2009, I visited a large church with hundreds of invited guests who were “non-churched people.” This event was at a special program, thought to be a presentation of Jesus Christ and His gospel. After a dramatic performance in which Jesus was ONLY presented as one who can make you feel better about life’s troubles and disappointments, the pastor got up and asked for a “commitment” to this Jesus. BUT NEVER ONCE IN TEN MINUTES OF PRESENTATION, DID HE EVER EVEN MENTION SIN!

He never even communicated with other words, the gospel truth that all human beings HAVE OFFENDED GOD, because they have broken His law and need forgiveness from Him for their rebellion, or their sin.

Then, in January 2009, I was at a meeting with Chaplains from all over the USA. There, a Chaplain was speaking about correctional ministry and how they ought to address the problem of recidivism. All of his answers were from humanistic social “science” rather than from the word of God. That’s tragic, because it is the Bible alone that builds believers up in their faith so that their walk is honoring to God and obedient to the moral laws of human governments. Making inmates stronger Christians reduces recidivism.

The thinking that the Bible is the only source of what to believe and therefore how to live - has been eroded, and this erosion has somehow been sponsored by professing Christians leaders. You therefore, ought to be deeply disturbed about this and determined to resist any temptation to have anything BUT A BIBLICAL LIFE AND MINISTRY. With that said, I want you to look at Colossians 2:1-10 with me.

First of all, a godly Christian leader has a DEEP CONCERN for every believers’ spiritual growth. Note it in Colossians 2:1-3 -

1 For I want you to know WHAT A GREAT CONFLICT (struggle, battle) I HAVE FOR YOU AND THOSE IN Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, (this is growth)
3 in whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Furthermore good Christian leaders realize THEY MUST WARN believers about the REALITY AND WORK OF DECEIVERS. Note it in Colossians 2:4-7 –

4 Now this I SAY LEST ANYONE SHOULD DECEIVE (this word means to deceive through faulty, false logic) YOU WITH PERSUASIVE WORDS.
5 For though I am absent in the flesh,(he was imprisoned in Rome) yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Having given them the warning, then Paul, a biblical Christian leader, GAVE A spiritual prescription for guarding against deception. Therefore, so should you. It comes in Colossians 2:6-10.

First, there are commands to obey in verses 6 - 8a,

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest anyone cheat you

There are two commands here. They are:

(1) to walk in Christ, verse 6 and
(2) to be on the alert, ( the word beware) in verse 8.

These commands are both responsibilities given by God to Christians to constantly obey. The form of the verbs “walk” and “beware” say that. A Christian leader should be an example. They should be in the forefront in obeying these commands.

Verse 7 explains how believers are to constantly walk or to live out their life – in Christ. Their “rooted-ness” in Christ must be deep. If it is, they will then be ESTABLISHED in the faith. I gave a message on that theme, in the March 2008 Chaplain’s Corner, which you may read in the archives.

Now here in Colossians 2:7, I want you to note the connection between being strengthened (rooted and built up) in Christ, AND solid Bible teaching and praise. That is the key. You will not be deceived, if you are constantly listening to solid Bible teaching.

The verse says, “rooted and built up in Him (meaning Christ) and established in the faith, as you have been taught (by sound biblical doctrine)”

Again, you cannot get away from it - give the inmates the word, the word, the word and nothing but the word.

“abounding in it with thanksgiving (praise as a result of the eternal truths comprehended).” All valid praise as taught by the Bible is based on understanding of who God is and what He has done. It is not disconnected and just emotion.

Now, in this message, I want to spend some time on verse 8, which starts off by giving a second command, to “Beware,” which really means to be on the lookout. You are to be on the alert and lookout for the deceivers and deceiving messages that are intended to take us captive.

As a Christian leader, you are not only to watch out for yourself, but ALSO FOR THE FLOCK GOD HAS ENTRUSTED TO YOUR CARE (see also Acts 20:28a). Be on guard, be on the lookout so that you may perceive deceivers that want to ruin you and the rest of God’s people.

The NKJV translation “cheat you” is not really the best English word for what the original language says. That word really means to carry off captive as a slave! John MacArthur explains it in his commentary as - spiritual kidnapping. Re-read the verse this way:

8 (constantly) Beware lest anyone (carry you off captive as a slave) – through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world and not according to Christ,

The means spiritual deceivers used in ancient Colosse AND STILL USE TODAY, is revealed in the second part of verse 8 –

“through philosophy and empty deceit”

The word “philosophy” literally means “love of wisdom.” It speaks of an overwhelming attraction to some thinking or world-view. In this verse, the original language further defines the philosophy God’s Spirit through Paul was talking about. It literally says “through THE philosophy” making it a specific and particular love of wisdom.

Most likely the philosophy was the particular heretical doctrine that was invading the ancient Colossian church. That heresy had at least three parts. It combined Jewish religious legalism, with denying the physical body some of its normal needs (asceticism), with worship of angels, and especially MYSTICISM.

Today in America, there are numerous ways of thinking about life and the purpose of human existence. These are all likewise, philosophies. With the invasion of Hindu and New Age Religion in America, many MYSTICAL spin offs have occurred. One way or another they find their way into the ideologies competing for your inmates’ attention.

Within what is advertised as Christian, and especially within certain sectors of correctional chaplaincy today, one of these mystical philosophies has gained support. It’s called “Theophostic Counselling.”

The word theophostic comes from two Greek words meaning, god and light. The central idea in Theophostic Counseling is that through as mystical experience, like a vision, our God gives light and understanding as to the real problem and solution in a counselees’ life. These mystical experiences of visions, or words claimed to have beed heard from God, are extra-biblical revelations. BEWARE of this heretical and unbiblical philosophy. It is in reality EMPTY DECEIT.

Empty deceit is another means used by those who want to spiritually kidnap people. The word translated “deceit” here in Col. 2:8, refers to a trickery or beguilement that operates - BY GIVING A FALSE IMPRESSION.

That is exactly what Satan did in the Garden of Eden, in Genesis 2. He has continued to use this means down through the ages. But note in verse 8, the word used to modify this deceit is - “EMPTY.” In reality, in truth – there is NOTHING TO IT. There is nothing real in this deceit and in the philosophy it seduces people to follow.

The next part of verse 8 reveals another (besides Satan) source of the deceit:

“according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world”

It is from fallen mankind, and the world system of unbelief.

The word “tradition” refers to that which is handed down from one generation to the next. Whether the tradition is in organized man-made religion or some strictly human philosophy or “school of thought,” it is from thinking that is independent of and unaided by - God.

Further, the Holy Spirit says it is from “the basic principles of the world.”

The word for “BASIC PRINCIPLES” refers to the first order of things from which others that follow take their pattern. It can refer to a row of trees, or posts. It can also mean the abc’s, as in elementary education, like in what we call kindergarten. It is not even the well-studied higher education of the world. It is the most simple, worldly understanding.

Unsaved philosophers are often very proud of their intellectual achievements, but in reality, the word of God says here, what they’re proud of their intellectual achievements, but in reality the word of God says here, what they are so proud of is really very simple and basic. Above all, it is not from the real truth. It is from the lost and confused world system of unbelief.

Lastly, in verse 8, we are told where the deceivers’ message DOES NOT COME FROM. The source of the deceit is NOT GOD.

“and not according to Christ.”

This statement also launches us into the SECOND PART OF THE PRESCRIPTION to take against deception. That is to FOCUS ON THE BIBLICAL CHRIST, and on what we HAVE IN HAVING HIM IN OUR LIFE.

9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;
10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Truly, these verses are a high point of biblical revelation on the doctrine of Christ and His sufficiency for the believer. Jesus is God who fully became a human being. He was still God while living a human life on earth. Even now in glory as God, He retains a glorified human body.

Rather than being just one in a series of angelic beings emanating from God, as the ancient and even some modern heresies teach, He is eternally the Sovereign over all creation INCLUDING ANGELS. Therefore, He alone is to be worshiped.

The final fact and reality every Christian is to realize – because of who Jesus is and BECAUSE THEY have been placed by the Holy Spirit into an eternal RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM, is that they are COMPLETED. I say it that way on purpose because that is the verb tense of “complete” in verse 10.

It is a finished act with ongoing results. The passive voice of this verb (used here) means Someone else did it to the Christian. That Someone is God. He has already made every believer completely adequate and full of all they need!

They need nothing more than Christ in their life to be filled with everything they need for this life. There is nothing more needed or required. Therefore, no philosophy or teaching can come along and say to a Christian you need more than what you already have to be closer to God, or to be graduated to a higher spirituality.

Dear listening minister, live that and teach it!

Rich Hines
Minister To Chaplains