JEFF TURNER

I’m confident you’ve heard discussions about the return of Christ. They often focus on events such as tribulation, war, and and God’s judgment. Yet a warning given by Jesus is sometimes overlooked. He spoke often about deception and the danger it would bring in the future.

In Matthew 24, Jesus told His followers to be careful so that no one would mislead them. He explained that many people would come claiming to represent Him. Some would even say that they themselves were the Christ. Through these claims, many people would be led away from the truth. This raises an important question: If deception will be widespread, can believers also be misled?

The Bible tells us such deception is possible, especially for those who are new in the faith. The apostle Paul addressed this in Ephesians. He urged believers not to remain like children who are easily pushed from one idea to another. Without spiritual maturity, a person can be influenced by many teachings and leaders that do not speak the truth.

New Christians often face this danger because they are still learning. Like infants, they have not yet grown strong in their understanding of God’s Word. Because of this, false teaching and misleading leaders can affect them. The apostle John also spoke about the need for believers to grow in their faith. As they become stronger in truth, they are better able to resist the evil one, who works through deception.

Is this not a reason we should strive to grow in our understanding of Scripture and to remain watchful?

so then, let’s not sleep as others do, but let’s be alert and sober.

1 Thessalonians 5:6