DON’T BE FOOLED

4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father. 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another. 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.

7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.

9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. 2 John 1:4-6 (NKJV)

In this second devotion based on 2nd John, there is a strong warning against deceivers. The warning is so strong that John even calls these people an antichrist. I do not like to assume, but it seems to me that these deceivers are speaking in the name of Christ, but are denying that He was born of Mary, and that He was not born of the flesh and could not have been a True Man.

Are there these deceivers today who pretend to be followers of Christ, but really preach against (anti) the teachings of Jesus? Certainly there are. There are whole denominations who carry a form of the name of God or Jesus, who deny that Jesus is the Son of God. There are many Pastors in all denominations, who either through their own misguided thoughts or the teachings of noted theologians who have strayed from the faith of their Fathers, deny some of the basic truths of the Gospel. Some deny the Virgin Birth. Some deny that only those who believe in and live in Chris will receive salvation. Some deny that the Commandments are still God’s Word.

John encourages us to look at ourselves. We look in a mirror and see if there is any dirt to be removed from our face. We must look in God’s mirror to see if there is any dirt in our hearts. Don’t be led astray by the deceivers, don’t listen to their fancy words or you may lose all that faith that is growing in you. Look in God’s mirror and when that dirt (sin) is removed from your heart, there you will see watching over you, the Jesus born of Mary, the Jesus who died, was buried and rose again for you, the Jesus who Ascended into Heaven and just before He left, said, I will return for you. Don’t let the deceivers take that away from you. DON’T BE FOOLED.

WE PRAY: Lord, you have said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." Send the Holy Spirit upon me so that when I study your Word I can be led to know the truth. When I seek a teacher or preacher to help me, guide me to one who preaches and teaches only for Your Glory and not for his own ego. AMEN

A SUGGESTION FOR LIVING THE DEVOTION

When you listen to a sermon by your Pastor or one on radio or TV, be alert for teachings that don’t sound in agreement with what you have been taught in the past. Be careful that you don’t immediately think that the different thought is wrong. Go to your Bible Study tools, Concordance, Cross Reference, Commentary and find as many Bible Passages as you can that speak to the issue. Read these passages. Think about them. Pray about them. This is not something you can do in fifteen minutes, it may take a few minutes a day for weeks or months. When you have decided which teaching you think is correct, then go and find a trusted Christian who will discuss it with you. The one who spoke those words might be a deceiver or he might be one who seeks only to allow God’s Word to flow through him.