Christian Faith Vs. Current Deceptions

Christian Faith Vs. Current Deceptions                     Kelly Durant

Colossians 2:6-8

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

2. Haven’t you always wondered about cults? People who follow a leader so much so that they will die for them? A few cults emerged in the past decades and centuries, but what about the cult mentality today? Are people any different today in blindly accepting any information the world feeds them and then are fanatical to promote it? Do we see people today following illogical, radical, and destructive ideologies? A resounding, yes! The world has gone in the way of hate with riots and burning down all in their path just because they don’t get their philosophy, law, or person in power. 

What comes to most minds when we think of unChristlike worldly deceived people (as in the verses above) are the radical terrorists who are willing to kill their own selves so they can kill a few others as well hoping to impose their way by fear tactics! It is a clash of religion, politics, and philosophy as they classify as enemies those who disagree with them. The practice of having a radical dedication to a perverted leader or ideology, a rudiment of the world, has been around ever since the formation of empires and monarchies, such as the case of Egypt, Babylon, Rome, and the rest. Could it be people are the same today and are blindly enslaved supporting erroneous leaders and precepts presented to them by the perverse powers of this world? Sadly, yes! 

What causes people to become loyal to an evil power and cruel positions? To me the answer seems very obvious: any person not worshipping the true God Jehovah and His Son Jesus Christ will always have their worship directed to another, and that almost always is for religious demons or a political authority! Most governments claim to have some supreme spiritual power connected to them, so the common people get deceived easily not having discernment being blind to the depth of the evil they follow. Evil is always masked to the ignorant masses as a noble cause of ‘social justice’. Helping the poor or an underclass or defeating an oppressive race or power usually is the subject to entice people to malignantly label and hate another. Next, loyalty to an evil entity ensues and destruction will be carried out in word and in deeds! 

3. People that become radical and worship despotic leaders are usually forced but can be also bribed into it. Usually the punishment for not hailing a current Cesar (power) as your god is severe, few countries allow dissention. Under Communist regimes, under theocracies, and under all dictatorships, which covers most all of the world, the punishment is imprisonment or death for not respecting and worshipping the governing authorities and their severe set of rules. But when you are converted with Jesus, you no longer desire any part of these traditions of the world and these abusive pollical systems.

In Nazi German, Adolf Eichmann devised a psychological system (with electric shocks) in which people were willing to harm others if only by being pushed by voices from peers to do so. He discovered that people would over-ride their common sense, violate their own principles of morality, and do horrific damage to another human being, for political persuasion. All it took was an outside person egging them on! And we know what horrors the Nazis accomplished! Today we have a similar type of evil climate influencing people today and the evidence of this is seen by all the violence and hate coming out of the news and media outlets producing rioters. Colleges no longer debate including all ideas and philosophies which should include Christianity. They vehemently discriminate against Biblical moral principles, so the result is Satan’s traditions keep on dominating producing suicidal and disturbed youth!   

This is the world, and the people of the world we know will always go along with the most animalistic and carnal of human emotions which seduces with vices, hate, envy, violence, and pride.  So what do we do about these influences and those affected by them? We must resist and expose evil with God’s truths,‘Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye(we) have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving’.

4. If you are a Christian you are aware that you are in a battle to not conform to this world, but rather we are transformed by the renewing of our minds in Christ. (Romans 12:1, 2) Some verses that speak about combating for the Lord are in Ephesians 6: 10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

How is the way of the rulers of darkness of this world? The world offers us leaders participating in all kinds of perversions, liberalism, thievery, and abuse of power. The leaders of the world will do whatever it takes to keep their position and power, even killing anyone exposing their injustices and exploitations. In this country and in all of them we witness this! So our concerns are against these dark spiritual powers that rule in this world. Jesus offered us the kingdom of God as a way to free those captive with Jesus Christ! We must speak up for Him.

And this leads me up to churches that are spiritually oppressive and deceptive as well, the ones that are compromised to the world in their traditions and practices. We should be concerned to expose and resist those that are leading others to hell instead of to heaven by their incorrect practices, doctrines, and philosophies. 

5. It is sad that as much good as our Salvation Army church offers that there is always a majority group of people that will come and go and not appreciate the goodness, the holiness, and the blessings they could receive if they would stay and learn of God’s love and then start doing their part for God and others. The deceptive notion is that one can take all you want from charities and churches and never ask yourself if it is moral, fair, or pleasing to God.

Just think how many people have taken advantage of all the systems throughout the years. People will always come for material things, which God gives to them to share, but then they take these and run trying to be sure they will not have to have any commitment to anything. Sadly these types of people could have many more blessings learning God’s Word but they miss the mark. They are deceived thinking they do not need God and their lives rarely improve. How sad!

Those with the ‘take what they can’ attitude reminds me of Esau who sold his birthright for a bowl of stew! His father had a big blessing planned for him but before he would receive it, he despised it and offered to trade it away cheap for just a bowl of stew with his brother. What an expose of the mentality and disloyalty of some people today as they prefer the material over the spiritual. What short sightedness, unthankfulness, and poverty! Do you see it? How people deceive their own selves? But we as Christians are thankful and we give back.

6. How sad it is that today in the world there are a lot of people that expect you to just do things for them, that you should just give them things, just because you are considered to be compassionate and you owe it to them. I grew up learning that everything you get you must earn and work for. Didn’t Jesus compare serving God to working in the harvest?  (Lk 9:29) How ludicrous to think one deserves a reward or payment for nothing in return, to reap where you have not sewn.

What is disappointing about the vain deceit and attitudes of the world is how so many ignorant people disrespect the church and honest Christians serving God. People are actually mocking God when they just take again and again thinking they never need to be thankful, faithful, or honor God and be holy, or give back to help anyone else in need. 

Also, notice of the contrasts between humble and vain churches that deceive. In our Corps people can contact the Captains/pastors to visit and talk to them when the please setting a time. But ‘damaged by philosophies and vainness’ many Christians prefer church pastors where no one can ever get to consult with them when needed. Deceived by the world’s distortion of Christianity these people think that if they can get to talk to the big shot, then they must not really belong to a valid elite denomination. Yeah, right! Unavailable wealthy pastors with private jets and ‘feel good’ messages are, in my observation, the condemned hirelings Jesus warned us about!

  

7. The deception being taught today is philosophy, vain deceit, and the traditions of men, which is not from the Word of God! Some people have become spoiled to believe their sacrifice for God is to have to show up to church on Sunday and give money. Worshipping together should be taken as a blessing but love and charity must be practiced everyday 24/7 or our Christianity is in vain.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. Apart from all things just mentioned, the traditions of men may include repetitive meaningless rituals and this is what is killing people from worshipping God in spirit and in truth. Many today are leaving the church and this is why! They want God’s Spirit and truth and if they are not getting it…it is either the pastor, the flock, or the doctrine at fault. Lord help you and me to be free from error!

Christianity is a lifestyle of love, obedience, and service, not a feel good club where one gets supported by the members no matter your sins and disobedience. So many bad examples exist that many people deduct that what Christianity is…is a self-serving entertainment club!

8. So for us that have studied God’s word, those of us who know better, it is on us to be the role model of what a true loving Christian is! I beg you, ask God if your faith is real? Ask yourself, am I deluded by my own ideas of what church and the practice of faith is all about? If you study God’s word you will learn the truth and not be deceived.

We must fight against deceptions, we should expose wrong teachings and actions done by the people of the world in cults, political mafias, and by the people in the false churches because only by doing so will others see the light that we are proclaiming the opposite which is Jesus and holiness! 

All people without God first in their lives are deceived by something or someone. It takes a miracle of God and the Holy Spirit power to wake up a person so they see the reality of their spiritual poverty, deception, and their need for Jesus and His healing love. Pray for your friends and relatives to ‘wake up’!

9. And now for your conviction to be on guard I will leave you with a William Booth quote: "I consider that the chief dangers which confront the coming century will be .... religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God and heaven without hell."

You and I, being aware of Satan’s devices, must be aggressive to speak up and defend the faith. We are in a spiritual battle that is getting more and more intense as each year goes by. Pray to be God’s instrument! Will you save souls from the deceptions of the world? Will you expose this world’s deceptions so others can see it is either God or the Devil one is serving? Do it for Jesus and the salvation of souls, He expects it of you!