The Mask of Deception

THE PROLIFERATION of preachers today is welcomed by many as a positive development for man and society as a whole. In this day and age when criminality seems to be on an upward swing and social order is disrupted by various troubles many think that the abundance of religious teachers would greatly help humanity. However, if one were to consult the Bible, he would realize that having a great number and wide selection of “Bible teachers” is not at all beneficial to mankind’s collective well-being. The apostles themselves prove that not all preachers will lead people to eternal life; in fact, many of them will lead people to destruction: 

“And many false religious teachers will come. They will fool many people and will turn them to the wrong way” (Matt. 24:11, New Life Version).

False religious teachers lead people astray or away from the true faith. This is the evil result of just receiving any preacher or believing that all preachers, just because they are holding a Bible, are authentic. If one is deceived, then his own salvation is in jeopardy (II Thess. 2:10, Today’s English Version).

Deception, in its various forms carried out by even the most innocent-looking people, remains an act to trick or mislead someone. This is also true with those who come under the guise of preachers of God’s words but in reality are counterfeit. Our Lord Jesus warns us:

“Be on your guard against false prophets; they come to you looking like sheep on the outside, but on the inside the).y are really like wild wolves” (Matt. 7:15, Ibid.).

With so many sham preachers dotting “Christendom” today, to whom then should people listen and consult so as not to be tricked by this mask of deception? The Lord God stated through the prophet Malachi: “It is the duty of priests to teach the true knowledge of God. People should go to them to learn my will, because they are the messengers of the Lord Almighty” (Mal. 2:7, Ibid.).

Since ancient times to the Christian era, the Lord God has sent messengers to preach and reveal His truth. How important is it to listen to and accept the Gospel preached by the messengers of God? Our Lord Jesus Christ declared when He called Paul, a true messenger of God, to be His apostle:

“I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me” (Acts 26:17-18, New King James Version).

By receiving the messenger, those who in the past were blinded by the deceitfulness and trickery of Satan through false preachers would have their eyes opened to the truth, so that they may be ushered from darkness into the light, be forgiven of their sins, and ultimately, inherit salvation. Hence, the importance of God’s messenger can never be overstated, for it is equivalent to accepting our Lord Jesus and our God Almighty (John 13:20). Consequently, by refusing to hear the one sent by God, one inadvertently rejects Christ and the Father (Luke 10:16).

Identifying the one sent by God

With the emergence of a vast number or preachers who claim to be sent by God in our time, how can we identify the true and legitimate messengers of God? Prophet Isaiah, said:

“To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn” (Isa. 8:20, New International Version).

The law refers to the commandments of God. The testimony, meanwhile, is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10) or the biblical evidence of one’s being elected and sent by God. Thus, even though many may claim to be teachers of the laws of God but cannot show biblical proof of their right to preach, the Holy Scriptures say—“they have no light of dawn.”

The standard presented by the Bible itself is not met by many self-confessed preachers of God’s words. In order not to be duped and misled, let us listen to and abide by the true gospel as taught by those who do have the “law and testimony.”

The Mask of Deception

by Siegfred T. Gollayan

Published in GOD'S MESSAGE

January 2014

p.40