Deception Unnoticed

“And many false prophets shall rise; and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Matthew 24:12

I love those ice breakers where questions are handed out to a group of people who are then sent around the room to collect answers from complete strangers. One of the questions that always pops up on those handouts is “What is your least favorite thing?” My answer is usually the same…”Being lied to.” I have not met anyone yet that disagrees with me in declaring deception to be a very unpleasant experience.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 24 that a sign of the end times will be an increase in the number of false prophets who will be successful in deceiving many. They will twist the truth just a little bit, but enough to still sound like a Christian and encourage true believers to change their ways. They will prey on what lays deep in our hearts. They will draw out the iniquity that we may not even know exists though it has been rooted in our being by little foxes, tradition or generational curses.

We will soon become comfortable with changes in our behavior that are so subtle we won’t even notice our spiral into lawlessness. King David prays for cleansing from iniquity in Psalms 51 after Nathan opens his eyes to the mess he made with Bethsheba. He had let sin pile on top of sin completely unnoticed; iniquity had taken hold and he was living in oblivion to his unrighteousness.

Jesus says that the result of deception by these false prophets will be iniquity abounding and the love of many waxing cold. This is agape love which is only possible through the Spirit. So, we know that Jesus is referring to Christians whose fire will begin to die and eventually grow cold like candle wax after its flame has been extinguished.

I believe this will waxing cold will be a double-edged sword. Yes, the one bound by iniquity will be at risk of never having their eyes opened like David’s were to the situation they have landed in. But, from a different perspective, those around them can be taken out just as well. As we watch the world we live in today grow more and more wicked, it is tempting to get frustrated.

Our pastor has mentioned many times to steer clear of obsessively watching the news or scrolling through social media. Why? Because we are human, and humans not in the Spirit will see people through a lens of flesh. The news and social media only amplify the wickedness. Temptation to judge or question creeps in so easily. We show love to brethren and get no response; or we share the gospel with a lost generation and see no results.

Left unchecked through carnal eyes, that unconditional love that we once so desperately wanted to share can begin to wax colder. Then, somehow, the iniquity surrounding us has managed to draw us into just as deep of a pit as those we were once frustrated by. Even though we despise being lied to, we manage to lie to ourselves as we ignore that our flame has slowly burnt out.

Just a verse down, in Matt 24:13-14, we are told that God’s plan will continue forward. With or without us, the gospel will be preached to the nations by those who stand firm and, then, the end will come. I don’t know about you, but I want to be one that stands firm, spreads the good news and endures to the end.

Lord Jesus, cleanse us from iniquity. Give us eyes to see the world as You do. Give us discernment to see the deception in our lives. Guard our hearts and give us wisdom to know what to do if we have let deception distort our walk with You so that we can endure to the end. In Jesus Name.