Few sights sadden or frighten a person more than seeing a loved one who is deluded. Whether it be a feverish child with hallucinations or an aged parent with Alzheimer's, many people have experienced these emotions firsthand. Psychiatric patients may believe and act upon absurd and untrue ideas, often bringing about their own demise. How much more fearsome is the delusion that leads to a person's eternal destruction! Scarcely can one imagine a state more horrifying. Yet throughout the Scripture we are warned that in the last days, there will be great pervasiveness of such delusions. We will examine several characteristics about the delusion prophesied to spread over the world.

1. The delusion begins in the church; moreover, the leadership of the church will be responsible for this widespread delusion.

   "I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears." - Acts 20:29-31

   "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words." - 2 Peter 2:1-3

2. Those not in leadership perpetuate the problem by listening to these false teachers, and by participating in their churches.

   "For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths." - 2 Timothy 4:3-4

3. The central feature of this great delusion is that it condones or even encourages sin. (The phrase "the appearance of godliness" warrants special attention.)

   "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people." - 2 Timothy 3:1-5

   "They [false teachers] count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray.... For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption." - 2 Peter 2:13-15,18-19

4. Satan himself propagates this delusion, often speaking eloquently through supposed church leaders.

   "For such men [eloquent rivals of the true teachers] are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds." - 2 Corinthians 11:13-15

5. God judges those in the church who take pleasure in unrighteousness, those who do not love the truth, by adding to their delusion. This is similar to the judgment upon Pharoah whose heart was hardened by God himself.

   "Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness." - 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12

6. Jesus himself said that only a minority find the way of salvation. This right way is difficult and narrow; the way that most go is easy and wide.

   "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves." - Matthew 7:13-15

7. This great delusion often persists until a person dies and causes them to be sent into hell. Jesus calls those living under the great delusion 'lawbreakers.'

   "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven -- only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?' Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!' " - Matthew 7:21-23, NET

1. The first manifestation is a departure from studying God's word. In most churches today, the apathy towards and lack of knowledge of the word of God is appalling. It has been well said, "You can tell how much a person loves God by how much that person loves God's word." As a simple check of your Scriptural knowledge, you can take a 5 minute test by clicking here. After taking this test, share it with a few people in your church. If you cannot correctly answer most of these simple questions, ask yourself: do I truly love God's word? Only the one who loves God's word loves God. Do I feast on every word of it? Or do I fixate on the passages that make me feel good? Only the person who knows the whole counsel of God can be an approved worker who can stand unashamed before God. Of course, the new believer who has not yet mastered the Bible can still be a Christian in God's eyes; nonetheless all Christians should be daily increasing and enhancing their knowledge of the word, as a natural outpouring of a desire to know their Lord more fully.
2. Churches have repeatedly been formed around ethnic lines (e.g. Indian churches, Chinese churches, Korean churches, etc.) dividing the unity that Jesus so deeply desired. Such ethnic divisions violate the heart of God (click here for more about this topic).
3. The church has become a place of entertainment. In the Bible, church was a place of participation and accountability (see 1 Corinthians 5 and 14:26). The modern "worship concert and lecture" has little resemblance to the early church. We must return to what the New Testament teaches. (See my other essay on this topic.)
4. The next manifestation is conformity to this world. When people see you or those in your church -- would you be called "an alien and a stranger" (Heb 11:13, NIV)? Or do you look like the world, talk like the world, dress like the world, and eat like the world?
5. Rejecting the clear teaching of God's word (as understood for centuries), most churches accept the vanities of hair-styling, jewelry, and makeup. Besides being prohibited in Scripture (1 Timothy 2:9-10), this practice encourages every manner of pride and selfishness. (See my other essays on this topic.) If you have been called "well dressed" by the ungodly, you should mourn and wail.
6. Satan's primary handle into the minds of people today is through the media. Television and films are filled with every form of ungodliness. The Enemy captures children through the television, making them addicted and desiring the things of this world. "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:5) Professing Christians pay money each month to buy cable television, supporting the very companies and channels that mock God continuously. In addition, we must not provide the means by which children are tempted to sin. "Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes!" (Matthew 18:6-7)

I exhort all who read this essay to consider these things deeply and prayerfully -- your soul and many others will assuredly be impacted by your response.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Quotations designated (NET) are from the NET Bible ®. Scripture quoted by permission. Copyright © 2003 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. www.netbible.com All rights reserved.

Scripture marked NIV taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

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