Tune in to hear Pastor Josh preach from 1 Thessalonians this morning:
“Church, we must be on guard against deception. Now you might think, ‘But Josh, our message is divine revelation, how could deception come into play?’ In many ways. When believers are not bold, they are tempted to reduce the offense of the gospel. We think it wise to only share certain things or certain aspects of the gospel with our friends and family, so as to win them over with deception. It is a temptation to deceive regarding our own activity, presenting ourselves in a finer light than is reality; presenting ourselves as more sanctified, or more knowledgeable than we really are. It is a temptation to walk in deception in order to keep the peace, to fit in with the others around us, to reduce offense. But when deceit is considered a pathway to peaceful coexistence, then disaster is around the corner
Church, the Bible classifies deception as a sin, and it is found on nearly every sin-list in the NT. For this reason the Christian preachers shunned it as a legitimate means to gain converts. The motives were not personal enrichment; the message was not tailored for mass appeal…“