Be Careful What You Say Amen to!
2 Tim. 3:13; Titus 3:3
These final letters from Paul to Timothy and Titus, which are part of what theologians refer to as the “pastoral epistles,” speak to the fact that humans are subject to being deceived and there are plenty of deceivers lying in wait to pull them into a deception.
The question is, does this include members of the body of Christ?*
Good question. Some would say, “certainly not! If you are truly saved, or ‘born again,’ you’ll recognize lies and deceptions when presented to you, because you have been given a ‘spirit of discernment.'”
I agree with the last phrase in this statement, but not the rest of it.
First, people saved into the body of Christ are not “born again.” That is a designation/condition particular to God’s chosen people in a future dispensation. This isn’t to say that we are not endued with a “spirit of discernment” (Ref 1 Cor 12:10), but that doesn’t mean we will always exercise it. Like “the fruits of the Spirit” listed in Galatians 5:22, which must be pro-actively employed, so, too, does the spirit of discernment.
So, yes, the believer is just as subject to deception as the unbeliever, therefore, before saying amen! to anything it is wise to be like a Berean and take a “look behind the curtain,” as they say, to “see if these things be so,” which would include taking into consideration who is making the claim and what the motivation behind it might be and foremost, can it be supported by Scripture, rightly divided?
All Scripture references in my answer are taken from the King James Bible, which I believe to be the only Bible currently published in the English language that is inspired and completely trustworthy. Please feel free to re-print or distribute this article.
Post Script
Are you saved? Jesus Christ—“who knew no sin”—and his sacrificial death on the Cross, has made the way for “everyone that believeth…to be reconciled to God. History has shown that whatever peace man has achieved in the world can only be temporary. The Bible says that individual men and women can know, beyond a doubt, that they are saved and bound for heaven, and therefore have absolute and permanent peace, regardless of what is going on in the world, by trusting Jesus Christ and his death on the cross for their eternal salvation. “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved…Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Have you done this? If not, why not now?
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