Deceived

Take heed that you not be deceived. —Luke 21:8

An acquaintance of mine was "taken in" by a smooth-talking salesman who stopped at his place of business. The man displayed some attractive fruit that he said he had grown. He was especially proud of some very rich looking fruit with deep red, yellow and green colors. My friend was impressed and bought several cases. But after the salesman left, he examined his "bargains" more carefully. He was surprised to discover that the fruit was not the same as he had been shown after all. It was the same type of fruit, but the quality was very different. The colors were not bright and the flavors were not sweet.

The incident reminded me of what the Savior said in Luke 21:8, "Take heed that you not be deceived." Even as some in the business world cleverly pervert the facts and victimize their customers, there are also deceivers in the church who distort the truth. They use biblical terminology and appear to be well meaning. But beware! They are evil and will lead you astray. Be firmly grounded in the Word of God and so you won't be "taken in" by deception.