The warning, “Do not be deceived” carries with it a particular message whenever we see it in Scripture. What is it? How can we protect against deception?
I find words fascinating. We just watched Dead Poets Society tonight with the boys. There’s a scene in the movie in which Mr. Keating says,
Avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Say what you really mean.
When we read the New Testament, there’s a phrase that appears a number of times. It’s a phrase that often just fades away as we focus on what follows. But I don’t think it was included by the writers as a throwaway, I believe it was intentional. There’s a lot of significance to be found in these few words.
“Do not be deceived…”
If we look at the context each time this phrase occurs, we’ll find some things in common. Each time, what follows this warning is something that is likely to deceive us. It’s as if the writer is putting a giant red arrow in the text that says, “Hey, you! Take note! THIS is something that is going to deceive people…don’t let it be you!”
