Christians, do you find that many are deceived by False Teaching because it appeals to their personality?

Question

Many expect deception and false teaching to be the extreme opposite of God's Word as seen in the occult, or as overt as a Jim Jones Cult. However, I've found that MORE people are deceived, when a false teacher or prophet, presents their views with kindness, and places huge emphasis on ACTIONS that can be seen and judged by others.

Eph 2:8-10 says: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

There are many who attend church weekly, are well versed on scripture, and help others daily, who will not be saved, if they do not have a personal relationship with God and stand firmly on a foundation of TRUTH according to God's Word. Have you noticed that people choose religions based on how it fits their personality, or personal likes and dislikes?

I'm often SHOCKED at how thousands are misled on issues which are clearly explained in the Bible, simply because they put the opinion of other humans above God. I thought the video below was very informative. I agree with many of his points.

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/play?rurl=www.revelationofhope.org&oid=579d3a712707121e&

I posted the wrong link above. Visit the website below, and click on video #13 entitled Revelation unmasks the cult deception.

http://revelationofhope.com/schedule.html

Answer 1

Without having been able to view the article in question, I think people do allow for sins in their lives and maintain pride instead of humbling all the way down to a genuine change through salvation that brings works and faith and charity altogether. This is also a life-long journey of faith to endure until the end with testings and trials along the way and persecutions to be expected as we carry our cross. I think people do not want to carry the cross or suffer the shame or reproach of being a peculiar people (different from the world) and so choose a religion that allows for the level of personal discipline and clean living that they are willing to commit to. It's called "itching ears". Many have just enough religion to be innoculated against real salvation, pure religion undefiled. People can still have a "know-so" salvation. If they connect to the spirit of truth, He will lead them into all truth and not let them be decieved. It's their repsonsibility to study the Word and be both a hearer and doer of it afterwards by praying to God for the grace to live it. The more time one spends in God's presence, the more spiritual weapons they have through Christ to win the battles that can't be won in self or with carnal means. Few people want to crucify the flesh with Christ in prayer or fasting or to suffer wrong to inherit the earth. Jesus said my sheep know my voice and a stranger they will not follow. I don't think those who do not commit their lives fully to God as a living sacrifice, acceptable to Him, will make it into heaven but at the same time those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life and endure until the end will be saved. That isn't works. Faith, works, charity, obedience, reliance upon the grace of God and His Holy Spirit and endurance must all work together. If we are His, we will take heed and stand when we've done all we can do. That means being willing to give our lives for the sake of the gospel (loving not your own lives, losing your life for His sake).
Jesus saves all personality types who are willing to be saved. Everyone can find themselves before Christ and after in the Bible, with or without God in their knowledge, wise or foolish.

Answer 2

"But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved.
>>>So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness." -2 Thessalonians 2:9-12


So, when you say that the false teachings appeal to their personality you are correct. When one questions everything and digs and digs and doesn't listen to those that might appear to be helpful, but appeals to the one that can and does read the heart they are assured of finding the Truth.

Jesus also warned us as to how we should take care not to be mislead as well:

"Another illustration he set before them, saying: “The kingdom of the heavens has become like a man that sowed fine seed in his field. 25 While men were sleeping, his enemy came and oversowed weeds in among the wheat, and left. 26 When the blade sprouted and produced fruit, then the weeds appeared also. 27 So the slaves of the householder came up and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow fine seed in your field? How, then, does it come to have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy, a man, did this.’ They said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go out and collect them?’ 29 He said, ‘No; that by no chance, while collecting the weeds, YOU uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the harvest season I will tell the reapers, First collect the weeds and bind them in bundles to burn them up, then go to gathering the wheat into my storehouse.’”
-Matthew 13:24-30

Now, at this point is was very interesting to see how Jesus' disciples would react to this parable or illustration and for them wisdom made them curious and thus benefited greatly:

"Then after dismissing the crowds he went into the house. And his disciples came to him and said: “Explain to us the illustration of the weeds in the field.” 37 In response he said: “The sower of the fine seed is the Son of man; 38 the field is the world; as for the fine seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; but the weeds are the sons of the wicked one, 39 and the enemy that sowed them is the Devil. The harvest is a conclusion of a system of things, and the reapers are angels. 40 Therefore, just as the weeds are collected and burned with fire, so it will be in the conclusion of the system of things. 41 The Son of man will send forth his angels, and they will collect out from his kingdom all things that cause stumbling and persons who are doing lawlessness, 42 and they will pitch them into the fiery furnace. There is where [their] weeping and the gnashing of [their] teeth will be. 43 At that time the righteous ones will shine as brightly as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Let him that has ears listen." -Matthew 13:36-43

Interestingly, in the last book of the Hebrew Scriptures we find an interesting Scripture concerning being able to identify those serving and those not:

"And YOU people will again certainly see [the distinction] between a righteous one and a wicked one, between one serving God and one who has not served him.” -Malachi 3:18

Doesn't seem to be much of a gray area there...........and there is not.

Good Question ......thanks for asking.

Answer 3

People who can't tell right from wrong deserve what they get. That's nature's way. That's Darwinism. Natural selection. Nature tends to select the best, not the worst.

And everyone does everything based upon those concepts, which is why so many woman end up divorcing their husbands because they picked them like a pair of shoes instead of mate for life.

Answer 4

People mold God to their own (or Satan's, depending on how you look at it) will.
I actually had a pastor once tell me that Jesus called out to Zacchaeus not because Zacchaeus climbed the tree to seek out Jesus, but because he was RICH! This was a preacher from one of those "God wants you to be rich" churches. He said Zacchaeus had a big house and Jesus needed the room for Himself and all his apostles!
People don't want to hear that following Christ is hard; they want to hear that they are exactly right and everyone should follow them.

Answer 5

Satan uses false teachings by just slighly twisting the meaning.
For example, when questioning Eve at the garden, he said "Is it true that God said that you can not eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden?"
The twist being, Satan implied first that all the trees in the garden, fruit had been declared off limits. Of course Eve replies, " NO just the fruit of the tree in the center of the garden".
Do you see how this works? First Satan questions God's rulership and plants the seed that God is withholding good from the man and the woman. (The seed being the fruit of all ther trees was suggested as being denied)>
Then Satan follows up by overtly saying that even the fruit of the tree in the center of the garden is something good God is withholding.
The same holds true today. As more and more people look to their Bibles to see for themselves what the truth of God is, Satan will keep on adjusting the lie to keep us from learning the truth, so as to prevent us from gaining life.

Answer 6

Yeah i agree with that. Some of the people who go to my church regularly are the most superficial people and almost NEVER talk about or mention GOD.

Answer 7

Yes! The Bible says that even the very elect shall be deceived!

Answer 8

Yes and they look for the tickle my ears preachers who will preach love sweet love all day long and never mention repentance of sins. You see this the worst in the largest of churches where the preacher doesn't want to step on any one's toes for fear of losing finances.

Answer 9

:
Zech 11:5
Whose possessors slay them, and hold themselves not guilty: and they that sell them say, Blessed be the LORD; for I am rich: and their own shepherds pity them not.
:
Jer 23:16-18
Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.

18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
:
Isa 30:8-10
Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever:

9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:

10 Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits

Answer 10

The Terran Bible says people want to be told "smooth things".
"To have thier ears tickled."
People today want "feel good" stuff. Not truth.