Escaping Deception In The Last Days | Get Ready For Christ's Return | Zac Poonen
2020 Melbourne Conference Theme: Get Ready For Christ's Return Message Title: 4) Escaping Deception In The Last Days - Zac Poonen Visit our website for more information: www.cfcindia.com
Summary
The central message is that deception will be a primary characteristic of the last days, as warned by Jesus and Paul. To guard against this deception, believers must actively love the truth, meaning they must honestly acknowledge any sin or wrong attitude God reveals in their own conscience. Acknowledging truth and making restitution, like Zacchaeus did, is the key to avoiding deception.
Outline
The message in plain words, in the order it unfolds. Select a time to jump the video to that moment.
What is the primary sign of Christ's coming?When the disciples asked Jesus about the sign of His coming and the end of the age, He pointed primarily to increasing deception rather than wars, famines, earthquakes, or general persecution.Matthew 24:3
Why does God send a deluding influence?Second Thessalonians explains that God permits people to be deceived and believe what is false specifically because they do not receive the love of the truth and do not want to be saved from sin.2 Thessalonians 2:10–11
How to avoid deception by loving the truthTo escape deception, we must love the truth about ourselves by immediately acknowledging our sin and faults when God convicts us, rather than making excuses or blaming others like Adam and Eve did.
Zacchaeus and salvation from the love of moneyZacchaeus demonstrated true repentance by righting his wrongs and forsaking his greed, prompting Jesus to declare that salvation had come to his house.Luke 19:8–10
Accepting biblical truth over church traditionLoving the truth also means accepting what the Word of God says even when it contradicts the traditions or teachings we have followed in our churches all our lives.
Doing religious works while practicing sinOn judgment day, many will boast of casting out demons and doing miracles in Jesus' name, but the Lord will reject them because they practiced lawlessness and lived in sin.Matthew 7:22
The mystery of godliness in 1 TimothyThe Holy Spirit explicitly warned that in the last days people would fall away from the true faith, which is the revelation of Christ coming in the flesh with a pure spirit to show us how to live godly lives.1 Timothy 3:16
Jesus as the mediator who came as a manJesus was fully God while on earth, but He lived and overcame as a man so that He could be a true example for us to follow.1 Timothy 2:5
You cannot serve God and moneyJesus declared that no servant can serve two masters, testing whether our lives are ultimately directed by God or by the love of money.Luke 16:13
Never compare yourself with other believersWe must stop comparing ourselves to other Christians or churches to feel superior, and instead measure our lives solely against Jesus Christ.
Purifying ourselves as we wait for His returnEveryone who has the genuine hope of Christ's return will constantly purify themselves from every form of sin just as He is pure.1 John 3:2–3
