Unveiling a deceiver

2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

A wolf can dress up in sheep clothing but it will never make that wolf a sheep, never. God sees through the disguises we put on for others, and even to fool ourselves. Self-deception is a very real thing.

Satan TRANSFORMED into and ANGEL OF LIGHT.  

Then how are we to know the enemy if not by what we are shown?  If Satan and Satan's ministers can appear to be ministers of righteousness then how are we to discern between the true and the false?

Isa_8:20  To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

Mar 7:7  Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mar 7:8  For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

Jesus had this to say about commandments-

Mat 19:16  And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Mat 19:17  And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Mat 19:18  He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,

Mat 19:19  Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 19:20  The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?

Mat 19:21  Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

Keep the commandments. 

The MORAL commandments!  This man kept the moral law from his youth and on up.  Clearly before Jesus' ministry he was keeping the COMMANDMENTS that Jesus was talking about.   He was doing good, what he lacked was the LOVE in the commandments- the loving God and others before himself.

Jesus DID NOT COME TO DESTROY THE MORAL LAW!

Mat_5:17  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

Yet people will swear up and down that Jesus came to destroy the moral law, they will! They'll tell you outright that Jesus did away with the moral law because He knew we couldn't keep it.  They'll tell you that we do not have to keep any moral law at all. They'll call the moral law the law of Moses not God's law.  They'll say the moral law was nailed to the cross.  Yet Jesus is telling people to KEEP the commandments, why? Why would He do that? Why?! Why would He tell people to 'go and sin no more' if there is no such thing as sin?!  If you do away with the moral law then you've done away with sin!  So in essence people are saying Jesus did away with sin and there is no such thing as sin any longer.  Are we living in a sinless world? I don't know about you, but I'm not!

The TRUE essence of every single one of the ten moral laws is LOVE- love for GOD and love for Man.

Luk 10:25  And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

Luk 10:26  He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

Luk 10:27  And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

Luk 10:28  And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Love. 

To do away with the ten moral laws- the ten commandments the laws written by the FINGER of GOD- is to do away with love!

So how do we know if people are DISGUISED as ministers of righteousness but are anything but righteous? We know by God's word, by God's moral law, by the truth of our Savior.  

Ultimately all the works of everyone will be revealed. Ultimately the hidden truths of everyone will come to light and be seen. The pretend minister of righteousness will be exposed as a deceiver and while a person may cry out they were deceived and didn't know better, our Savior can point to His word and tell them the truth was in there and they failed to search for it with all their heart.

Satan and his deceivers will do EVERYTHING they can to deceive, we are powerless on our own to keep from being deceived. We need God's truth! We need His word!  Is it any wonder people all over our world DIE to read God's word?

Would you die for God's word?

May the HOLY SPIRIT guide us to ALL TRUTH!

May we not be numbered among the deceived. May we NOT be found wearing sheep clothing.

Please heavenly Father, we would be YOURS, wholly YOURS through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior- Your only begotten Son!

Now and forever!

Amen!!!!!!!