“TAKE HEED THAT NO MAN DECEIVE YOU.”
By T.
The Saviour’s words, “Take heed that no man deceive you,” while applicable for all time, were given as a special admonition for the last days. This fact any one will readily perceive who gives careful study to the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, from which these words are quoted. The Master adds, “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matt. 24:24. “False Christs and false prophets” will surely arise, and great deceptions will appear on every hand. There can be no doubt of this important truth, for the Lord’s Word clearly reveals it to us. But how good it is that it is impossible for them, as they show their “great signs and wonders,” to deceive “the very elect”! The elect of God are shielded from these last-day deceptions, because they reverently believe and give heed to this Word, which exposes every snare laid for their feet. They know from a personal knowledge of the blessed Book of all books that in very truth “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” Ps. 119:105. And he whose feet are in the path lighted by that divine lamp, can not be deceived. He who would deceive us, avoids coming into the open light; he comes surreptitiously under the cover of falsehood. And so when we stand in that path so brilliantly lighted by the Word of God, it is not “possible” to deceive us. How comforting this truth is! How full of assurance can he move forward, and what firmness is there in his tread, when he sees lying before him, not in dim outlines, but in the clearest light, this bright path so graciously provided by our Master! But simply to tell us that there are dangers of deception in these last days is not enough; we must be told what these delusions are if we would see and avoid them. One of these, we are told, is that “there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:3, 4. This scripture incidentally shows what other texts more plainly reveal, and that is that it is a part of God’s plan when the time of the great event is near, to have the doctrine of the soon coming of Christ preached. But as the prophecies are unfolded, and the signs which are revealed all about us are clearly pointed out as unmistakable evidence that the day of the Lord is near, some are heard to say, “Where is the promise of His coming?” In derision they tell us that “since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” Yet we know that marvelous differences betwixt our time and the days of the “fathers” do exist. Storm and earthquake, political strife, warlike preparations, crime increasing on every hand, the amassing of wealth by the few, and the poverty and consequent suffering of so many, are among the things that are causing men’s hearts to fail them to-day. God in His Word has mentioned that these social, political, and physical disturbances will be combined in such awful proportions at the close of time as to stand out as unmistakable signs that the “last days” are reached, and that we may confidently look for the coming of our Saviour at an early hour. Notwithstanding this evidence that the Master has so graciously given, we hear the sneering question, “Where is the promise of His coming?” Well, if the scoffer could only realize it, he himself is one of the clearest proofs that the day of “His coming” is right at hand; for the doctrine of the soon coming of Christ is being preached with sufficient power and clearness to disturb his mind. And, to avert the force of this evidence that is rolling in upon him as an overwhelming tide from the heart of a loving heavenly Father, the question is raised, “Where is the promise of His coming?” The question is asked faintly, perhaps, at first, for the evidence is so clear and God is so desirous of saving that He sends home the conviction with a power that seems irresistible. But when a truth is seen and resisted, when conscience is stifled, and honest convictions are trampled underfoot, the vital and clinging force of truth finds no place to anchor within us, and, without realizing it, we are soon drifting amid the storm. But wherein, you will ask, can this derisive sneering at the doctrine of the soon coming of Christ be found to be a fatal deception of the last days? This is an important question; study it closely. Every other deception is involved in it. Has not the Lord given us the most precious promises of His coming? Why, the very last book of the Bible that was given, closes with that sublime benediction, “He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly.” Jesus is indeed the “Desire of all nations.” He is truly the “One altogether lovely.” He is the “Friend of sinners.” He is the “gentle Shepherd.” He is the great “Redeemer.” And why should all not want Him to come? Why should any one raise a sneering question as to the “promise of His coming”? And what a delusion it is for men to get into that frame of mind where they can rudely scoff at the comforting hope of the return of our blessed Lord! Yet any one knows that nothing is made the subject of ridicule more than that most glorious of all doctrines, the second coming of Christ. Men who see and teach that His coming is near are by many classed at once as fanatics, and so the mind is turned away from carefully examining the evidence which shows that our Lord will soon come. What a fatal delusion of the enemy this is! And how completely by this prejudice can he close the mind against the evidences so plainly to be seen everywhere, showing that the coming of the Lord, that time to be desired above all others, is almost here! And will it not be a fatal delusion to you if you allow the sneering at the pleasurable thought of the soon coming of Christ to keep you from a knowledge of this most glorious truth? For the promise is only “unto them7that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Heb. 9:28. But you say, “Christ’s soon coming is not a pleasurable anticipation to me.” O, if this is true it is because you do not know Jesus! He is your personal Friend, if you could but realize it; and if you do not love the thought of His coming, it is because you are holding to some sin or cherished idol. And you know that the Master can not approve any evil. Then let Him have the sin to destroy it, so that He may save you at the day of His appearing. For if you hold back, you will surely join with those who scoff at His coming, and thus lose your soul. It may take heavenly courage to stand up against this “scoffing” in these “last days.” But our Lord has told us that we would meet it, so that we may go to Him for strength to overcome. The power of ridicule is one of the very worst things to conquer that any one has to meet. But how good it is that our Master was willing to suffer for us the worst ridicule that ever a man was called to meet! And so when the world jeers at our hope of His soon coming, He strengthens us by His words, “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”