“There's a sucker born every minute.” This is a common saying among swindlers. For the con artist, it means there will always be naive people to deceive. For all others, it simply means there will always be misleading people trying to take advantage. Perhaps this is why we get emails from people trying to share their "millionaire inheritance" tied up in a Swiss bank account.
FALSE GOSPELS
The same applies to the many fake evangelists deceiving people with false gospels. They exploit religiosity, good faith, and ignorance. It is sad to see people following (and giving money to) these swindlers, but this is the reality we live in. Jesus clearly said one of the signs of the last days will be the presence of misleading, false "christs." We must to be aware and "delete the emails" without listening to their lies. Jesus warned us:
Watch that no one deceives you. —Matthew 24:4
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EVIDENT
Not every scam is as evident as the inheritance e-mails. Some are subtle and more sophisticated. Jesus knew this and warned us these con artists “would deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24). We must be on our guard, prepared to identify deceit and walk away, leaving these sweet talkers talking to themselves.
HOW TO AVOID DECEPTION
The best way to avoid deception is to know the Truth.
Policemen expert in counterfeit money are primarily experts in real money. They are able to recognize the finest details, understanding printing technique and anti-counterfeiting mechanisms present in real notes. Anything that deviates from that standard is false. The same is true for God’s word and false teachings. In order to avoid deception, we must know the Truth in depth, becoming experts in the true Word of God. When those truths are well planted in our hearts and minds, false teachings are easily identified and the enemy has no chance.