Do Not Be Deceived

The antidote to deception is knowing what is true/truth!

How vital for (professing) mature believers to

walk in truth, living as irreproachable role models,

not authoring confusion!

John 17:17

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

(from Jesus prayer (for us) in the garden of Gethsemane,

 just before He died for us)

Matthew 24:4,11,24

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you…

Galatians 6:7

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10

Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? 

Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters,

 nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts,

10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers,

 nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.…

1 Corinthians 15:33

Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good character."

 34Sober up as you ought, and stop sinning; 

for some of you are ignorant of God.

 I say this to your shame.…

This poem was inspired by my Scripture reading today, 1 Cor. 15,

as well as a few paragraphs from the final chapters

 in the book George Muller of Bristol 

Half-truths will hurt the hearer more than we can comprehend

God, help us handle correctly, the truth that does not bend

To understate matters of fact by gentling truth with lies

To mollify its impact, is a deadly compromise

To take the tempter's doubting stance of 'did God really say?'

Leads into disobedience; instead, we ought to pray 

Deception is a foe that coils in enticing façade

The victor of soul-spoils unless we know the Word of God 

Oh, do not be deceived; truth does not shift or sway or die

Truth is safely believed; God's gift on which we can rely 

The wise discreetly strive to speak the truth in clearest ways

Careful, lest someone who is weak misinterprets, then strays 

Truth is not complicated; Word on which we can depend

Truth, unintimidated and trustworthy to the end

God, make us conscientious, humbly striving to be true  

For the Tempter's pretentious cunning, cannot altar You  

 © Janet Martin

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.

 We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, 

full of grace and truth.

John 1:17
For the law was given through Moses; 

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

John 17:17
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

1 Pet.5:8-9

Be sober-minded and alert. 

Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, 

seeking someone to devour. 

9Resist him, standing firm in your faith and in the knowledge

 that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing 

the same kinds of suffering.