The Consequence of Being Deceived

When we see people doing things that are harmful to themselves or others, the question we might ask is:

• Whether they are innocently or naively, doing these wrong, harmful, ungodly, things, or,
  
  
• Whether they are doing so intentionally, knowing it’s wrong but either not caring, or (arrogantly or naively) thinking they will not suffer consequences, or that the consequences will be minor. There is some bigger payoff for them.

Oftentimes, the deceived ends up deceiving others without realizing it. The problem with being deceived is that you don’t know you are deceived; you think you know the truth about the matter, and the message you “preach” to others, may lead them astray as well. Of course, there are those who intentionally deceive others—that, is wickedness.

Yes, it might be good to know people’s intentions—whether they are committing an honest mistake or an intentional wrongdoing. However, at some point, the deceived suffers the same fate as the deceiver.

1 Timothy 2:14

14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.

Eve was deceived by satan’s lies, which caused her to not believe that God had told them the truth. Yet both her and Adam, who was not deceived, shared the same fate, (and all of mankind for that matter).

To deceive someone is to cause a person to believe was is false—what is not true.

• Eve started out with a misunderstanding of the truth. She thought God said they couldn’t even touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil or they would die (Genesis 3:1-3), but God didn’t say anything about touching it, He had said not to eat of the tree or they would die (Genesis 2:16-17).

• When the liar came and told her a lie—that they wouldn’t die, but would be great, like God (Genesis 3:4-5)—then she picked the fruit, touching it. She didn’t die when she touched it. That was a false confirmation of the lie she was told.

• She and Adam both ate, and both experienced spiritual death, with the process of physical death beginning in their bodies, as they no longer had access to the tree of life (Genesis 3:7-24)

Misunderstanding of the truth led to Eve accepting a false confirmation of a lie, which resulted in her being deceived and experiencing the same consequence that Adam experienced—death. The deceived suffered the same fate as the one who knew better.

Adam may not have been the one to deceive Eve, he was not the deceiver—satan was. But Adam knew it was wrong to eat of that fruit. He knew that God had told him truth, which was that they would die if they ate the fruit of that tree (Genesis 2:17).

Did he not care? Did he think the consequences wouldn’t really be that bad? Did he not want to be “left out” if Eve gained this great place of being “like God, knowing good and evil”? Or did he just decide to go the way of satan, rather than his creator, God?

My point is, whether we knowingly or unknowingly do wrong, and go against the ways of God, there are consequences we will suffer for that, and not just us, but others may suffer as well. We MUST be seekers of truth to avoid this, and there is only one place to find truth—that is in the One who created all things—God, through His Word/His Son, and His Spirit (See Genesis 1:1-3, Psalm 33:6, John 1:1-3, Hebrews 1:1-3 ).

Jesus said to the Father, “… Your word is truth, (John 17:17).

Speaking to His disciples, He called the Holy Spirit, “the Spirit of truth,” (John 16:13).

Truth is found in the Word of God (written in the Bible) and in the Spirit of God. Ask the Spirit of God to reveal truth to you as you read the Bible.

The first thing Jesus told His disciples when they asked Him what would be the sign of His second coming and the end of the age was, “See to it that no one misleads you.” (Matthew 24:4).

The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians that those who did not “believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness,” would be judged. (2 Thessalonians 2:12).

Whether we are being misled, or are intentionally choosing wickedness over truth, the consequences, in the end, are the same. 

We must be seekers of truth—those who pursue understanding of God’s Word and His ways—if we are to avoid deception, wickedness, and where those paths lead. And thank God, by following His ways of truth, we do more than escape those fatal consequences, we have His life and freedom from all forms of death, eternally.

“If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

Jesus, (John 8:31-32).