Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. Matthew 7:20
We cannot see the hearts of any human unless the Lord shows us
The charm and charisma that draws us in may not be genuine
There are some people you will know in your life
and you might not know what they are all about
until years down the road
They may change or they may turn against the Lord
They may turn against you
We cannot trust people in the same way we can trust Jesus
We can also become unequally yoked with people,
meaning either they or you are more interested in the things of the Lord
if we love the world, the Love of the Father is not in us
And if we choose to walk with Christ in fullness,
there will be many who will not want to be around that sort of dedication
Or perhaps their hearts harden,
whatever the case, people may lose interest in you
and then you realize they were not who you thought they were
or maybe who you wanted them to be
There are some preachers whose hearts you cannot see
who seem to say all the right things but who teach heresy
There are some whole denominations
who have adopted neat little packages of doctrine
Their lists of absolutes line closely with scripture
The doctrine may even contain scriptures inside
but they are not from the Lord,
they are a mixture of truth and error which makes deception
How can we know the truth and recognize deception?
By loving the truth with every fiber of our being
and humbling ourselves before God’s word
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9
There are many around you who may be walking in error
and may surprise you by trying to lead you astray or by betraying you:
Politicians
Or celebrities
Youtube hosts
Or even family members or friends you may have
There is a reason Jesus warned us of these things
He does not want us to be caught unaware
or for the blow to be too much for us when it happens
When the squeeze is on, all bets are off
That is why He let us know in advance
that there are many wolves out there
They come in many shapes and sizes
and may look like innocent sheep or shepherds,
but inwardly are ravening wolves
They may even be well-meaning but are deceived themselves
Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves
We know times of division are coming
as we get closer to the End of Time
Just remember not to be surprised when you find out
what is in someone’s heart you thought you knew
It can be a rude awakening
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another,
and shall hate one another. Matthew 24:10
You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers,
relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death.
Luke 21:16
Scriptural References:
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves:
be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
Matthew 10:16
Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
1 John 2:15
Buy the truth, and sell it not;
also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Proverbs 23:23
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2 Thessalonians 2:10