It seems that every day we find out that something we had thought was true was not completely accurate after all. In some cases, malice or deception may have been involved, and in other cases not necessarily. Either way is disappointing, sometimes even heartbreaking. Often, the matter is something minor and of little consequence, but other times it can be quite significant and life-altering.

Substack commentator Thomas Buckley observes:

“What is a consensus? At its heart it is a group of people thinking that something is most likely correct or good or the best way to do or think about something.

“What is a conspiracy? At its heart it is a group of people thinking that something is most likely correct or good or the best way to do or think about something.

“The difference between the two is the impression of the intent of the group by those on the outside. Conspiracies are manifestly suspect and created out of nefarious motives to achieve a specific, most likely at least unethical, goal. Consensuses are seen as positive constructs, having been arrived at after open discussion, healthy debate, and a consideration of all relevant factors.”1

His overall conclusion ends up being that sometimes the consensuses turn out to be conspiracies and vice versa.

Whatever the reason, whenever we realize that some bit of information received from a beloved one, friend, coworker, educational system, news outlet, or government has not in fact been transparent or truthful, an interesting thing may happen. We may tend to seek God more. Our faith in unseen reality can be strengthened when the ties that bind us to what is seen suffers any measure of deterioration. After all, security and trust depend heavily on honesty and reliability.

What about if this occurs in the realm of religion? If we have been deceived about essential truths involving the plan of salvation, our eternal life could be at stake. This is no small matter—and this is why we need to understand very deeply the whole truth precisely as revealed by the Creator of the universe.

The big tragedy is that many prefer to be deceived if acting on the truth happens to be inconvenient— somehow involving a cross. Such would rather hear lies than the truth. The prophet Isaiah was instructed:

“Now go, write it before them in a table, and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever: That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us” (Isaiah 30:8–11). What a self-destructive position to take!

In writing to the Thessalonians, the apostle Paul gives eye-opening truth about the biggest threat to Christians in the last days. He starts with words of assurance:

“Now we beseech you, brethren, Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand” (2 Thessalonians 2:1, 2).

Then he warns about the danger of a great deception—and the shocking place where it originates: “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God” (Verses 3, 4).

Paul reminds us that, despite the widespread influence of the imposter, the true and living God is still in control.

“Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (Verses 5–12).

Shockingly, why will there be such strong delusion? We read above that this delusion will come upon those who received not the love of the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

Do you know the truth for the last days of earth's history? You might be among the many who have even heard about it since childhood. Do you take it for granted? Does it fail to thrill your soul? Do you find the Bible to be a little bit boring? It may be because you do not love it. Beware! If that is the case, then pray earnestly as did the psalmist, “Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law” (Psalm 119:18).

God can open your eyes to a new appreciation of His will and His ways, a fresh zeal for His glory. Pray earnestly to regain that “first love” experience. Without it, the strong, overpowering delusion will surely sweep you away. Scripture has stated it clearly. "For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Matthew 24:24). While in a state of spiritual lethargy, soon will you be able to withstand the supernatural signs and wonders soon to come? The saying, “Seeing is believing” will no longer apply. We will not be able to trust what we see; our only safety is in a “Thus saith the Lord.”

When we have been longing for truth, it is so refreshing when we finally get it! We read in Scripture, “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” (John 8:31). We see here some details often overlooked: The condition upon which we can be genuine disciples of Jesus is that we “continue” in His word. The apostle Paul also declares: “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel” (Colossians 1:21–23, first part). This is no shallow experience.

As we proceed further in the passage from John chapter 8, we read: “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). The Lord does not say “set" you free as many misquote. He says “make” you free. That means the creative power of God that brought the universe into existence you through His truth. Jesus prayed to His Father in our behalf, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth” (John 17:17). As we diligently apply to our hearts and lives the truth found in the word of God, we become sanctified—spiritually washed, made holy. Then when Jesus comes back to redeem His people, we can be among those with the following testimony:

“Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2, 3).

The passage then goes on to explain what sin is. So many people have no idea what sin is. They know it's something wrong somehow, but they don't stop doing it because they're not quite sure what sin even is. Having essentially been taught a deception by virtue of its vagueness, they don't take much action about the question of sin. Their relationship with Christ is rather lukewarm because they figure they don't really need Him much because they know in theory that He came to save us from sin, but since they don't know what sin is, anyway, they assume they're pretty much okay as they are.

But in contrast, through the purification process mentioned above, sin is defined! Finally! At last! We can know what exactly sin is! How refreshing is the truth: “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Sin = violation of God's moral law of Ten Commandments.

Many assume, “Oh, I keep the Ten Commandments. I'm a good person,” but they don't even know where the Ten Commandments are found in the Bible, much less read them!

The Ten Commandments are found in Exodus 20:1–17 and should certainly be committed to memory if we plan to take them seriously and live by them. If as children we all memorized our addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division tables, surely we can handle this important goal! It's much easier to remember. God even gave us ten fingers to help us keep track of them.

The New Testament reiterates the spirit of the Ten Commandments experience in Christ: “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more” (Hebrews 10:16, 17). So, if we want the law of God to be written in our hearts, we need to know what it says and meditate upon its beauty every day.

According to Revelation chapter 13, the powers of earth are soon to declare and enforce a law trampling upon the seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord, to exalt the counterfeit Sabbath dedicated to the pagan venerable day of the sun. It sounds hard to believe, doesn't it? Let's check out a commentary which indeed reveals what is looming on the horizon:

“Enacting Sabbath [i.e., likely here referring to Sunday] laws, for example, follows not from a principle of grace but from a principle of nature— that civil government ought to order outward conditions for the good of man, including the highest good. Civil law cannot command inward worship or belief, but it can suppress public blasphemy, heresy, and flagrant disregard for public worship among the baptized.”2

“Scripture clarifies our natural duties to God, telling us to worship him alone, to worship him how he desires to be worshipped, to revere him and all his works, and to set aside a time for his worship. We can expect a Christian magistrate, having this inscripturated clarification, to understand the most basic principles of man's duty in natural religion and to know what clearly violates those duties, namely, (1) atheism, polytheism, and idolatry; (2) strange and profane rites; (3) blasphemy and sacrilege; and (4) profanation of the Sabbath [i.e., likely referring to Sunday]. These principles and their violations should be indisputable to a Christian magistrate, since they are known (at least vaguely) by natural reason and conscience and clarified in Scripture. Therefore, the Christian magistrate has good and confident epistemic ground to act against those who violate natural religion [i.e., profane the Sunday.]”3

Do we see what is afoot here? The well-intentioned plan described above may sound harmless enough to most, but clearly points to a fulfillment of prophecy that will indeed do great harm in the sight of God and His changeless law of Ten Commandments. Sincere, well-intentioned people are getting mixed up—distorting and going contrary to God's revealed will. Yet we all are warned: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).

The third angel's message of Revelation 14:9–12 reminds us not to be intimidated by what will quickly escalate into the harsh threatenings presented in Revelation 13. Yet one of the apostles who refused to be censored from testifying of Jesus Christ reminds us, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29). Are we afraid to teach this reality to others? Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:27, 28: “What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

This is what the third angel's message is all about: “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus” (Revelation 14:9–12).

The mark of the beast is a clever counterfeit to trap those who don't bother to learn what the Ten Commandments actually say—that holy, moral law of God written by His own finger, carved into tables of stone. Those who fall for the counterfeit law are guilty of breaking the Ten Commandments, because as Scripture says, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law” (James 2:10, 11).

It's not easy to tell people they are lawbreakers. After all, they might get upset, especially if they profess to be Christians and happen to foster self-righteous confidence. But what does God say? Wouldn't you rather know the actual truth than be lied to?

This is a real message. Yet, too many standing in the sacred desk as ministers of the gospel are content to preach smooth things to please carnally-minded people. One such individual was “Elder N”:

“Elder N was fearful of offending, fearful lest the peculiarities of our faith should appear; the standard was lowered to meet the people. It should have been urged upon them that we possess truths of vital importance, and that their eternal interest depended upon the decision they there made; that in order to be sanctified through the truth, their idols would have to be given up, their sins be confessed, and they bring forth fruit meet for repentance.

“Those who engage in the solemn work of bearing the third angel's message must move out decidedly, and in the Spirit and power of God fearlessly preach the truth and let it cut. They should elevate the standard of truth and urge the people to come up to it. It has too frequently been lowered to meet the people in their condition of darkness and sin. It is the pointed testimony that will bring them up to decide. A peaceful testimony will not do this. The people have the privilege of listening to this kind of teaching from popular pulpits; but those servants to whom God has entrusted the solemn, fearful message which is to bring out and fit up a people for the coming of Christ should bear a plain, pointed testimony. Our truth is as much more solemn than that of nominal professors, as the heavens are higher than the earth.

“The people are asleep in their sins and need to be alarmed before they can shake off this lethargy. Their ministers have preached smooth things; but God's servants, who bear sacred, vital truths, should cry aloud and spare not, that the truth may tear off the garment of security and find its way to the heart. The straight testimony that should have been given to the people . . . was shunned by the ministers; the seed of truth was sown among thorns and has been choked by them. With some, evil besetments have flourished, and the heavenly graces have died out.

“God's servants must bear a pointed testimony, which will cut the natural heart and develop character.”4

Being aware of this kind of situation, the apostle Paul exhorted Timothy: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:2–4).

People are tired of being lied to in the secular realm—and a large number are tired of being lied to in the religious realm as well. Are we ready to speak candidly and with love, to help them understand the truth?

“As the third message swells to a loud cry, and as great power and glory attend the closing work, the faithful people of God will partake of that glory. It is the latter rain which revives and strengthens them to pass through the time of trouble. Their faces will shine with the glory of that light which attends the third angel.”5

“The Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning.”6

At this time in history, “God has sent messengers who have studied their Bibles to find what is truth, and studied the movements of those who are acting their part in fulfilling prophecy in bringing about the religious amendment which is making void the law of God and thus giving ascendancy to the man of sin. And shall no voice be raised of direct warning to arouse the churches to their danger? Shall we let things drift, and let Satan have the victory without a protest? God forbid.

“The Lord Jesus understands the pressure that is brought to bear against those who are loyal and true to Him, for He has felt the same in the highest degree. Those who witnessed a good confession in behalf of truth in the Reformation counted not their lives dear unto themselves, that truth might be vindicated. God and angels are looking on as witnesses from their holy dwelling place, and marking the earnestness and zeal of the defenders of the truth in this age. What do they defend? The faith once delivered to the saints. Then let the message go to all nations, tongues, and people. . . .

“There are many souls to come out of the ranks of the world, out of the churches—even the Catholic church—whose zeal will far exceed that of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore. For this reason the eleventh hour laborers will receive their penny. These will see the battle coming and will give the trumpet a certain sound. When the crisis is upon us, when the season of calamity shall come, they will come to the front, gird themselves with the whole armor of God, and exalt His law, adhere to the faith of Jesus, and maintain the cause of religious liberty which Reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives. . . .

“There were many not of our faith who were deeply stirred with the importance of doing something and doing it now, in the struggle for religious freedom. Many were awakened to see what this religious amendment meant—turning from a 'Thus saith the Lord, the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God.' A spurious sabbath is presented to be legislated into power, compelling the observance of a sabbath which God has not enjoined upon man.

“The persecutions of Protestants by Romanism, by which the religion of Jesus Christ was almost annihilated, will be more than rivaled when Protestantism and popery are combined. The darkest pages of history will be opened in that great day when it will be too late for wrongs to be righted. Registered in the book are crimes that have been committed because of religious differences. We are not ignorant of the history. Europe was shaken as though with an earthquake, when a church, lifted up in pride and vanity, haughty and tyrannical, devoted to condemnation and death all who dared to think for themselves, and who ventured to take the Bible as the foundation of their faith.”7

“The kings and rulers of the earth, however great their power, are to consider themselves under a Ruler who owns the world. No earthly ruler is to be looked upon as above the Ruler who made the world in six days, and rested on the Seventh-day [from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset], sanctifying and blessing it, and giving it to man to be set apart as holy, and observed to the glory of His name. But priests and rulers have set up the first day of the week to be observed by the beings God has made. They compel His creatures to transgress the law of their Creator. Man has set himself above the Lord of heaven, and has turned human beings aside from the observance of the day of God, as their Creator, declared to be kept holy, as a sign between Him and them throughout their generations forever.

“We are every one of us to look from finite man to the Omnipotent God, who has the ownership of all to whom He has given life. They are under His government, and when finite rulers make laws that conflict with a plain, 'Thus saith the Lord,' we are to obey the law of God. Shall man dare to take the place of God, setting aside the laws of the Ruler of the universe, and placing in their stead human enactments? Shall he dare to compel obedience to these human laws? ”8 In the face of such pressure, again, we must reflect the words of the apostles, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).

Let us humbly determine to follow God and His word no matter what the cost!