The second part of Lee's series on deception
In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the whole of Narnia is under a spell – the White Witch has decreed that it will be perpetually winter, and everywhere is covered in a blanket of snow.
Our world is likewise under a curse, and the blanket of snow could easily represent the effects of deception, acting like a curtain over our hearts, preventing us from seeing reality. As we saw in Part One last month, we are naturally prone to deceive and be deceived; as Jeremiah observed, it is the default setting of our hearts.
One of the remarkable things about Christ, therefore, is that He was free from this curse – He was never deceived. He recognised Satan on every occasion He met him, even when he was masquerading behind a disciple (Mark 8:33). He knew exactly what was going on in the hearts and minds of His friends and enemies – see for instance Matthew 22:18; Mark 2:8; John 13:27.
Breaking the pattern
Jesus, therefore, breaks the pattern of deception established at the Fall; and one of the delicious things about the gospel is the way that Christ, the embodied wisdom of God, turns the tables on Satan. The great deceiver is himself deceived! We read that the cross was God’s secret wisdom, hidden from view until full atonement for sin had been made at Calvary (1 Cor. 2:7-8).
This is the point when the spell is broken. The centurion, witnessing Christ’s death, cries: ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’ (Mark 15:39). He can see reality! After His resurrection, we read that Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures (Luke 24:45). In Acts we see Peter and Paul, endued with the Spirit, exercising similar supernatural discernment to that displayed by Jesus (e.g. Acts 5:1-11; 8:20-23; 13:10; 16:16-18).
Distinguishing the gifts
Now we have to be careful when considering the extent to which the church today can lay claim to the same powers that the apostles exercised. Their ministry was unique; for instance, few today would argue that we possess healing powers on a par with those seen in Acts 5:15-16 (where even Peter’s shadow seemed able to heal) or Acts 19:11-12 (where handkerchiefs that Paul had touched healed people). But in regard to the gift of discernment, or wisdom, there is a difference.
Do not be deceived
For whereas there is scant evidence in the epistles of a charge to the church to carry on a healing ministry, there are very explicit commands not to be deceived – they appear in every epistle, bar Philemon. So it is reasonable to suggest that we too should be exercising some level of discernment, even if not in the same dramatic fashion as the apostles.
The epistles are clear that God’s wisdom, through the Holy Spirit, is available to every true believer, and should lead us to make mature, spiritual judgments (e.g. 1 Cor. 2:10-16); and if we lack such wisdom, we should ask God, who gives generously to all (James 1:5) – it is not just a gift for a select few. Consequently, Christians should not be outwitted by Satan, or unaware of his schemes (2 Cor. 2:11) – a far cry from the situation that prevailed under the old covenant, where Israel, at the time judgment fell, had become incapable even of telling right from wrong.
Of course, we need to realise that there is nothing automatic about being preserved from deception, as we can see in Paul’s rebuke to the Galatians (Gal. 3:1). As in every other area of life, we need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Phil. 2:12), with a humble dependence on God’s word, interpreted by His Spirit. But we can have this confidence: that when the day of evil comes, God will keep His elect from the ultimate deception (Matt. 24:24), and by His Spirit enable us to love the truth and so be saved (2 Thess. 2:10). Let’s be sure of doing our bit towards this end!
