The Greatest deception of our times By Stella Ashworth
Just like you, I watch world events. I study the book of Revelation. I look at what is happening in the world and wonder how close we are to the return of Jesus Christ.
But I also look at the world around me every day. I look at people, at the Church, and, perhaps most importantly, at my own heart.
And I find myself asking a difficult question: Have we become so comfortable with the message of grace that we have forgotten the call to repentance?
Have we become so comfortable with the promise of forgiveness that we no longer take the consequences of sin seriously?
Have we begun to believe that we can call ourselves Christians, continue living in sin, and assume there will be no consequences?
Have we, perhaps without even realising it, begun to believe the oldest deception ever spoken to humanity?
“Did God really say…?” (Genesis 3:1 NIV)
Because the serpent's strategy in the Garden of Eden was not simply to deny God. It was to make humanity question His Word, doubt His warning, and believe that disobedience would come at no real cost.
And I wonder: Has that same deception found its way into our understanding of Christianity today?
Have we begun to believe that we can call Jesus our Saviour while refusing to surrender to Him as Lord? That we can claim His grace while making peace with the very sins He calls us to leave behind?
These are difficult questions. But perhaps they are precisely the questions we need to ask, especially in a world where so many are watching for the signs of Christ's return, yet fewer seem willing to examine the condition of their own hearts.
Sin has a price. Grace is not permission to live in disobedience. And God's patience is an opportunity to repent, not a sign that sin no longer matters.
The greatest deception may be believing we are ready for Jesus to return while refusing to let Him transform our lives.
Stella Ashworth - Bay Talk.
