There are many, many deceptions in this world. At least three of these deceptions can cause you to move away from what it means, to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ, thus preventing you from entering the kingdom of heaven.
Deception #1
First, there is a great deception that involves professing Christians who defend their Christianity and their “qualification” to enter the kingdom of heaven, by listing their works. Jesus warned against this.
Mat 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
These professing Christians were listing the things “they” had done. They were “defending themselves” based on a listing of “their’ works. They did not acknowledge it was the “grace” of God, given to them as a gift of the Holy Spirit that was doing the will of the Father. They did not focus on the fact that it is “solely” the love of Jesus, that is required for them to enter the kingdom of heaven. And they did not acknowledge that everything that was done for them, was all for God’s glory.
Their expectation was, it is what they “do’, that would get them into heaven. They were not “true” believers because a true believer will not list his works as the means by which he enters the kingdom of heaven, but will acknowledge that it is only by the grace of God, that one can enter the kingdom of heaven. No human being, by his or her works, can qualify to enter the kingdom of heaven; even if they are good works or even great works.
There are people who genuinely believe they are Christians; they genuinely believe that they are born again, but are they really?
Jesus said there will definitely be a group of believers who will claim to know God by listing their works they performed in His name. He said there will be a group of believers who will fit this category; But in the end, they will be told by Jesus, to depart from Him.
Deception #2
A second type of deception will cause a person to worship Jesus in vain. Think about that; all of this person’s worship, will be in vain, simply because they don’t follow or teach the true gospel; they teach but human rules and traditions, setting aside the commandments of God.
Mark 7:1-9 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples, eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
We are not saved by our works or our own goodness or by following man-made rules and traditions. We are saved solely by the grace of God and by our acceptance of our Savior’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins. That’s it!
Are you in this faith?
It is by this faith alone you are saved, so that no one can boast before God.
2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?
Eph 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
Deception #3
The third deception assumes that one can acknowledge and fully accept the grace of God, yet see no real transformation in living out their life, as a Christian. In spite of this, they think they can still enter the kingdom of heaven. But it is not enough just to know and acknowledge what Jesus has done for you; that is, to know that you are saved only by the gift of the grace of God, because this truth must inspire and lead you to do good works. Otherwise, you are not “living out the faith.”
The Bible warns us not to deceive ourselves into thinking that we can “work” our way into the kingdom of heaven. But it also warns us not to think we can just listen to the word and not be willing to submit to the Holy Spirit in changing our lives in a positive and fruitful way.
James 1:22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Once a person is truly born again, and they receive the Holy Spirit, it is the Holy Spirit that will help them do the work of the Father. There is no other way to fulfill the will of God.
We are to do the will of our Father! When we look only to Jesus Christ, we look to the perfect law keeper, who gives us our true freedom. And it is when we do this, that we are “blessed” by what we “do.”
James 1:23-25 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. 25 But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.