2 Corinthians 11

“For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Messiah.  And no wonder!  For Satan himself is disguised as an angel of light.  So it is no great thing if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness.  Their destiny will be according to their works.”  2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (HCSB)

A while ago, my wife and I led music for a ministry event in San Diego.  The resort where we stayed also housed the “spiritual wellness” clinic/spa of new-age self-proclaimed “guru” Deepak Chopra.  Watching the hotel TV channel, I learned more about Mr. Chopra’s methods for helping people reach “spiritual enlightenment.”

In one treatment, an attendant lays several colored stones on your body and strikes tonal chimes with a mallet while you listen to soft music.  The whole process looked hokey to me, but a spa attendant told me the spa is booked solid, and some appointments are years in advance.  People pay hundreds of dollars for these treatments, hoping the whole experience gets them closer to God.

It’s sad what lengths people would go to NOT to believe the truth of the Bible.  They would rather invent religion than humble themselves to acknowledge the irrefutable evidence of Jesus’ empty tomb.

I believe the worst type of false religion is the kind that masquerades as “Truth.”  Some people think of Satan as the grotesque red monster with a pitchfork.  I tend to believe he looks more like the smooth-talking false preacher.  You know, the preachers who tell you whatever you want to hear so they can exploit you?  

These preachers tell the congregation, “Don’t be bothered by sin and the coming judgment!  God just wants to give you whatever you desire.  God would never ask you to do anything uncomfortable, and He would never require anything self-sacrificing of you.”

Paul tells us Satan (and his agents) pose as ‘angels of light” and “servants of righteousness.”  Satan does not care if we are murderers or churchgoers.  He only wants to keep non-believers from believing and believers from being effective witnesses.

We study the Bible to become expert “agents of the truth.”  We should aspire to be living examples of Jesus, that our words & works would expose the wolves among the flock of Messiah.