Let no one deceive you in any way.
–2 Thessalonians 2:3a (ESV)
I am a 32-year-old man from Bangladesh. I grew up learning how to plant rice and harvest it. I came to the United States when I was 20-years-old, legally, and have received an amazing education and now work in the oil industry.
Well… maybe not!
Just because I say something doesn’t make it so. I could even deeply, sincerely believe something, but if what I believe is not in line with objective truth, then I am deceiving myself and anyone else that cares to support my deception.
The context of the above verse is important: “Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way.” (verses 1-3a)
While our world seems to have gone a bit weird when it comes to objective truth, the most important truth is the truth of Jesus.
Paul started out propagating a lie, that Jesus was not Lord. Paul even prosecuted those who believed that. Then Paul experienced Jesus personally on the Damascus Road. On that road Paul learned the truth about Jesus.
While lies abound in our world, Paul encourages me to really know the truth about Jesus. For me, that is keeping the main thing the main thing. If I can embrace the truth of Jesus, I am in a position to be able to discern truth everywhere else.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, truth matters. I embrace the truth of Jesus, just like Paul. May I always pursue Jesus every day of my life. By doing that, may I lovingly interact with others to share that truth so that they, too, might know Him.
