2 Corinthians 11:14-15

The satan himself transforms himself to look like an angel of light, so it isn’t surprising if his servants transform themselves to look like servants of righteousness.

They will end up where their deeds are taking them.

We know from Scripture that the devil knows Scripture. The satan can actually “preach” too. But the big difference is that it will not include the message of the cross and Jesus as the Son of God.

There are many today who are serving the evil one, some consciously, but I believe many unconsciously. If you listen a little closely, you will not hear the gospel of the cross which is the crux of our belief (pun intended).

In this letter, Paul has warned against a couple of dangers. One is false apostles preaching a different gospel, a gospel which does not include or emphasize the cross and the work done there and our absolute need for it. So listen carefully to preaching in order to notice if they preach the same gospel that has come from the beginning. One aspect to listen for is that of need. We are desperately in need of God, but many will strokingly and subtly  tell you in delectable language the you’re all good on your own.

The other thing Paul said to watch out for are “peddlers” of the gospel. Since the beginning there have been those doing it for the money. Beware of these people. They speak some truth, of course. Few people listen to someone speaking all lies for very long at all. But if a preacher/minister is taking home tons of money, be very wary of him or her. This does not align with the New Testament.

CRUX: The decisive or most important point at issue. From Latin, literally ‘cross’.