The Simplicity of Christ

The Simplicity of Christ But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11 v 3 Christ is simple. The gospel is a simple message that salvation can be obtained through Christ alone. But satan is subtle, cunning and deceitful. He likes to complicate the simplicity of Christ and the gospel so that people get deceived. Christ spoke and did the truth all the time. It is the unadulterated and unsophisticated truth. Nothing can and should be added or taken away from what is true. But satan being the father of lies, adds untruths to the truth to make it difficult to understand and apply. The minds of the unbelievers and the spiritually immature get deluded by these lies, half-truths and untruths that satan deceives them into believing and accepting as truth. Satan is the source of corruption and distortion. God has called us into His kingdom by the grace of Christ but satan wants to sidetrack us with another version of Christ and other versions of the gospel. This accounts for the large number of denominations, doctrines, cultic beliefs and practices in the world today. There are many false apostles, disciples, false prophets, false doctrines and practices prevailing. There are many servants of satan who project themselves as servants of righteousness. They may even do many signs and wonders. They handle the word of God deceitfully. They use philosophy, deceit and the traditions of men to beguile the gullible and fickle-minded. Their goal is to bring believers who have been set free by the simplicity of Christ and the gospel away from spiritual liberty back into bondage. They replaced the truths of the Word of God with man-made rules. They are deceived by their own lusts and the seducing spirits sent by satan. They use enticing words and persuasive arguments. They are both deceived and deceiving. Their motive is their own profit and satisfaction of their own greed. The sincerity of Christ contrasts sharply with the subtlety and deceitfulness of satan. Similarly, as followers of Christ, our simplicity should contrast with the subtlety, complexity and deceitfulness of the teachings and practices of people who are deceived by satan. In any given situation, we should ask ourselves, “ What would Jesus say or do in this kind of situation?” Then we should go ahead and say or do it. Regardless of the teaching of people or organisations or institutions, we should check and understand what the Word of God says. Like Christ and the gospel, the Word of God is simple and unadulterated. Our litmus test to find the truth should be to read, understand and apply the Word under the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit who interprets it to us in our context with a simplicity and directness that penetrates our souls. Prateep V Philip