A Call to Watchfulness

Fifty billion dollars...gone. Stolen right from under the noses of some of the richest businessmen in the world. In fact, only 23 clients accounted for almost 17 billion dollars in investments that Bernie Madoff's fund management company handled last year. When the economy started to falter in October, a few of these investors started asking for their money—and suddenly the house of cards collapsed under the weight of a ponzi scheme that Madoff had been quietly running for decades. When confronted, the man who had once been the chairman of NASDAQ stoically admitted that his investment firm was really "one big lie".

Articles about Madoff's ponzi scheme, describe significant aspects of the deception. One key factor was that Madoff had a blue-chip resume and was a huge figure in the investing world. In addition, not just anyone could invest in the Madoff fund, one had to be invited. Between the respectability of Madoff and the interest created by limited membership, customers were lured into desiring even the opportunity to participate in this seemingly successful and elite investment group. Ironically, the warning signals had been sounded since the late 1990's but very intelligent people continued to flock to Madoff for his "larger than life" returns on their investments.

What in the world? How could this happen? Why would such experienced investors as Steven Spielberg and money managers at banks around the world trust enormous amounts of money to someone who was going to steal them blind? The answers to these questions have much more to do with the heart of man than the technicalities of the stock market. And since we share the same heart as these defrauded billionaires, this fact ought to make us all sit up and take notice.

The Bible says that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9) The only explanation for such a deep and broad deception of such affluent and successful individuals is that they were following their own deceptive hearts. Poor things. But what about us? Are we in a position to judge them? Are we as Christians also vulnerable to being led astray by following our hearts? Of course we are. What the Bible tells us about their hearts is common to all humanity. Our hearts are also deceitful and wicked. When quoting Jeremiah 17:9, most Christians focus on the idea that our hearts are wicked (old nature, original sin, etc) but fail to give adequate weight to the idea that our hearts are also exceedingly deceitful.

We would all certainly agree that this is theologically true, but what about in real life? Are we really that vulnerable to deception? You only have to recall the time when you were hearing and appreciating the teaching of a man, only to discover that he was living a double life of moral infidelity or financial compromise. Or perhaps you were swallowing whole the messages of a pastor or leader whose teaching was ultimately shown to be extra-Biblical and skewed. Perhaps one of your children had pulled the wool over your eyes for a time, until the truth came out and you were crushed. Such experiences leave us shaken to the core, because we are forced to admit the humiliating truth of our own gullibility — because of our deceptive hearts.

So what are we to do, when we can't even seem to trust our own instincts? Surely God loves us and is able to keep those who love Him from being led astray! Thankfully, this is true of our God. One of the most comforting promises in the Bible is that the Spirit of Truth, who lives in every earnest believer, will guide them into all truth (John 16:13). We ought to rejoice in this promise and thank God for this provision. But we must also remember His precious guidance doesn't come magically or independent of a relationship with Him that manifests itself in certain attitudes and actions on our part.

First, we must stop trusting our instincts. According to the word of God, trusting our instincts or "following our hearts" is the very opposite of what we are to do. Remember the often quoted verse about guidance: Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6). Instead of trusting our own judgment, or the value of our perceptions, we are to keep a soft heart toward God, trusting Him, obeying Him and looking for His Spirit's leading through our days. Even the talented and intelligent apostle Paul chose to be one who had no confidence in the flesh. (Philippians 3:3)

Second, we must become brutally honest with ourselves. In analyzing the Madoff deception, one secular broker made this chilling reflection: "The reason we are easy to fool in the end, is because we are so good at fooling ourselves." An honest look at our past experiences will probably reveal that much of the deception that we fall into is because of some private, self-serving issue that clouds the picture. We are not so much gullibly deceived, as we are "willfully ignorant" (2 Peter 3:5), ignoring the red flags as we quietly seek to fulfill some selfish end. I'm sure that in the last few weeks, the Madoff investors have had many second thoughts about the value of being in such an "elite club" or the swelling pride of being "invited" to participate by Madoff. The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee. (Obadiah 1:3)

Third, we must learn and lean upon the unvarnished Word of God. I say unvarnished because we need to trust that God can teach us as we take the Bible for what it says, and try to look past the varnish that some Bible teachers use to explain away uncomfortable passages. Read it, study it, look to the Spirit of God to illuminate it (1 John 2:27), then believe it. This is the only true safeguard from deception as the last days approach. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. (Psalm 119:105)

Many Christians agree that the times of the end are approaching rapidly but they don't realize that according to the Bible, DECEPTION is probably the most characteristic issue of the last days. And what does the Bible tell Christians to do in light of pervasive end time deception? Eleven times in Scripture the Lord tells believers who live at the time of the end that they must WATCH. Watch what? Primarily three things: Watch for a falling away within the church (2 Thess. 2:2), Watch your heart (Luke 21:34, Proverbs 4:23), and watch for the coming of Jesus (Luke 21:28, 2 Peter 3:12).

May God help us to walk with Him closely in these dangerous days, heeding the warnings that He has so faithfully given and that Bernie Madoff has so recently reminded us of.