For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naïve. Romans 16:18 (ESV)
Naivety—which means to lack experience, wisdom and judgment—can be dangerous for believers.
For example, naive Christians can have their beliefs swayed by anyone who shares a logical-sounding thought about religion or faith. However, the more we begin to embrace human-made doctrines, the more we gradually slip away from God’s truths.
Innocence is different from naivety. Innocence means unimpeachable and guilt-free. If we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, God sees us as innocent—blameless and faultless. So, we are innocent in God’s eyes, but we can’t live naive and ineffective in the world.
For instance, maybe you’ve noticed Christians who seem unconcerned about things going on in the world, while leaders and governments say and do questionable things. Rather than standing up, they take a “sit back and pray for them” approach. Although that may sound spiritual, Jesus didn’t operate that way. Christ confronted people all the time, but He did so with the right spirit. Jesus cut through people’s misbeliefs to share the truth about Himself and what God is like. Smooth talkers didn’t fool Jesus with their incorrect beliefs or world views.
Likewise, we can’t afford to walk through life blindly accepting whatever someone says as the gospel truth. Remember, just because someone mentions Jesus or quotes Scripture doesn’t mean they necessarily believe or follow the true gospel (Titus 1:10).
To keep from being misled by clever thoughts and charming words, we must know God’s truths.
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