Caveat Qui Credit

... having eyes full of adultery and always looking for sin, seducing unstable people, and with hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! - 2 Peter 2:14

A few years ago I learned of a man in Africa who had been approached by an offer to sell his products online in another country. Due to his total ignorance of internet scams, he had been robbed of about $100,000 (a fortune to anyone, but an inestimable one to an African) with no hope of having the funds returned. While this man would not be described as "unstable," he was certainly naive and an easy target for scammers.

It is a shameful truth that there are so-called "Christians" who bilk the weak, but it happens every day in many African churches (and others around the world). False prophets sell their spiritual wares, preying upon the poor for their own personal gain. The fact that it occurred in Peter's day informs us that it will probably continue until Jesus comes back. These spiritual purveyors of "snake oil" will surely and ultimately receive their just punishment at the return of the Great Shepherd.

There is an economic principle that every budding business student learns early on in their career. It is "caveat emptor" or, in English, "let the buyer beware." May every Christ-follower learn the same, but with a twist. "Caveat Qui Credit," Let the believer beware!

Thieves respect property. They merely wish the property to become their property that they may more perfectly respect it. - G. K. Chesterton