Have you ever been scammed by spam? Spam is a computer term that refers to junk mail on the Internet. It's a common problem for people who use personal computers. Sometimes it's harmless, but sometimes it's not.

You open your e-mail, and you get a note saying someone wants to help you. Your credit card is invalid, the message says, and your number has to be reentered to reactivate your account. So, you type it in and hit "send"—thinking you're doing the right thing. Later you get a bill for a bunch of items you didn't buy. You've just been scammed by spam!

What appeared to be helpful is no help at all. You trust the message, do what it says, and you end up losing.

We can also be scammed spiritually. It happens when supposed teachers of the Bible distort the gospel and proclaim a false message that they call the truth (salvation by works, for example). But often it's "a different gospel" (Galatians 1:6).

How can you avoid such a scam? By knowing from the Bible what the true gospel is. Eternal salvation is available only by grace, through trusting in Jesus Christ and His death on the cross for our sins (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9). Don't be fooled. Any other message is a scam!  — Dave Branon