"For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." (John 3:20-21)
Christians are told to deal with all things in the light. Simply put, we are to live honest lives, and all our dealings with people are to be characterized by honesty, transparency, and truth. We can't hide anything from God, and thus we should be true.
One of the things that Christians should avoid doing, then, is to manipulate people. Deceiving people for the purpose of acquiring something or having someone do something is a wrong thing to do. God Himself does not manipulate us into doing His will, so why should we?
That said, there are some Christians who manipulate the unsuspecting and the naïve. There are some Christians, on the other hand, who didn't want to manipulate people, but their actions and words still are deceitful and manipulative. Either way, we should be careful with them.
How Christians manipulate others
If you're a Christian who doesn't know if you're already being manipulated, or if you're a Christian serious in making sure you don't manipulate others, here are some common ways Christians manipulate people.
1) Using the name of God to make people believe what you say
If there's one way Christians use God's name in vain, it's to manipulate others. There are some who use God's name to convince people to believe them, or simply listen to them.
When a person keeps saying "God said" or "thus says the Lord" every time he or she starts explaining something, be careful. The Lord Jesus Himself said that many will come in His name, but they are fakes. They don't deserve our ears.
2) Quoting the Bible to back one's claim
Another way Christians manipulate others is by using God's word to back their claim. Peter said these people "twist [Scripture] to their own destruction" (see 2 Peter 3:16).
One common example is when an abusive husband demands that his wife respect and submit to him according to Ephesians 5:22, ignoring verse 25 that says he must love his wife like Christ loved the church. This can also happen the other way around, with an abusive wife.
Greedy ministers are also another example. They keep talking about tithes and offerings (Malachi 3:10) in order to get more money. They also emphasize their authority over the flock (Romans 13:1), forgetting that they are charged to take care of them (1 Peter 5:1-4) and not abuse them (Ezekiel 34:1-10).
3) Acting religious to make people think you're ok
This one is highly self-defeating. Many Christians act religious in an attempt to hide their struggles and failures. Using a language called "Christianese," such believers may or may not know it but they are operating under pride.
When they commit sin, for example, they start talking about grace and God's forgiveness. But when someone else falls, they suddenly focus on holiness and God's judgment. This, my friends, is hypocrisy at its finest.
Such people do this to gain the admiration of the naïve. They do this to get the spotlight. Again, they may or may not know it, but they are actually lying to themselves and to others.
