Life Marks: Deceived!!! (Part 2)
As I have previously mentioned, we all hate to be deceived. We hate to be lied to, and if we buy into the lie and later discover that we have been deceived, we wonder how in the world it happened. And, we don’t need false teachers in order for us to be deceived. Remember that the battle ground for truth is in our minds, and it is absolutely critical that we win that battle against the deceptive lies of the evil one if we are going to live a free and productive life. So, let’s take some time to identify the last 4 areas where the Bible tells us to “beware.”
5) You are deceived if you think that you have no sin. Two thousand years ago, the Apostle John sent a clear message to the people of his day who thought that they had never sinned, and in fact, had no sin within them (1 Jn. 1:8). And he went on to say that if we persist in this assessment of ourselves, “…we make God out to be a liar, and His Word is not in us” (1 Jn. 1:10). The Bible is clear that “We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). It’s something that we all hate to admit, but at the same time, true confession is “agreeing with God” about His assessment of ourselves. He already knows all about us! John makes it clear that “When we acknowledge our sin to Him and ask for forgiveness, He is faithful to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9). Maybe it’s time for you to stop being deceived. If you recognize your sin and need forgiveness and a clean heart, just ask Him to provide it.
6) You are deceived if you claim to be a follower of Jesus and think that you can continue living a life that is characterized by sin. A true “child of God” has been “born again,” and has received a new nature as a gift from God, and that new nature is incompatible with any persistent sin in our lives. The Apostle John doesn’t mince any words on this one, “….no one who is born of God makes a practice of committing sin” (1 Jn. 3:4-10). You know your life better than anyone else, except for God Himself. If you’ve been “lying” to yourself about persistent sin in your life, then it’s time to deal with it, in fact, let God deal with it.
7) You are deceived if you think too highly of yourself. Some like to compare themselves with other people, and in so doing, they tend to think that they are so much better than others. The Apostle Paul tells us to never compare ourselves with others, but to measure our lives in comparison to Jesus, who lived a perfect life (Gal. 6:3-4). Jesus told His disciples to “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees” (M. 8:15; Lk. 12:1). The “leaven” of which He spoke is the sin of hypocrisy rooted in a heart of pride. In fact, the Apostle Paul warns us, “Do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sound judgment.…” (Rom. 12:3). In the same chapter, Paul goes on to say, “Do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Don’t be wise in your own estimation” (Rom. 12:16). In other words, we are not to think that we have all the answers, as some people try to make us believe. They love to impress us with their knowledge of almost everything. They have all the answers to life’s problems, including yours!!!! Beware, we must not be like them.
8) You are deceived if you think you can know God’s Word and not obey it. James tells us that we must not only be “Hearers of the Word, but doers also” (Js. 1:22). We’ve all seen them – they “talk the talk” but don’t “walk the walk.” Those who do so are known as hypocrites, a word that comes from the Greek “hypocrite.” It was a common word used in the Greek plays of the day as it referred to people who “wear a mask.” Sadly, there are far too many “mask wearers” in the church today. People who say one thing and yet do another are modern day hypocrites, and the Bible tells us to “beware,” lest we be one of them.
Well, that pretty much wraps up our focus on “deception.” Take some time to review the list – there are only 8 of them. If you suspect that you might be “guilty” of any of them, simply acknowledge it to God and ask Him to forgive and change you. He’s been doing that for centuries, and He can do it for you as well.
