Deception

Because of mans fallen nature he is easily deceived, and Gods people are warned about being deceived. There are many things that deceive us. Our hearts will deceive us; "the heart is deceitful above all things", "only a fool trusts in his own heart". Not only will the heart deceive us, “sin is deceitful” (Heb. 3:13) it hardens the heart and promises pleasure, enjoyment and then it stings the very soul and brings guilt to the conscience.

We can even deceive ourselves: “When a man thinks he is something when he is NOTHING he deceives himself” (Gal. 6:3). Paul and James both warn about self-deception (1Cor. 3:18 James 1:26).

Our Lord warned us of the “deceitfulness of riches”. How can wealth deceive us? It promises happiness, freedom from worry and anxiety, but it can give neither. Man can deceives us. Christ said “Take heed that no man deceive you” (Matt. 24:4).

But thank God there are precious promises and blessed truths that give us assurance from being deceived. The Triune God will not deceive us, and Gods word will never deceive us. Our Lord promised that the elect would not be deceived. If we knew we were deceived we would no longer be deceived. So what can we do? Pray as David (Ps.139: 23-24) “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

One thing I am sure of is that Gods saints are afraid of their hearts and themselves and lay themselves open before the Lord Jesus and God our father, and find great comfort in the fact that God knows them as they are.

~~~ O ~~~

You can be sure that when our attitudes and words create strife, confusion and division, it is not the wisdom of God. Where wise men and women worship, there is love, peace and unity.

I John 1:7

Notice whose blood it is that cleanses. It is the Son‘s blood. And who is His Son? He is God manifest in the flesh (1 Tim 3:16). This is our confidence. Christ Jesus was not merely a well meaning man----a well meaning man could not cleanse our sin. God alone can do that (Mark 2:7). It is the blood of the sinless, innocent, righteous man who is God over all, blessed forever (Rom 9:5) that cleanses us.

Calvary is powerful because it was there that God’s blood purchased us (Acts 20:28). That blood was precious, saving blood and not the blood of a mere man, it was the blood of the God/Man. Here’s the dilemma, our sins required eternal death, but God could not die. So in his infinite wisdom and grace, God became one of us. Men can die! As a man, therefore, Christ offered Himself as the sinner’s sinless and perfect substitute and as God He supplied the infinite authority and capacity necessary to powerfully cleanse and purchase us. This is something that faith can rest upon. Our sin was great, but greater still was the atonement made for it. And what gave the atonement it’s authority and might? It was none other that the One who hung there on that wretched cross, the God Man, fully God yet fully man, dying in total triumph over every one of His and our enemies.

~~~ O ~~~

I was reading the comments of Robert Murray McCheyne, that godly man, and McCheyne recalls in his diary that he had preached on one occasion and writes this.

“I fear that they love the messenger more than the message. And I am so vain as to love that love.”

Pride can prepare the sermon and pride can go with you into the pulpit and pride can be with you when you are preaching and pride can go with you to the door.