Hosea 4:6 (NKJV) "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge".
The worst kind of deception is self-deception. We believe we are doing right, when we are actually living in error. Because we are human, we will always make mistakes. That’s just our human nature. It’s when we continue in error especially when we know it’s wrong, that’s what the Lord despises. God’s people should be walking in the truth.
What is the truth and where can it be found? God’s Word is truth. Jesus is the author of truth, In John 14:6 He says,“I am the Way and the Truth and the Life;” He gives us the Holy Ghost to help discern the truth. He says in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth…”
I know for myself, I’ve spent several years walking in self-deception with what I’ve believed. See if any of these areas sound familiar:
Religious teaching, relationships, even certain scriptures of the Bible that have been taken out of context, can be harmful to our spiritual growth, even things spoken to us by well meaning people can lead us down the path of self-deception.
We all need to study the Bible in the light of the scriptures. We all need to judge every word that we hear, see, or do. We should be like the Bereans, who in Acts 17:11 was written, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Next week I'll be discussing a series I'm calling “Kicking over the sacred cows”. I’ll be discussing those things that are truthfully written but are taught with a distorted viewpoint. This is why we need to be students of the Bible, like it says in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Without true understanding of the entirety of God’s Word, we set ourselves up to be deceived.
Father, I pray that we may see and know you in a way that illuminates our hearts, so we can walk in the light. May this teaching of your Word, enable us to walk in freedom. Jesus, you came to set the captive free. Deliver us from every spirit of bondage. In your name I pray, Amen!
The worst kind of deception is self-deception. We believe we are doing right, when we are actually living in error. Because we are human, we will always make mistakes. That’s just our human nature. It’s when we continue in error especially when we know it’s wrong, that’s what the Lord despises. God’s people should be walking in the truth.
What is the truth and where can it be found? God’s Word is truth. Jesus is the author of truth, In John 14:6 He says,“I am the Way and the Truth and the Life;” He gives us the Holy Ghost to help discern the truth. He says in John 15:26, “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth…”
I know for myself, I’ve spent several years walking in self-deception with what I’ve believed. See if any of these areas sound familiar:
Religious teaching, relationships, even certain scriptures of the Bible that have been taken out of context, can be harmful to our spiritual growth, even things spoken to us by well meaning people can lead us down the path of self-deception.
We all need to study the Bible in the light of the scriptures. We all need to judge every word that we hear, see, or do. We should be like the Bereans, who in Acts 17:11 was written, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
Next week I'll be discussing a series I'm calling “Kicking over the sacred cows”. I’ll be discussing those things that are truthfully written but are taught with a distorted viewpoint. This is why we need to be students of the Bible, like it says in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Without true understanding of the entirety of God’s Word, we set ourselves up to be deceived.
Father, I pray that we may see and know you in a way that illuminates our hearts, so we can walk in the light. May this teaching of your Word, enable us to walk in freedom. Jesus, you came to set the captive free. Deliver us from every spirit of bondage. In your name I pray, Amen!
You've really hit the proverbial nail on the head! Good stuff. May we take it to heart!
ReplyDeleteAmen! When we take the extra step to search out the matter, examine it, and see if it lines up with THE Word - that's when we grow! Just taking someone else's word, even if they are behind the pulpit, is pure laziness.
ReplyDelete