IT'S NOT WORTH IT: SELF DECEIT

Dearly beloved, I welcome you once again into another awesome month in the name of the Lord Jesus. May you increase in grace and in the knowledge of God this month of June in Jesus name. It is the sixth month, and I think it is prosper for us to think back to our previous months this year and ask ourselves a true question. ‘Have I been true to myself or have I been deceiving myself?’ This month I will be sharing on what I titled, “Don’t Deceive Yourself.”

Brethren, one of the greatest thing a believer could do to his or her self is self deceit. You are stopping nobody but yourself from moving forward. You are are like that man wanting to lose some weight but eat four hot meal a day without exercises, yet desires change. It will never be possible, don’t deceive yourself. Many of God’s Children are where they are today not because God does not love them, or God has not blessed them, but because they have not been operating in accordance with God’s word but in self deceit. The Bible says in the book of Acts 10:34-35, “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of person: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him.” So beloved you see, to be accepted with him we must chose to walk or function by his rules. Philippians 3:16 says, “...let us walk in the same rule.”

The book of James 1:21-22 says, “Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the en-grafted word, which is able to save your souls. But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Listen, scriptures instructs us not to miss the gathering of ourselves together as believers (Hebrews 10:25), Yet someone says, “I can’t make it to the Bible study because that’s when I do my laundry, such a person is definitely deceiving himself for not doing what Apostle James explains: What does it mean for one to deceive his own-self? It means to be a hearer of the word, but not a doer of it. To hear God’s word and not do what it says is to act like the man who looks at his face in the mirror and immediately forget what he looks like once he turns away. Sadly, some Christians have gotten stuck in a rut because they deceived themselves this way, they hear the word, but don’t do it so they keep turning around in circles. Self deceit destroys your happiness and deprives you of blessings. So, are you deceiving yourself? How can you know? And how can you break away from deceit? Here is the plain direct answer from the Bible. “Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your ownselves.” James 1:22. You deceive yourself by hearing and not doing. And you break free of that deceit by doing God’s word.

God has revealed the way of life that gives us wonderful blessings. When we violate that way, we bring misery and unhappiness into our lives. Jesus Christ led and exemplary life so we can have a picture of the way we ought to live, “For i have given you an example that ye should do as i have done to you,” He said (John13:15). “If ye knew these things, happy are ye if ye do them’ (Verse 17) Hearing God’s word does not make us happy. What makes us happy is the doing. That is a promise from God. Many Christians wants to enjoy the blessing but don’t want to involve themselves or pay the sacrifice of doing the word, but I am sorry to disappoint you, it won’t work. Luke 11:28 says, “But he said, yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God and keep (do) it.” Some people were following Jesus and even calling him ‘Lord or master. That surely seemed right and good but here is what Christ said to them: “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). This is shockingly serious. These people felt very righteous. They followed Jesus around. They want to hear his words. They regard themselves as his followers but they would not do what He said. They were self-deceived. Christ boldly told them, I’m not your master if you don’t do what i say. There is no point in calling me Lord unless you obey what I’m telling you to do.

Doing the word is the secret of success. Jesus likened the man who hears the word and puts it to work to a wise man: "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain decended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” Matthew 7:24-25. To hear God’s word or to know the scriptures and not do what it says is shooting one’s self in the foot. Don’t just be a hearer of the word. Make up your mind to do is as well. That’s where the blessing is. Remember, if you know these things, happy are ye, if ye do them.

God bless you. See you next month.