“Oh...God wouldn’t let that happen to me, be deceived like that; He loves me and promised to never forsake me.” (Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t leave and forsake Him- John 6:66.)

If you don’t think you can’t be deceived...well...you are deceived already. (Might want to catch up and read yesterday’s message first in case you missed it)

We humans are pretty good when it comes to trying to convince ourselves of something, whether it is ‘true’ or not; go figure. There was good reason why God likens us to ‘sheep’, and it’s not because they are soft and cuddly.

I actually began a lesson here on Saturday using Romans 8:13 as a ‘springboard’ to what it means to truly follow God’s Spirit, and what God is most interested in doing in us, especially in those early days after we have repented and began to follow Him. His primary focus is centered around ‘putting to death the deeds of this flesh nature’. I also realized how easy it is for us to gloss over various passages in our Bibles and never take them to heart; which then leads to deception. Hence, my ‘brief detour’ to address this topic of what it means to be deceived, and how to tell if we are. There is so much more I wanted to address yesterday and hope to finish up here now so we can resume our study with Romans 8:13.

I know how easy it can be to think you want to know truth, but are so disillusioned by all the 'options' we see around us, especially when it comes to ‘church life’ and all those ‘flavors’ out there to choose from. Let me assure you...if it’s truth you want and long for, Jesus promises to lead you into ‘all truth’ (John 16:13). You may not always like ...what you learn and see, but that doesn’t negate truth just because it doesn’t appeal to us or ‘fit’ with what we always thought...was truth. Studying this out for yourself is a good place to begin (Acts 17:11).

If you think you can continue to live ‘according to the flesh nature’ and not suffer the consequences, you are deceived. Paul said in Romans 8:13...you will die. What are we told about those who 'belong to Christ' have done already, in Gal. 5:24? It doesn’t matter how many ‘sincere folks’ (related to you or not) have told you otherwise...’let God be true and every man a liar’ (Rom. 3:4). The sooner you come to terms with the fact that a whole lot of us have been deceived, the sooner you become a candidate for Jesus to lead you out of darkness, provided it is truth and light you want (John 3:19-21). And let’s not forget- ‘sincere’ people can be...sincerely wrong (Rom. 10:2-3)

Once again, another warning about being ‘deceived’: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap. For the one who sows to his flesh [his sinful capacity, his worldliness, his disgraceful impulses] will reap from the flesh ruin and destruction, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal.6:7-8- Amp)

His words, not mine.

But let’s go back to that passage in Romans 10:2-3, because there is more packed into that than I think most people realize. Paul was speaking of course, of his fellow brethren, the Jews; and he acknowledges that they indeed ‘have a zeal for God’. My goodness...Paul would later boast of his own misguided zeal for God (Phil. 3:4-6), even to the point of persecuting the very Christians whom he now aligns with. But he also points out how their zeal (the Jews) was ‘not according to knowledge’ (truth). And why are God’s people often destroyed? (Hosea 4:6).

He goes on...”For being ignorant of God’s (standard) of righteousness...and seeking to establish their own (standard) of righteousness...they have not submitted to the (standard) of the righteousness of God” (3). Oh...how does God respond to ‘ignorance’ these days, according to Acts 17:30?

So what is God’s standard of righteousness? And to be clear, when we speak of God’s righteousness, we are talking about doing what is ‘right in God’s eyes’, not our own. (Judges 17:6; Prov. 14:12)

God says we are to ‘be holy as He is holy’, for ‘without holiness, no one will see the Lord’ (1 Pet. 1:14-16; Heb. 12:14). Jesus said we are to ‘be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect’ (Matt. 5:48). If Jesus is our Lord, we will do what He says (Luke 6:46; Heb. 5:9). Everyone who does ‘not hear Him in all things...will be utterly destroyed’ (Acts 3:22-23; Luke 13:3,5). Jesus taught that we are to ‘go and sin no more lest something worse happens to us’ (John 5:14; 8:11). His commandment to us was to ‘love others as He loved us’, and this is how all men will know we are His disciples (John 15:12; 13:34-35). And let’s not forget the writings of John- “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. He who sins is of the devil.’ (1 John 3:7-8). Jesus also said: “Whoever commits sin is a slave to sin, and a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.” (John 8:34-35).

So that...is an example of what God’s standard of righteousness looks like. We are going to walk in love as He did, or we are going to be destroyed. (1 John 2:3-6). And don’t think you can do this on your own; because we have proven time and time again...it is impossible for us to do...’apart from Him’ (John 15:4-5). But...’through Christ, we can...(what?) Phil. 4:13.

And what do you think it means to ‘establish our own standard of righteousness’ (Rom. 10:3). Good question! It usually begins when men decide to ‘lay aside the commandments of God...and promote their own traditions and doctrines...nullifying the word of God’ (Mark 7:8-9,13). You know...things like...”all you need to do to be saved is ‘say this and this, then do this, and you are saved and nothing can ever change that.’ Clearly...those ‘easy steps to salvation’ may vary depending on the ‘flavor of church’ you end up in (denomination). Funny...how we all claim to be building a tower (pathway) to heaven, but we are all saying different things. Sounds a bit like a tower they tried building back in Genesis 11.

Friends...we are living in the day of the ‘great falling away’ (2 Thess. 2:3) and the ‘Day of the Lord’ is upon us. And just like those ten virgins in Matt. 25...we all have fallen asleep. But God, who is rich in mercy, ‘not wanting any to perish but for all to come to repentance’ (2 Pet. 3:9)...is trying to awaken His people...and anyone else who might have ‘ears to hear’. (Matt. 22:1-14). And if you are reading this today...I would take that as a positive sign of encouragement...that it is not yet too late for you. But you better change your priorities and be about the business of drawing close to Him. That ‘door’ did not stay open forever (Matt. 24:38-39; 25:10-11; James 4:7-10)