Watch Out For Deceit

Good morning. Grace be unto you and peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come, our Lord Jesus. Thank you, everyone, sisters, for your contribution, teachers for yours here this morning already, thinking about being a part of a church body where, yeah, you feel that everyone is willing to contribute and let God use them, and it's just a blessing, just a blessing to be part of the family of God.

I am very thankful, although only about two-thirds of the sisters that went to the retreat were up here, very, very glad for the sisters to have that opportunity to go also to some of these retreats and a little bit of time away, and I think for them to get a week, for them to get a day and a half is very, very, I think very worthwhile. You deserve it. I'd invite you to stand to your feet.

I'd like to start with a word of prayer. Father God, we come before you here as we continue in this service, and again, Father, we want to thank you for this opportunity. We want to thank you for the privilege that we have in this land when we live to have the liberty to gather like this, and, Father, we've grown up with this liberty.

It's become normal to us, but, Father, we do acknowledge it could be taken from us, so we thank you for the time that we have, and just pray, God, that your spirit would be in our midst here this morning and continue to break the word of God down in such a way that we could digest it. Father, we pray that you would speak to us. Pray that we would leave the service here today a better person, change for the better, more committed, more devoted to faithfully walking with you.

Break, thou, the bread of life. Multiply the few thoughts that we have here this morning. In Jesus' name, amen.

You may be seated. Well, two weeks ago, we ended the service, and I said to be continued, and so we want to continue with our thoughts from the last message that we had on walking in light and truth. This will be part two.

For some reason, brothers and sisters, this whole concept, the reality of deception, continues to burden me. Somehow, it's just, it's heavy. It's there, and I think it has to do with the reality, the reality of just what it is, and probably when you are in the fire, things become more real to you and probably make the burden even heavier.

We will not finish today, but we will try to close the service or the topic, but I just want to say we will not finish, and we're just going to scan over even much of what I would like to say, and I'll just kind of pick and choose some things to hopefully convince us of the seriousness. Part of me feels like I don't know that I need to convince anyone, and then there's the other part, and I think where the burden lies is that I think I do need to convince. Somehow, I'm not convinced that we're all convinced of the seriousness of deception.

I used the, I gave a word picture in our last message of how I had a sister who was playing with a snake like we do with kittens, and this snake, whatever she did with her body, with her hands, this snake followed her, just like a kitten would follow if you're pulling a string. Somehow, I think possibly some of us think it's okay. Deception's not that real.

We can kind of play around with it. It's not that serious, but it is. Maybe someone's saying it's not that real, but it is.

In the last couple of weeks, I've actually found myself wondering why it is that I've never heard one complete message geared towards the very topic of lying. Now, lying is talked about and referenced, but I don't know that I've ever in my lifetime heard one message completely dedicated to lying, and yet it is one of the serious and more subtle sins listed in the Bible. Maybe I haven't heard it, and maybe I haven't preached it before because I didn't embrace the seriousness of it.

Maybe I didn't see it for what it really is. Maybe it hadn't reared its ugly head enough in my own face that I recognized it for what it really is. I don't know, but here we are, part two, continuing with the burden of the danger of deception that is all around us.

And, brothers and sisters, not only is the danger all around us, but it's also within us. It's not just out there, the danger. The danger is right here.

Point at your own heart, it's right there. We can't bring it closer to home than that. It's right there.

Put your own finger on your heart and tell yourself it's right there, the danger lies right there. It's one thing to talk about the danger that's out there, and it's out there, it is, it's all over, but it gets right close to home. It's never far away at any given moment.

We described Satan two weeks ago. We put some words on the board, and I don't know what all those words were, but in Genesis there, it describes the serpent as being more subtle than any other beast. And we took and we tried to come up with, and we did come up with a list of other words that describe this subtleness of the serpent.

Crafty, very strategic, sneaky, sly, tricky, deceitful, full of lies, convincing. And as I sat there in preparation for today's message, I, these are not necessarily the words we had on the board because I don't know what they were. I don't remember, I didn't write them down on my paper.

But I thought about one more word that I'd like to put out there as we consider the subtleness of the serpent. Charming, as ugly and as deadly as he is, he presents himself in a way that's charming. Bible talks about it as an angel of light.

I feel the need to stress and emphasize the approach that he took on Eve that led to Eve's downfall, and then from Eve to Adam. Now, I'm not picking on the ladies, but that's how the scripture gives it. Actually, the New Testament, Paul would say Adam was not the one deceived.

Eve was deceived. Consider again the approach that the devil took and brought Eve, deceived Eve. And then from there, Eve, in her deception, in her fallen state now, carried it over to Adam.

Adam wasn't directly in contact with the serpent. It wasn't directly, it was the influence now that the serpent had on Eve that now carried over onto Adam also. Satan influenced Eve, and then Eve influenced Adam.

And we know this, all mankind has and continues to experience the effects of Satan's influence ever since. And I know that we know that. We know it up here, but how real is it here? How real is it actually in our hearts? Do we really know it? Are we convinced? Are we truly and absolutely convinced that this is true in my life? The influence that Satan had on Eve, that influence didn't just go from Eve to Adam, right? It has continued from Adam on down.

You and I are a recipient of that influence. We can't help it, it's not our fault. But we must acknowledge it.

If we are convinced, if we are 100% convinced that Satan's influence back there in the garden has carried over to me, then that will cause me to walk with great carefulness. Great carefulness in the choices that I make in life is the only proof that I have that I'm actually convinced that that influence has carried over. If I kind of live my life nonchalantly, come what may, I, you know they have a term nowadays that they would use, happy-go-lucky, that I'm not convinced.

That is a sign that I'm not convinced. Or it's a sign that maybe I am convinced, but I really don't care, which then tells me that we have entered a state of being deceived already. If I am 100% convinced, there's no question about it, I will order my life with great carefulness.

So when I reference the influence of Satan, what am I referring to? Temptations? The temptation that Eve faced? Am I referencing that? Am I referencing the sin? Well, we all know, if we're honest, we all know that we're prone to face various temptations. And if we don't overcome those temptations, we will fall into sin as did Eve. That's real, and that's part of that influence.

That's the end result of the influence. And that's concerning, sin has serious consequences. But the influence of Satan that seems to hang and burden me almost more than the temptations that will come our way, is the characteristics or the tactics that the devil used.

His influence, brothers and sisters, friends, the influence of the serpent has bent our character to mimic his character. We are born with that influence, with a bent towards mimicking him in his tactics, which is in a sense of a much greater concern, a much greater, not true, the word's not coming to me. In some way, it's almost more important that we recognize that than to recognize that we'll be tempted and if we don't overcome the temptation that we'll end up in sin.

His influence bent our character to lean in his direction, meaning that we are prone to do as he did, prone to act the way he acts, prone to do just as he does. It's in our fiber of the natural man to mimic him and it's because of the original influence that he had that brought Eve down and Adam, here we are. It's part of that influence.

So even after conversion, it's all too easy to give way to our flesh and in our flesh, naturally, we'll mimic him in some way. Some of his tactics, we'll practice, we'll use, we'll do just as he does. I have here, just for a simple illustration, just a blank piece of paper.

It's folded in quarters. I can turn it any which way. It bends fairly easily at those folds.

Why? Because I influenced these folds, right? I took this paper, it was nice and solid and stiff. I took it and I creased these things. I folded it over and then I did it on the other side.

Now it's very easily foldable. Satan has influenced us to mimic him. It's not hard to do.

It's in our fiber. It's in the fiber of your flesh and we don't even always catch ourselves. So when we talk about mimicking him, in what way? Well, I have a list of about five things here.

One, cover up the real me. That's a tactic of Satan. He always covers himself.

He doesn't reveal who he really is. Number two, tell a little lie to make something look good. Just a little lie.

We've been influenced, it's not hard to do. If we're not careful, if we're not walking with great carefulness, are you listening? If we don't walk with great carefulness, we'll tell a little lie very easily and not even catch ourselves or consider it wrong or sinful. See, we've been influenced.

That little lie comes very natural, very naturally. Number three, remember we're talking about mimicking Satan. Entice others to partake of the forbidden fruit.

We all know that God has the things that are forbidden in life. It's like that tree that Adam and Eve faced in the garden. And of that tree, God had said, don't eat of it, don't touch it, lest you die.

Satan comes, he's already been cast out and he entices them to partake of that which is forbidden. We, we, if we find ourselves doing that which is natural to our flesh because of the influence of Satan, not only will we partake of the forbidden fruit, but we will entice others to join us, just as Eve went to Adam. Are you following? Oh, it's not that bad.

Mom and dad, the church, whoever, they say, no, this is wrong, this is sinful. God says, this is wrong. But we can, you know, we get deceived and then we start thinking, it's not that bad.

God won't judge me for it. And so we deceive ourselves into thinking it's okay and then we entice others to come and join us. Mimicking Satan.

Number four, do right in the sight of people just to appear right. There's the angel of light, but really it's an angel of darkness. It's mimicking Satan.

It's mimicking his characteristics. It's mimicking his tactics. Doing right just to appear right.

Number five, scoff at and sort of mock the righteousness of God. That which is right in God's sight. That which God has said is right.

Kind of scoff at it, kind of mock it. Kind of make fun of it, make light of it. Yeah, it's so and so.

It's dangerous. Very, very dangerous. Can you relate? Do you know what I'm talking about? Do you see the reality of it? Do you see how easily we can fall into doing some of those things? It's within our fiber to do so.

We end our last message with the words of Isaiah 59 13 where we read, in transgressing and lying against the Lord and departing away from our God. Notice that, and departing away from our God. What do you see? What are you picturing? Someone, I hope you're picturing someone that was walking with God.

Someone that was walking in agreement with God. He now exits. He exits that way.

He chooses a different lifestyle. Departing. We all came here this morning, and at some point today, we will depart.

Well, here's a, it's talking about a people that departed away from God. And what did they do? Speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Now remember, we're talking about, we're called to walk in truth and light.

When you depart from God, you're departing from light. You are departing from truth. And hence, because that's in your heart, your body naturally follows what's in your heart.

You will now walk in darkness, and you will now walk in deceit, falsehood. You will speak lies, not truth. Doesn't mean you'll never say anything that's true, but as a whole, you're not going to be speaking truth.

You've departed from God. Conceiving. When something is conceived, it means it's born.

And when something is born, it grows, it matures. Yeah, it grows, unless it dies. It just, it grows.

Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. What does that look like? Turn with me to Acts chapter five. Here we have a very familiar account.

Acts chapter five, we'll read the first nine verses. Somebody want to fill this up? Acts five, beginning in verse one. But a certain man named Ananias and Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles feet.

But Peter said, and Ananias, why has Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost? Peter, Simon, why has Satan influenced your heart to lie and to keep back part of the price of the land? While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost, and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young man arose, wound him up, and carried him out and buried him.

And it was about the space of three hours after when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. And Peter answered unto her, tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, yea, for so much. Then Peter said unto her, how is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out.

And then she falls down and dies also. Did you catch that? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? This is a very sad account. It puts a damper on the excitement of the start of the church.

There was beautiful things happening in the church. This is the birth of the church. Beautiful things were happening.

Their hearts were going out one to another to help each other. We're all going to be equal. No one will be the poor among us.

We're gonna help the ones who have needs. Beautiful fruit of the Spirit of God. Well, Ananias and Sapphira, they want to be part of this.

And they were part of this. But somehow, not totally sold out. Somehow, part of their heart and their affections were on the things that they possessed.

Not willing to just freely give them. Now, they would have been totally fine. If I understand the scripture properly, they would have been totally fine having given what they gave if they would have just been honest about it.

Hey, we sold our property, this possession that we had. We sold it for $1,000. Here's 800.

They would have been fine. But here they are. They sold it for 1,000, let's just say.

And they bring 200 to the apostles. But they make it look like and appear as though this is what we sold it for. They're lying and they're deceiving.

And at the very, very onset of the church, you have this sad account. You have that beautiful beginning. And right away, you have a sad funeral.

Two, two burials, very sad. God judged them severely. Why hast thou conceived this in your heart? Conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

Does that ring a bell? You think maybe that's what Peter was referring to? Maybe he knew that scripture in Isaiah. An act that was a lie and deception. Totally different than if someone asks you or me the age of our children and we get it wrong.

That ever happen to you? How old are your children? And you're like, and you, I mean, you don't intentionally say wrong, but you find out later, I was wrong. When we find out that we were wrong, is that a lie? Does God look at that as you lied? I don't think so. Now, we see it as, oh, that's not right.

And we probably, at our next opportunity, will correct that with the individual whom we told that it was wrong, that we gave the wrong age of our child to. We might correct that, but we didn't go out, we didn't have a heart to deceive that person to think our child was this age or that age. We just simply got it wrong.

There's a difference. But, here, I'll throw this out as an example, thinking of the age of children. You make a, let's just assume you do this online and you make a reservation at a motel.

And in that reservation, they're asking you how many adults and then how many children. And by the adults, maybe they have 17 plus. Then for the children, they don't have an age.

But let's assume that you will recognize 17 plus, so anything lower than that would qualify for children. But you notice that it's gonna cost you $50 more to rent the room if you say we have X amount of adults versus just two adults and all the rest is children. Hmm, tempting.

Save $50. I mean, with $50, we can do this on this trip. So easy, you see what I'm saying? It's so easy to not be totally honest.

Since they're not asking for the age of the children, they're not asking for an age breakdown. Now, some do, some sites, but not all sites. But they do have the plus 17 over here.

Now, they're all my children. Then, for $50, I'll just list all my, you know, I'll give the number of all my children right here and I can save myself $50. That's lying.

In my books, that's lying and that's deception. It's deceit, practicing deceit. We're doing that for our own selfish gain for $50.

Just saying. That, in essence, is really no different than what Ananias and Sapphira did. Will you allow me to make it that plain? So let's consider a few specific kinds of lies and deceit.

And we're gonna have to skim a lot more than I thought we would. Now, remember, as we mentioned in the first message, I think, Satan is the master deceiver. Then there's other individuals that can deceive us.

But then there's probably where we face the greatest danger and that's where we can deceive ourselves. And as such, we'll also then become an agent of deceiving others. All forms of deception that mankind practices, listen to me, all, all forms, all manners, all kinds of deception that mankind practices, man practices being influenced by Satan.

That's not a very welcoming, comforting thought, is it? Operating under the influence of Satan? I mean, who wants to operate like that? But all forms of deception have their influence from Satan. Is that registering? Satan, the master deceiver and the father of lies. So what kinds of lies are there? Well, let's start with the, I'm gonna call it the bold in your face, the outright lie.

The one that we would all say we know is a lie, there's no question about it. Some would say that's a black one. That's a black lie.

Serious consequences. And then they have what they call little white lies. Big black, little white.

A lie is a lie, amen? A lie is a lie. When the word of God pronounces the judgment upon liars, which is what? They shall have their part in the lake of fire. Does the word of God ever differentiate between a black lie and a white lie? A big lie and a little lie? It just simply groups it all together as one, calls it lies, right? We looked at Proverbs 6 last time, I think.

God hates a lying tongue. God hates a false witness. Both are a form of lying.

Exodus 20 would tell us that we are not to bear false witness against our neighbor. Ephesians 4 calls us to put away lying and speak truth with your neighbor. 1 Timothy 1, there you find liars listed among other sins that are contrary to sound doctrine.

The word of God speaks very plain, very direct against lying. And I would like to think that most people in our day and age still know what lying is. And yet, the more I think about it, I wonder if there's been enough deception, and deception's been around long enough and normalized, that I wonder if everyone actually even recognizes a lie from truth anymore.

I wouldn't be surprised if there's some people that don't. Most probably still do, because we have a conscience, a God-given conscience. You ever notice that people that are prone to lie get very offended when they get lied to? Tells you they still know, they still know.

All forms of lying and deceit are sinful. Jesus said, for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, whether black or white, whether big or small. Jesus says, this thing is coming from your heart.

Peter would say, did say to Ananias, why have you conceived this in your heart? Jesus plainly says, these things are coming out of your heart, they're coming out of my heart. That's not whitewash it. Lying is supposed to be a characteristic or a trait that marks the old man, not the new man.

Supposed to characterize the unsaved, not the saved. Colossians 3 would tell us to lie not one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds. Lying was one of those deeds.

Peter also says, laying aside all malice and all guile and hypocrisies and envies and evil speakings. Lay it all aside. That was part of the old, unsaved, unregenerate person.

But they come back so very easily and become part of this new man. That's why you find so much of what's written to the believers in the New Testament concerning sin is because it's in the fiber of the old man. The flesh didn't get eradicated.

We have to contend with, we have to deal with this. We have to face it, we need to recognize it. Wherefore laying aside all malice, all guile, all hypocrisies, all envies, all evil speakings.

First Peter 2.1. The NASB translates that verse to say, therefore rid yourself of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. The Amplified says, put aside every trace of malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander and hateful speech. No matter which one you look at, the message is clear, isn't it? Question I have for us, could Jesus say of you and I, and I hope he can, he should be able to, but can Jesus say of you and I what he did of Nathanael? You remember the testimony he gave of Nathanael? He said, Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and he said, behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile, no lying, no deceiving.

Here he is, a true Israelite. Can Jesus say of you and I, put your name there, behold, a true Christian. A child of God indeed.

Let's consider another aspect, false promises. False promises, you know, you make a promise, but your intention is not really to follow through with it. It's another practice that is opposite to walking in light and truth.

You know, in Genesis 29, we reference, I'll allude it to that account, with Jacob and Laban, and Laban having promised Jacob, Rachel, did Jacob really intend on giving Jacob her? Or was he thinking in the back of his mind, I have a plan here, I have a plan. I'm gonna give him Leah, the older one. It's only right.

I mean, it's not custom, it's not proper that the younger should marry first. I think in his mind, he was conniving, he had a plan. How about Pharaoh and letting the children of Israel finally go? You think he wanted to keep his promise? I'll let him go if all these plagues will just stop.

Or do you think he had this in his heart all along? I'll promise them, but as soon as they leave, as soon as they're gone just to waste, I'm gonna pursue them. Promises, false promises. No intention of keeping them.

So opposite of who God is, amen? In Numbers 23, you find a description of God and his character. It says there, God is not a man. What does that tell you, what is in man? What does that tell you? It tells you it is natural, it's in the fiber of man to do what Pharaoh did, to do what Laban did, because the influence of Satan has trickled down.

But it says here, God is not a man that he should lie. Neither the son of man that he should repent. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? Or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? The implication is clear, isn't it? God intends on keeping his promises.

He can't do otherwise. You know, as humans, there are many times circumstances beyond our control when we simply cannot keep a promise that we have made. We fully intended on keeping it, and sometimes something comes in and it's just out of our control.

Then what? I would say at the very least, what we could do is pick up the phone or drive over to whoever's involved and let them know, hey, I recognize, I realize I said this, but to this and this, I can't. Whatever that promise is. But you communicate that.

Don't leave that other person or persons now wondering, was he for real? Was he serious? Erase all questions and tell them why you can't keep and do what you said you would do. Let's strive to keep our promises. Now what if you made a promise and maybe you made a little hasty promise? You didn't really put the puzzle pieces together, and now it's actually going to hurt you a little.

It's gonna hurt you. In whatever way, take time away from what you could be doing as a career. It could hurt you in the way of costing you some money.

Whatever, it'll hurt you. What do you do then? What's the right thing to do? Hey, sorry, is it gonna hurt me? I can't do what I said I was gonna do. No, this one's in our control.

Scripture would tell us, even if it hurts, stay true to your word. Honor your promise, even if it sets you back in some way. Psalm 15, Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell on thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness and speaketh the truth in his heart.

He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh a reproach against his neighbor, in whose eyes a vile person is contend, but he honoreth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not. Hmm, let's be men and women of our word.

Let me ask you a question. Is God worth the very best? Is God worth the very best? Think of it in terms of animal sacrifices. The same thing can play out there.

Oh, it hurts to give this one. I'll do one that kind of sprained its ankle. I don't know if it'll ever quite be normal again.

Run, you know, and be as beautiful. Oh, I'll give that one as a sacrifice to God. That one doesn't hurt as much, because I'm not going, if I take that thing to the market and it's limping, I'm not going to get as much for that one as I will for this one.

It's the same thing. Is God worth the best? In Psalm 24, who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? For who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. Someone whose promise is a promise.

He didn't make a promise with the intention to deceive. How about flattery? Where does flattery fit in? You know, often people want to make a favorable impression on others, so they say nice things that they don't really mean. Flattery.

You know what I'm talking about? Do we understand what flattery is? Raise your hand if you know what flattery is. Is flattery okay in the sight of God? Or is it a form of lying? Is it an act of deception? Oh, I'll just say nice things about you because you're within my, you know, you're within hearing distance. Maybe I'll even say it straight to your face.

My heart is not where my words are. Well, really, my heart is where those words are coming from. Just, I am twisting.

I'm painting a beautiful picture out of something very ugly that's right there. I'm just making it look beautiful. Flattery.

People say things about you that they don't really believe to be true themselves. But they'll tell you that's what they think of you. The psalmist says, they only consult to cast him down from his excellency.

They delight in lies. They bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Flattery.

In Psalm 78 verses 36 and 37, nevertheless, they did flatter him with their mouth and they lied unto him with their tongues. For their heart was not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant. Here, the people flattered God by professing that they would serve him, but those were words detached from the intention of their heart.

How many times, and I didn't do a count, but how many times does the word of God not tell us that they say something with their mouth, but their heart was removed? That's flattery. When people tell God that they'll follow him with no intention to follow him, it's a form of flattery and it's a lie. Flattery may seem innocent and it may even sound harmless, but it's a lie and it's deceitful.

I would say, as I pondered flattery, this is my summary of flattery. It's a sentence or a description or a word or whatever, decorated with a pretty bow and flower on top. A lie, a lie, decorated with a beautiful flower, a beautiful bow, it's like that angel of light.

Seems harmless, actually seems inviting, but then you take off that bow or you remove that flower, there's the reality. Flattery sounds rather innocent at times. And I would dare to say, has even become acceptable in Christendom.

The brothers and sisters, may it not be so here. May it not be so here. Well, it's noon.

I'll give you a list, a rundown of what else we could talk about in this whole concept of deception. We could talk about false doctrine, how it deceives. We could talk about hypocrisy.

We could talk about half-truths. You ever heard of a half-truth? Is there such a thing? Isn't it either true or false, not halfway? Have we accepted half-truths? Are half-truths acceptable with you? Then there's self-deception. One of the saddest forms of deception, I think, is self-deception.

When people don't want to face reality, they can convince themselves to believe things that really they know are not true. Hear me out. You can convince yourself of that which you know is not true to be true.

You remember I told you I have a brother who believed his own lies. And to this day, I don't know what to believe. Convincing yourself to believe what you know is not true.

That's sad. Many, many passages talk about self-deception. 1 Corinthians 3, Galatians 6, 3. James 2. I want to touch on this one, James 1, so I'll read it.

Sorry, James 1, 22. I want to touch on this one just a little bit. James says, be doers of the word and not hearers only.

Why not? Deceiving yourselves. You know, hearing the counsel of God is good. Amen? But hearing only is not enough.

It may cause you to feel good. It may cause you to feel better about yourself. But failing to apply God's word, being a hearer only, leads to being deceived.

Because you feel pretty good about yourself. I came to this conclusion. Sadly, this describes many a faithful church-going person.

They feel good that they go to a church service and they hear the word of God preached. They feel good about that. But make no application.

But they think they have a pretty good standing in the sight of God because I go to church and I hear the word. But as far as living it out, couldn't care less. Probably one of the biggest forms of self-deception that's alive today.

Yeah, I read the word. I feel pretty good when I read the word because I've spent time in the word. I know it's right.

But then failure to apply only leaves you in a state of being deceived. You feel good, but you're not good. You feel pretty right, but you're not right.

Paul writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy would say that some people will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned to fables. I'm paraphrasing that. They believe falsehood.

Why, because they do not like the truth. So they gather themselves men that will tell them what they wanna hear. Feel pretty good about themselves.

You know that you and I can find, we can find just the right person to encourage us, to pat us on the back and say, there's no man of God, there's no woman of God like you. We can find them out there and we feel pretty good about ourselves. What's real? So what's the motive? What drives people to lie and deceive? I don't have this verse written down, but John 8, 32 would tell us, and you shall know the truth and the truth shall what? Make you free.

The truth will make you free. Walk in truth, walk in light. The truth will make you free.

So what is it? Again, I wanna emphasize, there's the influence of Satan that's trickled down. That's behind every motive of deceit. Every lie spoken is that influence of Satan.

Jesus would say of Satan, there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and he's the father of lies. Satan influences men to lie.

So what causes, what drives us other than that influence where it all begins? I would say, I'll just again give us quickly four thoughts here. Men will lie for selfish reasons, for personal gain. Anything that prospers me, that's to my advantage.

Man naturally will be willing to lie for that advantage. Secondly, it's to cover up, cover up. I don't want people to really know who I am.

I don't want them to know what I do when I'm not in their sight. And so they'll lie and they'll put on a good face, but really they're covering up the real me. Number three, there's pride and envy.

And then number four, I would say, there's many a person probably that simply already does it out of habit. They've practiced it enough that it's just habit. That's sad.

Consequences of lying and deceit? Well, one, it harms other people. It influences others to sin. You lose your respect and confidence with other people.

And ultimately, if not repented of, separates an individual from God and condemns them for all eternity. That's pretty severe. So how do we overcome this, this very real thing? How do we overcome it? Love truth, brothers.

Love the light. Love what he loves, hate what he hates. Fill your heart with truth.

Stay far away from all that's false. Number four, avoid people who will influence you falsely. That's a big one, that one hurts.

Oh, we can't separate, that's not loving. Well, hang around with them and you'll end up like them. They'll speak lies, they'll tell you lies, they'll believe their lies.

Those lies will deceive you. You'll get a warped view, a wrong view of whoever and whatever. Now you're there.

Separate yourself from such company. Who shall ascend to the hill of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart. He who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity.

He who hath not sworn deceitfully. That person shall receive the blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Psalm 24, three through five.

All forms of deceit and lies are an abomination to God. God hates it. And we need to come to a place where we hate it.

If we hate it, we'll stand on guard against it. May God add his blessing to those thoughts.