Post by Josh Parsley on Oct 12, 2006 21:26:11 GMT -5
Self Deception
By Josh Parsley
It seems today we have so many that profess themselves wise, yet are as foolish as could be. Some may have more letters behind their name than what is contained in their name, yet can’t tell you what is contained in the scriptures. They said to Jesus, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” I ask “How professeth these men learning having not known the scriptures nor the power of God?” Sure, they want higher education, but not the Highest. Degrees aren’t that impressive. You can have thirty-two and still be frozen and lifeless. Many puff themselves up with scholarly knowledge and end up being nothing more than a cheese puff- lots of color with no substance. What a sad world we live in! How deceptive it is!
The Bible says that the fool has said in his heart “there is no God!” I fear that many church people are playing the fool. In their mind they say, “Sure, I believe in God,” but in their heart they say “He really isn’t there. He can’t see what I’m doing.” How absurd! Deception is surely blinding the eyes of many. Jesus said to get the log of our eye so you could get the speck out of your brother’s. Instead most professing Christians fill their eye with the filth of the world. Some call it entertainment, while I think a better description would be “alienation from God.” I’m not against having a pleasurable time, but most have deceived themselves. They don’t love righteousness. They love filthiness. Sure, they might not commit the act but they love watching others do so! Don’t deceive yourself! You can’t love righteousness and sin too. Don’t deceive yourself, you can’t walk in true righteousness unless you love righteousness.
Imagine Janet. Janet is a single mother who has a boy named John. John gets in trouble every day at school and has eventually been kicked out. Janet swears up and down that her little John is an angel and would never do anything wrong. Janet even went to the school and argued with the principle about it. What is so ironic about Janet is that she never leaves any money lying around John. She wouldn’t dare leave her keys with him. She also never let’s John go anywhere that she can’t call to check on him. We have all seen a case like this. Janet has deceived herself. She professes that John is an angel and will even defend him; yet looking at her life in respect to John her profession obviously isn’t true. How many have done the same to Jesus? I fear that many have deceived themselves into thinking they are righteous before God, yet their life totally denies it. I’ll humbly remind you that one of the first to proclaim Him as the “Holy One of God” was a devil. Your profession means nothing unless you posses eternal life. Eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). In knowing God, you will know that He hates sin. And if you are born of God, you will have a similar nature- morally speaking that is.
Imagine Thomas. Thomas is a farmer. He toils all day in his field. His utmost desire is that his field be filled with corn. Thomas then goes to buy pounds of sunflower seeds and begins to sow them in his field. He knew they were sunflower seeds, yet ignored it. In no time he had a field of sunflowers. He then went out to the field to reap all the benefits he was expecting. His mouth was watering for corn. He just couldn’t wait to indulge himself. When he gets into the field he falls to his knees and begins to curse and weep. He says, “Where is the corn! All my time for nothing?” You may say to yourself, “What?! What was he thinking? What a fool! Doesn’t he know that sunflower seeds don’t produce corn?” I hope you didn’t just say that about yourself. Many today think God will be mocked. They think they can live a sinful life and reap life everlasting. The Bible says “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” In other words, if you live a sinful life you will have death. If you live a life that is pleasing to God, you will have life.
Too many professing Christians are getting used to the darkness of this world rather than adjusting to the Light of God’s Word. I wish I had adequate words to express my feelings at this moment! What sad times we live in when Christians don’t weep enough over their own sin to wash the filthiness out of their eyes let alone have enough tears that others may see clearly. I wonder if there has ever been a woman that while she was giving birth just laughed, told jokes, and took it lightly. It seems to me that it is a sober and quite painful time, yet the end result is filled with joy. If you’re a Christian reading this, do you really think that there is going to be spiritual birth without the “labor of love?” So many are deceived and damned while they delightfully allow their sin to drag them to death. My plead with all who read this is that you be not deceived, but rather awake to the truth and look at yourself clearly. It’s will be better to look at yourself honestly now and repent rather than the One whom all Honesty and Truth emanate pronounce you unrighteous in that Great Day.
By Josh Parsley
It seems today we have so many that profess themselves wise, yet are as foolish as could be. Some may have more letters behind their name than what is contained in their name, yet can’t tell you what is contained in the scriptures. They said to Jesus, “How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” I ask “How professeth these men learning having not known the scriptures nor the power of God?” Sure, they want higher education, but not the Highest. Degrees aren’t that impressive. You can have thirty-two and still be frozen and lifeless. Many puff themselves up with scholarly knowledge and end up being nothing more than a cheese puff- lots of color with no substance. What a sad world we live in! How deceptive it is!
The Bible says that the fool has said in his heart “there is no God!” I fear that many church people are playing the fool. In their mind they say, “Sure, I believe in God,” but in their heart they say “He really isn’t there. He can’t see what I’m doing.” How absurd! Deception is surely blinding the eyes of many. Jesus said to get the log of our eye so you could get the speck out of your brother’s. Instead most professing Christians fill their eye with the filth of the world. Some call it entertainment, while I think a better description would be “alienation from God.” I’m not against having a pleasurable time, but most have deceived themselves. They don’t love righteousness. They love filthiness. Sure, they might not commit the act but they love watching others do so! Don’t deceive yourself! You can’t love righteousness and sin too. Don’t deceive yourself, you can’t walk in true righteousness unless you love righteousness.
Imagine Janet. Janet is a single mother who has a boy named John. John gets in trouble every day at school and has eventually been kicked out. Janet swears up and down that her little John is an angel and would never do anything wrong. Janet even went to the school and argued with the principle about it. What is so ironic about Janet is that she never leaves any money lying around John. She wouldn’t dare leave her keys with him. She also never let’s John go anywhere that she can’t call to check on him. We have all seen a case like this. Janet has deceived herself. She professes that John is an angel and will even defend him; yet looking at her life in respect to John her profession obviously isn’t true. How many have done the same to Jesus? I fear that many have deceived themselves into thinking they are righteous before God, yet their life totally denies it. I’ll humbly remind you that one of the first to proclaim Him as the “Holy One of God” was a devil. Your profession means nothing unless you posses eternal life. Eternal life is knowing God (John 17:3). In knowing God, you will know that He hates sin. And if you are born of God, you will have a similar nature- morally speaking that is.
Imagine Thomas. Thomas is a farmer. He toils all day in his field. His utmost desire is that his field be filled with corn. Thomas then goes to buy pounds of sunflower seeds and begins to sow them in his field. He knew they were sunflower seeds, yet ignored it. In no time he had a field of sunflowers. He then went out to the field to reap all the benefits he was expecting. His mouth was watering for corn. He just couldn’t wait to indulge himself. When he gets into the field he falls to his knees and begins to curse and weep. He says, “Where is the corn! All my time for nothing?” You may say to yourself, “What?! What was he thinking? What a fool! Doesn’t he know that sunflower seeds don’t produce corn?” I hope you didn’t just say that about yourself. Many today think God will be mocked. They think they can live a sinful life and reap life everlasting. The Bible says “For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” In other words, if you live a sinful life you will have death. If you live a life that is pleasing to God, you will have life.
Too many professing Christians are getting used to the darkness of this world rather than adjusting to the Light of God’s Word. I wish I had adequate words to express my feelings at this moment! What sad times we live in when Christians don’t weep enough over their own sin to wash the filthiness out of their eyes let alone have enough tears that others may see clearly. I wonder if there has ever been a woman that while she was giving birth just laughed, told jokes, and took it lightly. It seems to me that it is a sober and quite painful time, yet the end result is filled with joy. If you’re a Christian reading this, do you really think that there is going to be spiritual birth without the “labor of love?” So many are deceived and damned while they delightfully allow their sin to drag them to death. My plead with all who read this is that you be not deceived, but rather awake to the truth and look at yourself clearly. It’s will be better to look at yourself honestly now and repent rather than the One whom all Honesty and Truth emanate pronounce you unrighteous in that Great Day.