Oh I know the feeling better than you think. In fact, self deception has been a battle of mine recently, over different things than you are talking about here but the same principle none the less.
Here is what I have found in scripture, if you give me some more time I can look up a portion of a study I did that will give even more info. First, examine yourself with sober judgment as to whether or not you are yielding completely to the HS. Second study the word for yourself. As I said, I apply several layers of protection, 1. prayer for HS guidance, 2. word study 3. context, 4. totality of scripture 5. testing of the conclusion such as discussions here and 6. more testing and challenge. There are a few other things that we can do but that is pretty conclusive.
Playing elevator music while I look up the portion of the study that applies.....I know this is long, it is part of a longer study that will eventually be a study book about the power of Love but it does answer your question through a deep study of the word of God on the matter of deception. Admittedly it is easier to understand than to trust but as a young friend reminded me today, our trust is to be in God and not our own understanding....
The Power of Love...
Recently our world was rocked once again with things that were out of our control. In fact, my own personal traumas sent me into a despair that was very difficult to fight back into the past and there leave the dreams and visions that haunt. None the less, God has called us to a life of overcoming, a Kingdom not of words but of power. For many of us, sharing our faith is about words. We think that if we say the right things, we will convince some to come to Christ. Even my own ministry is made up primarily of words. But I Corinthians tells us that the Kingdom of God is not about words. I Corinthians 4:20 (HSCB) For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. (I Corinthians 2:4) It is not the words that hold the power of the Kingdom, words that we think should be convincing, thus, we have done our duty in speaking the gospel, of standing on the street corner or in the pulpit, Sunday School room, or workplace rather than taking the power of God into our world. Some people latch on to the idea that the Kingdom is about power but they fail to understand the purpose and evidence of that power. So, today, we begin to look into the power of the Kingdom and how that power glorifies the Living God.
Over the years, God has taught us the importance of holding onto what is true and discarding the lies. (III John 1:11; Matthew 7:15; II Peter 2:1; Romans 12:9; I Thessalonians 5:22; I John 4:1; Jeremiah 23:16; Jeremiah 29:8) It is a guarding against being deceived. I always stand amazed at how easily and how completely we can allow ourselves to become deceived. Things that to the rest of us reak of sin, become to us badges of justification. Matthew 22:29 tells us that we become deceived because we do not know the scriptures or the power of the Living God. (I Corinthians 15:24; Mark 12:24) All other ways of being deceived fit into one of these two categories. For example, Romans 7:11 tells us that sin sees the opportunity to decieve through the commandments. Thus, if we know the commandments, if we know the word of God, the very scriptures that bear His name, if we obey out of Love for God, obey in the power of God, we will not fall prey to the sin that decieves. We are also told that the Devil is a deceiver, he is cunning in that deception and sometimes uses others as well as signs to decieve us, even, if possible the deception of the very elect of God. (Matthew 24:24; II Timothy 3:13; II Corinthians 11:3; Revelation 18:23; Revelation 19:20; Revelation 20:10) But whatever means the devil uses to decieve us, we are commanded by God to guard ourselves against that deception. (Galatians 6:7; Mark 12:27; Luke 21:8; I Corinthians 6:9; I Corinthians 15:33; Titus 3:3; James 1:16) How then, can we guard ourselves against deceptions that come so frequently, so convincingly, and so completely that we fall all to easily into the lies that prevail in our world?
This book is kind of a how to look at the power of the Kingdom of God. A power that protects us from deceptions that we often fall into. A power that begins with our studying the word of God. (II Timothy 2:15; James 1:18) When we remain in Christ, living in the power of the Holy Spirit He has given to us, we are taught by that very same Spirit. (I John 2:27; I John 2:20; I Thessalonians 4:9; Hebrews 8:11; Proverbs 28:5; John 6:45; John 14:26; I Corinthians 2:12) Notice two important aspects to the Holy Spirit being our teacher, the first is that we are teachable, that we apply ourselves to study of the word and allow that word to transform us rather than trying to transform the word into something that we desire. Many people turn to the teachers that they like to listen to, to come to an understanding that is palatable to them. But, when they turn to the teachers, they are allowing the teachers to convince them of what they know. A true teacher, one gifted by God, (Ephesians 4:11; Jeremiah 3:15; I Corinthians 12:4-28; Romans 12:6-8) directs you to discover for yourself the truths of God. In fact, scripture warns us about those teachers that are in fact deceivers. (Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11; Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; Acts 20:29) Not everyone or everything that calls themselves a disciple of Christ, are. (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 25; Luke 6:46; Romans 2:13)
In fact, we are giving several ways to know who is and who is not a false teacher. Jeremiah 23:26 tells us that the false teacher fills us with false hopes and visions from their own minds. God is 100% right 100% of the time because He is God. I have said this to some people, who promptly try to tell me that no one is 100% right 100% of the time, no one. If we are living in the power of the Living God, we are 100% right 100% of time. This is part of living in the power of God. If we are wrong in what we teach or prophecy, we are NOT living in the power of God and therefore become a deciever. Likewise, things like the qualifications for elder found in I Timothy 3 are possible if we are living in the power of God, it is only in our own power that we cannot fulfil the qualifications that are set down for us by God Himself. Remember, according to Matthew 22:29, it is the combination of lack of knowing the scriptures and lack of the power of God that opens the door for us to be decieved. If we have one but not the other, we are not safe from deception. Scripture tells us that along with meeting these qualifications, the one who does NOT deny the power of God, also accepts God's sovereignty over all things, including but not limited to who is in power at the time, the sufferings that we are facing, and any struggle that we endure. (II Peter 2:1) God is soveriegn. He has temporarily given Satan permission to rule this world. (II Corinthians 4:4; John 12:31; John 3:19; John 14:30; John 16:11; Ephesians 2:2; Ephesians 6:12; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14; I John 3:8; I John 4:4; I John 5:19; Revelation 12:9) He has given us the rulers that we have, whether good or bad. (Romans 13:1-2; Proverbs 8:15; Daniel 2:21; Daniel 4:17; John 19:11) He is the one who gives man choice over his own destiny. (Joshua 24:15; Revelations 3:20; Isaiah 55:6-7; Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Deuteronomy 28:1-68; Romans 6:16; I Corinthians 6:9-10; Romans 1:24-27; Ezekiel 18:30-32; John 14:15; I John 1:9; Matthew 5:19) God is the one who not only created the universe, but sustains it. (Job; Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:17) God is sovereign. The one from God accepts God's sovereignty as truth.
Luke 6:26 warns us of everyone liking us and speaking well of us is a dangerous sign, because this is how the false prophets of old were revered. Man seeks out applause. Man wants to be liked, but Luke warns us that the false teachers of old were revered and applauded because of the message they brought. The truths of God are not always easy things to hear. II Timothy 4:3 and Isaiah 30:10 both tell us of false teachers who “tickle itching ears” are among us. People who say what is popular at the time while ignoring what scripture tells us of condemnation and judgment. These are the ones who follow their own sinful desires rather than the righteousness of Christ. (Jude 1:18) They may sound noble, wise, righteous, but in reality, they are only building for themselves a following of people who like them, follow their own evil desires rather than the truths of God.
Another characteristic of the false teacher is that they flee when trouble comes rather than standing firm on the word of God. (John 10:12) Whether that trouble is the government or just gossip mongers in the church, whether rumor or guns and bombs, the false teacher is not there because God is compelling them to teach the people and guide them, but rather they are there for their own gain. (Ezekiel 33:31) These are the one's who cause divisions and put obsticles in the way of sound doctrine and Godly teaching. (Romans 16:17) In fact, the false teacher denies the power of the Living God, (II Timothy 3:5) and lives in the fruit of unrighteousness rather than in the fruit of righteousness. (Matthew 7:15-16) But maybe, the most important things to remember about those that we suspect may be a false teacher or those that we would be wise to suspect, is the admonision in I John 4:1 to test that teacher. Who they testify Jesus Christ as being is important to identifying who is and who is not trying to deceive you. But notice something interesting in I John 4:1, there are many false teachers in this world. One of the ways Satan tries to deceive us is by thinking that there are not very many false teachers, that we won't come into contact with any, or that if we identify someone as being a false teacher, we are somehow judging another person and therefore are sinning ourselves by measuring them against the things we know God has told us that will be true of the false teacher. But also notice that Matthew 7:15 that it is not always easy to tell who is and is not a false teacher, that is why that guarding ourselves against deceptions requires us to know the word of God, to know what is and is not evidence of the false teacher as well as living in the power of the Living God. Both are necessary. Even if we know scripture left and right, if we are not accepting the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we can still be decieved because of how well camouflaged the false teacher is.
The second important thing to keep in mind is that in order for the Holy Spirit to teach you, you first have to be filled with that Holy Spirit as you are seeking Him and to know Him intimately and as completely as is possible in this world. The Kingdom of God has the power to teach us truth, so that we will not be decieved. How then do we know that we have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within us? Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that there is fruit or evidence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Fruit that is seen in our lives as Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. In the power of the Holy Spirit, our thought patterns change, we begin to transform our minds into the mindset of Christ. (Romans 8:5; I Corinthians 2:16) We also know that the one who is living in the truth of the Holy Spirit is the one who is leaving sin behind and moving forward in the righteousness of Christ. (I John 3:6-9; I John 5:4; I John 5:18) Thus, if we have these things in growing measure, we have the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives and the guarantee of our salvation. (Ephesians 1:13-14; II Corinthians 1:22)
There is no set way to study the word of God, though there are some wrong ways or things to do. First, ask the Holy Spirit to teach you truth. As my own battle rages on, I would time after time after time ask God to leave only what was mine, only what was truth. We as a people love to give things to God, only to take them back and try to make them ours again. As long as I was the one trying to divine what truth was, I couldn't see clearly because I was still being able to be decieved. I had not yet renewed my mind in the truths of the Lord. (Romans 12:2; Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:19; Ephesians 4:23; Colossians 3:10; Titus 3:5) This renewing of our minds is a process of yeilding our own wills, our own desires to His will and His desire by allowing Him to reveal to us His intent of the scriptures. It is to allow His word to transform our lives rather than trying to force God into the image we want or have been taught that He is. (Ephesians 5:17; Colossians 1:9; I Peter 1:14; I John 2:15; Ephesians 1:17; Philippians 1:9) It is an understanding that we should be asking others to pray for on our behalf as well as being faithful to pray for others to acquire. (I Samuel 12:23; Colossians 1:9; II Timothy 1:3)
After yielding ourselves to God to reveal and teach us according to His will and purpose, we need to make sure that we study the context of the passage. Many people fall into false teaching by ignoring the context of the passage in question, thus they are able to twist it's meaning into something that God never intended. This context is not just the context of the passage in question but the context of the entire Bible as well. Because there is only ONE SPIRIT and ONE GOD, there can only be one interpretation. (Ephesians 4:3-5; Ephesians 2:18; I Corinthians 12:13; II Corinthians 13:11; I Corinthians 11:10) For this reason, context is of upmost importance. Both the context of the passage in question and the context of how this passage fits the totality of the Bible and it's purpose.
There are many good tools available to help us study the word of God, there are Lexicon's, which help us to know the intended meaning of a specific word used. Concordances show us everytime that specific word is used, even Bible dictionaries are helpful tools for learning about the history and cultures that are being referred to. With todays technologies, it is easy to find on line helps that will spur us into deeper and deeper understanding of God and His word if we allow the Holy Spirit to teach us as we make use of the tools available. One such tool is litery rules that we have been taught since elementary school. These rules help us to identify not only the intended meaning, but the method of teaching that is being employed. For example, the book of Psalms is a hymnal, filled with songs and poems that delight as they teach. But throughout the Bible we also see parables, stories that illustrate a point. Identifying the teaching method being used can be enlightenment of it's own. Another great resource to our study, is the God given teachers that He has placed in the body of believers. These are those teachers who demonstrate not only the evidence of the Holy Spirit in their lives, but also the giftedness of teaching. (I Corinthians 12:28; Acts 13:1; Romans 12:7; Ephesians 4:11; Jeremiah 3:15) These men and woman of God are gifted by God to teach, therefore their teaching is distinguishable from others who try to teach. More importantly, the teachers that God has placed in the body for our edification are NOT to take the place of our own study, but rather they are to enhance our study, encourage our study, and otherwise edify us as we pursue God through study so that we are not among those that are deceived.
II Timothy 3:16 tells us that our study is profitable. It helps us to be able to teach. In fact, it is the very word of God that we are to be teaching, whether to our children, ourselves, or to one another. This does not mean that we all have the gift of teaching but rather that teaching is an important aspect of our spiritual lives and maturity. If we have learned enough of the scriptures to be able to teach them without deception, we have used the command to know the scriptures and the power of God effectively. (Luke 6:40; Matthew 5:19; II Timothy 2:15; James 3:1-2; Titus 2:2; Romans 2:21; Titus 2:7; I Timothy 2:2; I Timothy 4:11) Studying of scripture is also important for rebuke. This is a difficult one for many people, it is to balance being a busy body who is judging others and looking for their sins with seeing something that is an obvious sin and rebuking someone for it. In the midst of this quandry, is our own corrections, the corrections that scripture provides and God gives so that we can mature in Him. (Matthew 18:15-17; Proverbs 27:5; I Timothy 5:20; Titus 2:15; Galatians 6:1; II Timothy 4:2; James 5:20; Proverbs 29:15; Luke 17:3-4; Mark 16:14; Revelation 3:19; I Timothy 5:1; Proverbs 9:8-9; Hebrews 12:11; Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 15:32; Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 3:11-12) When we are called upon to rebuke and correct, it must be done in accordance with the word of God. In other words, it first must be a scriptureal correction or rebuke, not a disputable matter and secondly it must be done with order (Matthew 18) and in gentleness. (Galatians 6:1; I Corinthians 4:21; II Corinthians 2:7; II Thessalonians 3:15; II Timothy 2:25) Any correction given should be not only through example of living out righteousness in our own lives, (Psalms 141:5; Galatians 6:1; Proverbs 19:25; Proverbs 25:12; Ecclesiasties 7:5; Proverbs 13:18; Proverbs 15:31-32; Ecclesiasties 9:17) but also with the purpose of reconciliation firmly in place. (II Corinthians 5:18; Colossians 1:20; Matthew 5:23-26; Luke 12:58) We ourselves need to be willing to be corrected, to be taught, to be rebuked, to be reconciled to Christ and to others. Finally, scripture is given to us for the purpose of training unto righteousness. It seems that all too often in our current day and age, the idea of righteousness is passay, but scriptures purpose at least in part is to train us to be the righteousness of Christ. (Romans 15:4; Proverbs 8:33; John 14:15; Proverbs 6:23; Ephesians 6:4; Romans 15:14-15; Hebrews 12:1-29; John 14:26) We should allow the word of God to train us in righteousness so that we do not need rebuked or corrected, but rather that we become a living testimony to the reality of a God who neither sleeps nor slumbers, whose holiness is beyond our comprehension and whose wonder and beauty is without compare.
As we study the word of God and learn and discover the truths hidden within scripture, stories of God's great power are revealed. The second half of avoiding being deceived, is to know and understand the power of that same God. It is to make the stories part of our belief. Everything that Jesus did while on this earth, was to bring about belief. (John 10:25; John 10:37-38; John 3:2; John 5:36; John 14:10-20; John 17:21; I John 3:24) Jesus came that we might believe, yet we live like we don't believe. We read where God gives peace, but lack peace in our lives and doubt that we can or even should have peace in the midst of some of the worst storms our world can bring into our lives. We read in scripture that Christ came to destroy sin and death but make excuses for living in sin rather than living in the power to overcome sin and in that overcoming, to destory the power of death. We are those that have a form of godliness but deny it's power. (II Timothy 3:5; Matthew 7:15; II Thessalonians 3:6; I Timothy 4:7-8) Belief, that is real belief of the heart, always is accompanied by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, that Holy Spirit that is our guarantee of our salvation. (Ephesians 1:14; II Corinthians 1:22) We are to live in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit if we are to have power over the deceptions that try to draw us away from God.
I once heard a Rabbi say that to the Jew, sin is like temporary insanity, if one really understands who God is, they would have to be insane to commit the sin. This is how we should understand God's power. If we fail to live in that power, it is temporary insanity and so we return to Him and yield ourselves to Him and return to a life that demonstrates His power and Love rather than run from it. Sin however, is not just the big things, not just the things that are getting attention at the moment. Sins are anything that does not measure up to Christ's righteousness. A righteousness that is not possible without the power of the Living God moving in us and through us to do what we cannot do alone. One of the deceptions that are common to man is that of what sin is. We often proudly proclaim that we sin, it is after all what the Bible says, we all sin, but when asked what sins we have committed, we have no answer. Whether we lack understanding of what our sins are, or we are too prideful to confess, we move through life unaware of how we grieve the Lord.
I Samuel 12:23 tells us about a time in which lack of prayer and teaching the things of God was sin. In verse 24 we add to the sin the lack of fear for the Lord and serving Him with faithfulness and obedience. We are in fact, commanded to pray for one another, to fail to do this, is sin. (James 5:16; Ephesians 6:18; I Timothy 2:1; Colossians 1:9; Matthew 5:44; I Thessalonians 5:25; Romans 15:30; II Thessalonians 3:1) Likewise, we are commanded to teach those things which are good, those things which are of God. We are all teachers of sorts, teachers who are warned against leading others astray. (Colossians 3:16-17; Colossians 1:28; Proverbs 22:6; Matthew 28:19; Matthew 13:52; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8) As teachers of the word to one another, it is vital that we are not deceived, that we do not lead others astray. (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42; Luke 17:2) Our very lives teach others and when we sin against another, we sin against God. (I Corinthians 8:12; Matthew 25:45) In I Samuel 12:17 we see that the simple act of asking for a king like all the other nations had, was in fact sin. Disobedience of all kinds is sin, Love, real Love is the way we avoid sin, for real Love sums up all the law and prophets. (Matthew 22:40) We also know that we must live in faith. Faith is trusting God. Anything not done in faith, or trust of God, is sin. (Romans 14:23; Hebrews 11:6) From the New Testament standpoint, anything not done in both Love (I Corinthians 13 Love not world love) and faith (trust in God) is sin.
I John 5:17 tells us that all wrongdoing is sin. Not forgiving is a sin, (Matthew 6:14) as is worrying. (Matthew 6:27) How we approach others when they sin against us, can be an act of righteousness or an act of sin. (Matthew 18) Betrayals, (Matthew 27:4) slander, (Mark 3:28) even being ashamed to stand firm for Christ in the face of extreme situations, or simply in the face of a brother or sister who is sinning, is sin. (Mark 8:38) Making excuses and trying to justify our actions is sinful. (John 15:22) Unbelief is a sin, (John 16:9) bitterness (Acts 8:23) even not living in the power of the Living God is an act of sin. (Acts 26:18) Living in our old desires is sin. (Romans 6:6) Faith is trusting God, Romans 14:23 tells us that anything not done in faith is sin. Even what we eat can be sin if not done in the righteousness of Christ. (I Corinthians 8:12-13) Taking advantage of a brother is sin, (I Thessalonians 4:6) showing favoritism, (James 2:9) and not doing good. (James 4:17) These are just a few of the sins that we seldom confess as sins and why it is so important to study the word of God and live in His power so that we can avoid the deceptions that those things we do not want to acknowledge as sins really are sin. In fact, righteousness is important to the power of God in the lives of those in this world. Consider James 5:16 which tells us that the ferverent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. In other words, it is the prayer of a righteous man, not an unrighteous man that produces change. (John 9:31; Psalms 34:15; Psalms 66:18; Proverbs 15:29; Proverbs 28:9) This righteousness is the righteousness of Christ as applied to our lives through yielding, confession, and repentance. It is Christ's forgiveness applied to our lives through our brokenness and turning away from our evil ways. James 5 also tells us that we are to confess our sins one to another, our struggles with living in the righteousness of Christ. This confessing one to another not only is a cleansing, but also it opens the door for us to know how to pray for one another with prayers that are fervent, effectual intercessory prayers. At least part of living in the power of God to not be deceived, is to live in the righteousness of Christ. From James 5 we know that when someone is sick, we are to call the elders, not the deacons, not the whole congregation, but the elders, elders that in many of our churches today don't even exist. Men and women that are dedicated to study and prayer of the word. We then are to allow the elders to anoint the one who is sick, both the one who is sick and the elders, confessing their sins one to another, for this is where the power of prayer is, in the righteous, ferverent prayers of those that are cleansed by the blood of Christ. Yet, we willingly deviate from these instructions, praying unrighteous, sin sick prayers for the one who is sick and wonder why God does not answer, why healing doesn't happen. An unrighteous prayer does NOT produce righteousness. (II Corinthians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; I John 1:6)
God alone is above being decieved, (Job 13:9) which is why it is important to know both His word and His power in order to prevent ourselves from being decieved. It is this knowledge and living in both His word and His power that gives us power and wisdom to dicern the words in this world that we hear, for words can and often do deceive us. (Proverbs 14:5; Psalms 78:36; Romans 3:13; Romans 16:18; II Corinthians 6:8; Ephesians 5:6; Colossians 2:4) Even ill placed jokes, can decieve us or others when they come from our own mouths. (Proverbs 26:19) Is it any wonder then that scripture tells us to guard our tongues? (James 3:2-10; Psalms 12:3; Psalms 39:1; Proverbs 26:20; Proverbs 12:23; Ephesians 4:29; Proverbs 15:1; Proverbs 12:18; Psalms 34:13; James 1:26; Proverbs 17:28; I Peter 3:10; Proverbs 18:21; Proverbs 15:4; Matthew 15:11; Proverbs 10:19; Psalms 52:2) We will be asked to give account for the things we say, it is the things we say that testify to the one who is Lord of our hearts. (James 3:6; Matthew 15:11-18; Matthew 12:36) If our hearts have not been changed, if we have not allowed Jesus to be Lord of our lives, then we will fall prey to the sins of the tongue, both the ones who purpose to decieve us because they are of their father the devil and the deceptive lies we tell. (John 8:44; Matthew 13:15; John 7:17; Acts 13:10; I John 2:4; I John 2:21; I John 3:8-10) This understanding is important to our understanding of how the power of God prevents us from being decieved because when He is Lord of our lives, His Spirit testifies to our spirit the truth that keeps us from being decieved. (Romans 8:16; I John 3:1; I John 5:10; Acts 5:32; II Corinthians 1:22; Galatians 4:6) Without the witness of the indwelling Holy Spirit testifying to our spirit, the power of God is broken and we can be decieved or become the deciever. A Holy Spirit that Jesus sent when He assended into heaven and is our guarantee of salvation. This is the power of God over deception and is only ours when we make Jesus Christ Lord of our hearts.
So, how then do we know that the Holy Spirit is witnessing to our spirit? First, we must believe with our hearts that Jesus is not only the Son of God, the Messiah, but that He is Lord of your life, (Romans 10:9-10) then you can rest assured that He wants you to remain in His care, He wants to keep you from danger, even the danger of deceptions. This is where faith comes into play. We must trust that He wants us to know truth. (Job 34:12; James 1:18; John 1:17; John 8:31-32; Jeremiah 29:11; I Peter 5:7; Psalms 37:5; Psalms 55:22) We know that God wants what is best for us. (Matthew 7:11; Psalms 84:11; Luke 11:13; Romans 8:32; James 1:17) We know that He wants to have fellowship with us, to keep us from deceptions. (Ecclesiasties 12:13-14; Job 42) So, when we trust Him, trust that He will keep us from deception, all that is left, is to be still and listen. (Psalms 46:10; Psalms 100:3; John 10:4-27; Psalms 85:8) Sometimes we get to busy or too afraid that we are standing in the way of what God wants to testify to our spirit. That is when we need to test the voices that we hear. We test the voice against what scripture tells us and against what we are told are the marks of false teachers. We test to see what the voice testifies about who Christ is, and who God is and the things we know are true from studying the word of God for ourselvs. (I Corinthians 14:10; I John 4:1-2; I Thessalonians 5:21; II Peter 2:1; II John 1:7; III John 1:11; Revelation 2:2)
Sometimes, we decieve ourselves. Whether it is our own lack of knowing the scriptures and power of God or our own stupidity and worldly wisdom, we decieve ourselves. (Proverbs 14:8; Isaiah 44:20; I Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 6:3) We seek to justify our own sins, even to the point of denial. (I John 1:8; Jeremiah 2:35; I John 2:4; I John 4:20; John 8:44) These lies that we tell ourselves, are from the devil and not from God. The remedy for this self deception is humility. I Corinthians 13:4 tells us that Love is neither proud or boastful. Humility is a big deal with God. Not only are we commanded to be humble, (Romans 12:3; Romans 11:20; Ecclesiasties 7:16; Romans 12:16; I Corinthians 4:7; I Corinthians 7:17; I Corinthians 15:10; Philippians 2:13) but we also know that Christ's humility is the example we are to live by. (Philippians 2:1-11; Colossians 3:12; I Peter 3:8) C. S. Lewis describes humility as...humility is not thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. Christ gave all, His life, His comforts, His throne, His home, His face to face with His Father, so that we could live. That is the perfect picture of humility and humility is the core of real Love, therefore, humility is the very basis for how the believer is to live their lives.
It is the hardness of our hearts, the stiffness of our necks, our stubborn pride that stands in the way of our humbling ourselves before a holy God and in that, find healing and truth. (Proverbs 29:1; Job 9:4; Proverbs 1:24-25; Isaish 48:4; Jeremiah 17:23; II Chronicles 7:14; Jeremiah 16:12; Matthew 13:15; Acts 28:27; Romans 2:5) In fact, when we live in our own pride, when we refuse to humble ourselves, confess our sins, turn from our wicked ways. When we boast of who we are not, when we boast of who we are not in the Kingdom of God, we don't just open ourselves up to deceptions, but we are in opposition to God Himself. (James 4:6; Psalms 138:6; Proverbs 3:34; Proverbs 29:23; Matthew 23:12; James 4:10; I Peter 5:5) Being prideful, arrogant, and boastful is a very bad thing in the eyes of God and leads to many sins. (I John 2:16; Romans 13:14; Ephesians 2:3; James 4:16) But pride does not come without warning, when we refuse to humble ourselves, God eventually gives us over to our own depravity and in that, we wallow in our sin, separated from God. (Romans 1:24; Psalms 81:12; Romans 1:26-28) With God no longer calling us to Himself and His righteousness, we become deceived into thinking that what is sin is not sin. We then become free to justify our sins and live in them, thinking that a Loving God could not and would not condemn us for our sins or carry out His wrath upon us. These deceptions carry us into the eternal world and the judgment that awaits us there.
Promises can deceive us. (Isaiah 37:10) Equally, the time we sit waiting for something can seem endless and in that endless waiting, we become deceived. (Jeremiah 4:10) It is not the promises of God that can deceive. God is true to every promise He makes. (Numbers 23:19; Romans 9:6; II Timothy 2:13; Hebrews 6:18; Hebrews 7:21; Genesis 28:15; I Samuel 15:29; Psalms 110:4; Isaiah 40:8; Isaiah 46:11; Isaiah 55:11; Jeremiah 4:28) So if a promise of God does not happen, one of three things is true. 1. Either the promise was not given to you. 2. You did not fulfil your portion of the promise. And/or 3. It isn't yet time for the promise to be fulfilled. Let's take a few moments to look at each possibility so that we can learn how to not be deceived by promises.
- The promise was not given to you.
Many people will go around this world telling you that this thing or that thing is promised by God. But scripture tells us that such is the way of false prophets, they go around in sheeps clothing, (II Peter 2:19; II Timothy 4:3-4; Jude 1:4; Isaiah 30:10; Jude 1:18; II Peter 2:10; II Peter 3:3; I Timothy 4:1-2; II Peter 1:20; Jeremiah 23:26) Even Satan himself is said to pose as an angel of light. (II Corinthians 11:14) These are people who can look and sound like they know scripture inside and out. They are people who can talk with authority about the things of God, all the time deceiving people as to what the true promises of God are. The only way to know the true promises of God is to study the word and know both it and the power of God.
We could not possibly cover all the promises of God in a book like this, but let's talk about a few of those promises, promises that we can guarantee. God promises us the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:4; Acts 2:33; Galatians 3:14; Ephesians 1:13) When we talk about the promised Holy Spirit, we are not talking about tongues and miracle healings and such, but rather we are talking about the indwelling Holy Spirit given to everyone who believes unto salvation. The Holy Spirit that is our guarantee of salvation. (Ephesians 1:14; II Corinthians 1:22) God has also promised Jesus the Christ, the Redemer, the Savior, the Messiah. (Acts 13:23; Acts 13:32; Romans 1:1-6; Romans 15:8; Hebrews 7:28) The promised Messiah came to us in the form of the man Jesus Christ, but it was a promise given to us by faith, not by the law. Where the law is NOT contrary to the promise (Galatians 3:17-29) the promise was given through faith. (Romans 4:13-16) So, Jesus Christ is the promise, a promise given through faith, a promise guaranteed by the promised Holy Spirit. But Jesus purpose for coming was also a promise given to us by God, a promise of eternal life through Jesus the Christ. (II Timothy 1:1; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 4:1; Hebrews 9:15; James 2:5; I John 2:25) His promise of eternal life includes our citizenship in the Kingdom (Philippians 3:20; I Corinthians 15:48; Ephesians 2:19) and our adoption as sons and daughters of the King of Kings. (I John 3:2; Luke 20:36; John 1:12; Romans 8:16; I John 3:1-10) So if we have established that the promise was indeed given to you, and not a made up promise by man or a promise given to someone else, the next thing to look at is what must we do to inherit that promise.
- You did not fulfill your portion of the promise.
Sometimes, God's promises come with a purpose or something that we must do. We already talked about one such criteria, that of salvation being through faith. In other words, if we do not put our faith in God, that promise is not for us, it cannot be fulfilled by God on our behalf. It's kind of like a contractual agreement. In this case, IF you believe with your heart and confess with your mouth you will be saved (Romans 10:9) IF you do not, then the promise of salvation is not yours. Some of the other things that we must do to inherit the promises of God are to stand firm (Acts 26:6) No matter the trial, no matter the struggle, we have to stand firm. We need to not waver in unbelief. (Romans 4:20-21) decide with our hearts, with the determination of the heart, the passion of the heart, the covenant of the heart that Jesus is the Christ and that God's promises are absolute and there, do not waver, hold fast, stand firm. Even when doubts push aside all reason, stand firm, do not waver. In addition, because God's promises are absolute, we need to cleanse ourselves of all unrighteousness through the blood of the Lamb that was slain for us. (II Corinthians 7:1) We are also to pursue the promises of God for in them, we will find God. (Philippians 3:14) Promises that are for both the Jew and the Gentile. (Ephesians 3:6) We are not to be lazy about the promises of God, but rather we are to persevere, endure, run the race to it's completion, for this is part of the promise, to endure. (Hebrews 6:12-13; Hebrews 10:23; Hebrews 10:36; James 1:12
We are to wait for the promise. (Hebrews 6:15-17; II Peter 3:13)
- It isn't yet time for the promise to be fulfilled.
Sometimes, we become decieved by the promises of God because we do not function in the same time frame as God does. (II Peter 3:8; Psalms 90:4) We get in our heads that if the thing that we asked for, if the thing we see as a promise is not do in our understanding of time, then it isn't done and either God is to blame, or we didn't use the right formula. Rather our understanding of time and God's understanding are vastly different and we need to understand that God does not dely His promises in His understanding of time, but rather, He gives them at just the right time. (II Peter 3:9) But some promises were not meant for this life at all, some promises were intended to be hopes in this world and then to be revealed in the worlds to come. (II Peter 3:4; Hebrews 11; I Timothy 4:8) This is why we are told to wait. To wait upon the Lord, to not doubt, to stand firm, to endure, because God's timing and ours are not always the same thing. But a difference in timing is not a failure in promise, rather it is a hope of what is to come, for God's promises alone can be trusted. What He says He will do. If one is without God, he is without promise (Ephesians 2:12) and the promises that deceive have an open door to enter into our lives.
According to Jeremiah 49:16 and Obediah 1:3 our own presumptuous hearts can deceive us. Websters defines presumptuous as: : overstepping due bounds (as of
propriety or courtesy) : taking liberties. The Lexicon tells us the the word used means: pride, insolence, presumptuous, arrogance. Our own hearts can deceive us when we are not living in the power of the Holy Spirit and instead living in the pride that draws us into sin. The solution to this pride or presumptuous heart is the peace of God. Philippians 4:7 (HCSB) And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Notice that it is this peace of God that guards our hearts and minds from the deceptions that can follow. (John 14:27; Isaiah 26:12; Isaiah 32:18) God is the God of peace, therefore it is His power of peace that helps us avoid the deceptions that asail us from within. In order to live in this peace, there are several things we can do, our strength added to God's power. Isaiah 27:5 tells us that first of all we need to make peace with God. We are to reconile with Him. As we reconile ourselves to God, making peace with Him, we need to keep our minds streadfast on Him. (Isaiah 26:3) Keep our minds on Him and the things of God. The process for doing this, the method we are told to use when keeping our minds steadfast on Him is to take our very thoughts captive and make those thoughts obedient to Christ. (II Corinthians 10:5) We also need to know Love. (Ephesians 3:19) This Love is not the worlds understanding of Love, that is the emotional high that we feel when we like something or someone, but rather it is the Biblical Love, the putting of another above ourselves in an act of humility creating a covenant whose intent/purpose is reconciliation/restoration. It is a Love whose very intent/purpose is to reconcile with God or make peace with God and this is where the power to live in the peace of God begins. In addition, we need to practise obedience (Philippians 4:9) and in fact, learn to love the very law that condemned us in the first place. (Psalms 119:165) Learning to love the law of God is to learn to love the very thing that tells us how to be at peace with God. It is to love that we know how to please God and to allow Him to rule our hearts and minds. It is putting Christ as ruler of our lives, to set Christ as Lord of our very lives that brings about peace and the peace that guards our hearts and minds, protecting us from deceptions. (Colossians 3:15) As we learn to live in the power of God through the peace He gives, we also learn to partake in the ministry of making peace in a world that knows no peace. (Matthew 5:9) We become the very image of God as we become the peace makers.
Sin can also deceive us, calling us like an old friend, tempting us with with fleeting sensual desires that we have lived in since before we were born. (Romans 7:11; I Corinthians 6:9; Titus 3:3) In order to overcome the deceptions of sin, we need to no longer live under the law, but under grace. We cannot fulfil the law, but we can in grace, live in the righteousness of Christ. A grace that is ours through the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:14-17; Romans 5:17-21; Romans 8:2; Romans 6:14) Without grace, we are still under the law and in that state, we will fail to be obedient. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is a powerful thing given to us to help us avoid being deceived by sin. We can help it along, help grace to finish the work it has begun in our lives, by choosing wisely whom we will serve. Romans 6:16 tells us that we are a slave to whomever or whatever we give ourselves to. We become a slave to sin when we refuse grace and in that, give ourselves over to the sinful desires of the flesh. In our strength alone, we cannot overcome sin, but in the power of God, we can allow God to rule rather than sin. (Genesis 4:7; Romans 6:12; Psalms 119:133) As we allow God to rule our lives, as we allow grace to complete it's work, we seek God to be our power over that sin (Galatians 5:18) by crucifying ourselves, our old desires that call us and tempt us to go back to our old master. (Romans 8:11-13; Romans 7:6; Romans 6:2; Romans 6:11; Romans 7:4; Ephesians 4:24) When we live in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and in th power of that grace, sin no longer has power to deceive us.
Likewise, bad company can deceive us. (I Corinthians 15:33) We are to watch who we spend time with. This understanding is not just for the people we hang around with, not just for the spouse we choose. (Proverbs 22:24-25; II Corinthians 6:14-15; Ephesians 5:11; I John 1:6; John 3:20; I John 2:11) It is also a command for the darkness of this world. (Proverbs 1:10; Proverbs 28:4; Ephesians 5:12; I Timothy 5:22; II John 1:11; John 3:21; John 8:12; I John 2:4) This separation is not one of having nothing at all to do with the lost, but rather it is to caution us about making friends with the world, making friends with those who can lead us away from truth. It is easier to hear the words of a man than the words of an invisible God. Thus our fellowship, our friendship should be with righteousness, a righteousness that helps us hear the words of God rather than tempt us with the words of the world.
No discussion about deception would be complete without talking about how Satan or the Devil tries to deceive us. (Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:10) He deceives with cunning, (II Corinthians 11:3) with intent, (I Thessalonians 2:3) with signs and wonders, (Revelation 13:14) with sorcery, and (Revelation 18:23) with his mark. (Revelation 19:20) In fact, look at some of the many ways that Satan uses to deceive as many as he can. He uses lies, (John 8:44) disguises, (II Corinthians 11:14; Matthew 7:15) and craftiness. (II Corinthians 11:3) Satan schemes, (Ephesians 6:11) he uses signs and wonders that we usually assume are God's alone. (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22) He seduces us (Dueteronomy 13:5) with things that apeal to the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life. (I John 2:16) He introduces heresies, (II Peter 2:1-3) heresies that give into the sensualities of the flesh and greeds that exploit others with false words and accusations. In fact, Revelation 12:10 tells us that Satan is an accuser of the brethren. He also likes to use spiritual blindness to draw away those that he can. (II Corinthians 4:4)
The good news however is that protecting us from Satan is important to God. John 17:15 shows us a Christ who even prayed that we would be protected from Satan and his deceptions. II Thessalonians 3:3 promises faithfulness, strength and protection to all those that belong to God. While I John 5:18 tells us that we are kept in the protection of the living God. What great confort there is in the promise of Romans 8:38-39, nothing, not even Satan and all his deceptions can keep us from the Love of the Living God.
We can help the power of God over the deceptions of Satan by putting on the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:11) When we make God our Father, rather than allowing Satan to be our father, (John 8:44) we allow God's power to be released in our lives and in that power, find protection from the deceptions of Satan. When God becomes our Father, we allow Him to lead us, (Matthew 6:13) this leading keeps us from being deceived. Likewise, speaking plainly, without lies of our own, (Matthew 5:37) living with a good repuation so that we are above reproach, (I Timothy 3:7) and refrain from idleness. (I Timothy 5:14-15) are all ways to live in the power of God to avoid being decieved by Satan. When we come to our senses (II Timothy 2:26) and forgive others, entering into the ministry of reconciliation, we discover that Satans power to decieve vanishes into the power and truth of God. (II Corinthians 2:10-11) As we submit ourselves to God, resisting the Devil, (James 4:7) not giving Satan a foothold into our lives and our local church bodies, (Ephesians 4:27) as we diligently stand firm, resist the Devil, (I Peter 5:9) be alert and sober minded, (I Peter 5:8) Satan's hold over us is broken and we begin to live in the power of God.
The power of God isn't just in the working of God in our lives, it is also in the very word that He gave us. In Matthew 22:29 we see that we can avoid being deceived by knowing the word and the power of God. The power of God guards us, but, the word of God is also powerful and it is a power that helps us to avoid being deceived. The word of God is in scripture both the auditor word that comes from the mouth of God and the scriptures themselves. It is the auditory words of God that are powerful enough to create all that we know and those things that we don't know as well. (Genesis 1:3; John 1:1-51; Hebrews 11:3; Psalms 33:6) In fact, the very word of God is eternally fixed in the heavens. (Psalms 119:89) It is not a shifting sands kind of word that has limited power, rather it is a word that always accomplishes that which it intends to accomplish, without fail. (Isaiah 55:11; Psalms 147:15) In fact, the very Word of God became our Christ, our Messiah, the promised one. (John 1:1-14)
The word of God is a living and active word. It is sharper than an double edged sword. (Heberws 4:12) A word that is active in the lives of all true believers. (I Thessalonians 2:13) It is the very word of God that Jesus came to preach to all people, (Luke 4:16-21; Isaiah 61:1-3) a word that was to proclaim the good news to the poor, freedom to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom for the oppressed, and the favor of the Lord. The good news of salvation to the poor in spirit. (Matthew 5:3; Isaiah 66:2; Matthew 19:14; Luke 6:20; James 2:5; Revelation 3:17) It is a word that can set the captives free. Men and woman, children who are held captive by their own desires to sin. (Isaiah 61:1; Romans 6:20; Matthew 6:24; Romans 6:16-20; John 8:34; II Peter 2:19) Jesus the Christ came to free us from sin and death. (Romans 8:2) His word restores the sight of the blind, a blindness that keeps us away from the truth, a blindness that deceives us. (John 9:39; Ezekiel 12:2; Matthew 13:13; Matthew 15:14; John 1:5; John 8:12) A blindness that refuses to allow us to see the truth of the word, the truth of Christ. (John 5:39) It is a power to free the oppressed, those who are held down by the weights of the world. (John 3:19; Proverbs 14:31; Psalms 9:9; Zechariah 7:10; Proverbs 22:16; Malachi 3:5; Isaiah 1:17; James 2:6) Everything good we have is from God. (Psalms 90:17; Psalms 27:4; Isaiah 26:12; Isaiah 9:6; James 1:17; Psalms 85:12; Matthew 7:11; John 3:27; James 3:15-17) Nothing we have is ours without God. In fact, it is His very word that sustains us. (Matthew 4:4) There is no such thing as a self made man, all that we have is because God Loves us.
In addition to sustaining us, (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:5) God's very word, is the power of God unto salvation. (Romans 1:16; Luke 8:11) This is not to say that scripture is our salvation, but rather that Jesus is the very Word of God and that is the Word that saves us. (John 1:1) It is a word that is able to build us up and give us an inheritance among all those that are sanctified. (Acts 20:32) A living word that allows us to be born again of that which is imperishable. (I Peter 1:23) God's word is a word that becomes joy and delight to the hearts of those that Love Him. (Jeremiah 15:16) God's word increases, prevails, and multiplies (Acts 6:7; Acts 12:24; Acts 19:20) it is a lamp, a light, that guides our way. (Psalms 119:105) The word of God is a cleansing word that cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (John 15:3) God sends His word out to heal and deliver (Psalms 107:20) it sanctifies and is truth. (John 17:17; John 17:8) When the word of God is stored in our hearts and minds, it has the power to keep us from sin. (Psalms 119:11) The word of God is folly to those who are dying and power to those who are saved. (I Corinthians 1:18) Spirit and life are found in the word of God. (John 6:63) Those who obey it are blessed. (Psalms 119:176) The word of God revives the soul of man, His testimony makes the simple wise, His precepts are right and bring rejoicing to the heart, while His commandments enlighten our eyes. (Psalms 19:7-8) With all the power that is in the very word of God, is it any wonder that we are instructed to both rightly divide the word, (II Timothy 2:15) and to continue to teach and preach the word to all who will listen? (Acts 5:42) In fact, it is faith that comes to us as we hear the Word of God as it is spoken to us. (Romans 10:17)
We can help the power of the word of God by being doers of that word and not just hearers only. (James 1:22) We put forth the effort to be obedient to what God tells us to do. We can hide the word in our hearts, (Psalms 119:11; James 1:21) meditating on His word both day and night., taking delight in it. (Joshua 1:8; Psalms 1:2) This hiding the word and meditating on it gives us an understanding of what God wants from us when things come and we don't take time to think them through, for they have become a part of the very fabric of our beings. Titus 1:9 tells us that we are to hold firm the word of God so that it can give us both instruction and rebuke. It is a word that can and should dwell within us, teaching us, admonishing us, making us wise and thanksgiving. (Colossians 3:16) It is a word that we need to receive, not push away. (Acts 8:14; John 17:8) A word that we should be devoted to and in that devotion, discover a deep, abiding prayer life. (Acts 6:4) We should eagerly receive the word of God and examine it daily, not once a month or week or in Sunday School or Church but daily. (Acts 17:11) It's a word that requires us to put off the sinful nature that we once lived in, to receive it with meekness and humility, allowing it to work within us to bring us to salvation. (James 1:21)
The very word of God is profitable to men so that the man of God can be both competent and equipped for the good works that God asks of him. (II Timothy 3:16-17) In order to equip us to do good works, the word must instruct or teach us. Romans 15:4 tells us that everything that was written in the past was written for the purpose of teaching us. This teaching was designed to teach and encourage us to endure so that our hope would remain a driving factor in our lives. (I Thessalonians 1:3) Deuteronomy 29:29, Psalms 102:18, Habakkuk 2:2, and Romans 4:23 all tell us that the word is not just for the people of the day, but rather it is a word for everyone throughout the ages. It is a word that is to be taught to all generations all through the world. It is a word that transends culture, time, political correctness. It is important to understand that the word of God is powerful because is came from God, not from man. (II Peter 1:20-21) If it had come about from man, it would not be a word from God nor would it hold the power of God, a power to transform lives and bring life to a dieing world. The word of God also has the power to comfort us when we suffer. It is a word that not only brings the promise of salvation, but it is a word that preserves our very lives. (Psalms 119:50) The word is so powerful and important that we are commanded to take the word into all the world (Matthew 28:19-20) teaching all nations and people the truth of the Living God. We cannot however teach something that we ourselves do not understand, which is why we are commanded to study the word, so that we are able to teach it and teach it right, that is according to the intent of the God Himself as He gave the word to man. (II Timothy 2:15) God revealed to man what He wanted man to know and understand and in that, man needs to be responsible to teach according to what God wanted to reveal to man, not some twisted version that satisfies man's longing to be his own god. Study of the word of God is only part of how we come to an understanding of God's intent, the other two elements are allowing the words of Christ to dwell in us (Colossians 3:16) and asking and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us and remind us of what we have learned (John 14:26) so that we might live in the righteousness of Christ.
The simple truth of studying the word of God is that sometimes, we cannot fully understand God's intent in this life. Somethings no matter how much we think we understand, simply cannot be confirmed as God's intent. The second element of II Timothy 3:16 is one of those instances. According to the Lexicon, the word we often translate there as reproof, actually means evidence or proof of something. From the standpoint of human logic, this is easy to understand. The Bible consists of prophecy, history, eye witness accounts, etc. When we compare that to what we have from history, archeology, etc. we see it lining up time and time again. Recently I saw an article that claimed that we now have evidence that there were Egyptian soldiers who drowned with their horses in the Red Sea, just like the account of the children of Israel fleeing tells us in scripture. So, we can ask if this is God's intent here. Does God intend to show us that through things like prophecy and archeology we can have evidence of the living God? Maybe, we know that scripture is full of things like prophecy and history and eye witness testimony and we know that the eye witness testimony was often times about signs that were to direct us to the truth of Christ. The problem is that scripture doesn't specify what the evidence or proof in scripture of the truth of Jesus really is. Here is what we do know. We know that propehcy, history, eye witness accounts, etc. all point to the Christ. (Acts 4:33; Acts 10:43; Revelation 19:10) We know that we are to test all things, so that we can hold to what is good. (I Thessalonians 5:21) We also know that the good news found in the scriptures is suppose to be preached to all the nations and in them is the power to lead us to salvation. (Matthew 24:14; John 1; Hebrews 7:8) We also know that God testifies about Jesus the Christ, and the scripture is God's word, His testimony of who Christ is. (John 5; John 8:18; I John 5:9; Revelation 1:2) We know that there are three that testify of Jesus the Christ, that is Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, a Holy Spirit that testifies to our heart. (John 15:26; Acts 15:8) Finally, we know that even the law testifies to the truth of Christ in that, it testifies to who has been transformed into the image of Christ. (II Corinthians 2:9; II Corinthians 13:5) I often am uncomfortable when it comes to trying to figure out God's intent with scriptures that are not as bold as we would like them to be, but given all the evidence, I would have to conclude that not only is scripture the evidence of the truth of Christ through prophecy, history, eye witness testimony, the law, etc. but it is also the power of evidence through what and who we are in Christ as well as the very testimony of God and maybe, even, so things that are beyond our study understanding, maybe some things that we ourselves cannot understand in the flesh, thus things that are reserved for God to reveal in His time and for His purpose. What we can be sure of, is that scripture is profitable for evidence of the truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and in that, it is wise to study to show ourselves approved, workmen that are not ashamed.
The word here that is usually translated reproof, can also mean conviction. First thing we see is that God is the one who convicts us of our sins. (John 16:8) Often times we think or act like our job is to convict others of their sins, that is not our job, it is God's job, a job that He accomplishes through judgment, (Jude 1:14-16) and through His word. (Acts 2:37) In addition to judgment and His word convicting, prophecy can convinct (I Corinthians 14:24) as can the law. (James 2:9) Likewise, the law brings conviction by pointing out to us the sin that we hold so dear. (Romans 7:7; Romans 3:20) Notice that the things that can evidence Christ to a person from scripture, are also the things that from scripture convinct us of sin and in that conviction, calls us to salvation. Part of the power of God is to transform our thoughts and desires into His thoughts and desires. (Philippians 2:5; Ephesians 4:24; Romans 6:4; Romans 12:2; Romans 13:14; II Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:10)
According to II Timothy 3:16, scripture also has the power to restore or correct. When we look at Genesis 1, we see that God made man in His image. An image that according to scripture was mared by sin. (Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 9:6; Genesis 5:1; James 3:8-10) It is an image that is hidden beneath the darkness of sin. (II Corinthians 3:14-18; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 4:18; Matthew 13:22) A mared image that is being restored when we come to Christ and believe unto salvation. (II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:23-24; Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10; II Corinthians 3:14-18) An image that will not be completely restored until Christ comes back. (I John 3:2)
The word of God also gives us correcction when we are wrong, when we need to adjust our direction and turn back to the way of righteousness. Correction is a natural part of our being adopted into the family of God. (Job 5:17; Proverbs 6:23; Proverbs 10:17; Proverbs 12:1; Proverbs 13:18; Proverbs 15:5; Proverbs 15:10; Proverbs 15:12; Proverbs 15:32; Proverbs 18:27; Proverbs 25:12; Mark 7:6; II Timothy 2:15; II Timothy 4:2) It is a correction that comes from God and often times through the very word He gave us to study. It is important that correction is both given in Love and received in Love. When Adam and Eve sinned, the law was brought into our world, this is a law that both convicts us of our sins, (Romans 7:7; Romans 3:20) and tempts us with disobedience. (Romans 7:5) Yet it is a law that we must obey if we Love the Lord our God. (John 14:15-23; John 15:10; I John 2:3; I John 5:3; II John 1:6) In wisdom we obey, in the power of God and His holy word, we learn to be corrected unto righteousness.
II Timothy 3:16-17 (HCSB) All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness,so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. As we look at the power of scripture, the very word of God, let us not forget that it is profitable not only for teaching, for proof and conviction, for correcting and restoration, but it is also profitable for training us in righteousness. Sometimes it seems like the least taught aspect of our walk with Christ is that of righteousness. We are a people who are called to live out the righteousness of Christ in our daily lives. (Matthew 3:15; Matthew 6:33; Luke 1:75; Romans 1:17; Romans 6:13; Romans 6:16; I Corinthians 1:30; II Corinthians 3:9; II Corinthians 6:7; II Corinthians 9:9; Ephesians 6:14; I Timothy 6:11; II Timothy 2:22; James 3:18; I Peter 3:14)
The righteousness we are to live in, is not the righteousness of the law, but rather a righteousness of faith. (Romans 3:21-25; Romans 4:5-22; Romans 9:30-31;Romans 10:4-10; Galatians 2:21; Philippians 3:9; Titus 3:5) It is a righteousness that comes to us through the Lord Jesus Christ, a righteousness that is not of our own making. (Matthew 5:20; Romans 5:17; Romans 5:21; Romans 8:10; II Corinthians 5:21; II Corinthians 9:10; II Corinthians 11:15; Ephesians 5:9; Philippians 1:11; II Peter 1:1; I John 2:29; I John 3:7; Romans 10:3) A righteousness that increases with both correction (Hebrews 12:11) and maturity in faith. (Hebrews 5:13) If we are not living out the righteousness of Christ in our daily lives, we are not His. When we are not skilled in righteousness, we are the immature in Christ. This is why we should never despise correction unto righteousness.
Righteousness is a very important part of our life in Christ. Righteousness by faith is not contrary to the law. (Galatians 3:21) It is a crown that God gives. (II Timothy 4:8) But, righteousness also dwells in the new heaven and new earth. (II Peter 3:13) Even God's judgment is a judgment in righteousness. (Revelation 19:11; Romans 14:17; John 16:8; Acts 17:31) Living a life of righteousness is not an easy life, it is one in which we are both determined no matter the obsticles in our way and one in which we can and will be persecuted, whether in a huge and obvious way or in something smaller. (Matthew 5:6-10) It is a life of servitude to the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. (Romans 6:19-20) Salvation brings us to a place in which we die to ourselves, put of the old sinful desires and replace those sensual desires with a desire for the righteousness of Christ. (Hebrews 1:9) Since righteousness has no fellowship with unrighteousness, (II Corinthians 6:14) the life lived by faith in Christ Jesus is one in which we yeild ourselves to God and to His righteousness, in this yeilding process, we discover that we are living by greater and greater means, in the righteousness of Christ. (Galatians 5:5; Ephesians 4:24; I Peter 2:24; Romans 6:13)
But maybe the most fascinating power of this passage, is in verse 17, scripture has all of this power for our good, so that we will be equpped, a finished work (Hebrews 13:21; I Peter 4:1) for the good works that not only mark the life of a believer, but that are designed for us before our coming to Christ. (Matthew 5:16) It is the righteousness revealed by our good works that we know are ordered by God, (Epsheians 2:10) establish our reputation and modesty, (I Timothy 2:9-11; I Timothy 5:10) and that we are to be rich in. (I Timothy 6:18) This is the righteousness revealed by our good works that testifies to the truth of our Love for God (Titus 1:16) it is an example to others who are seeking to follow Christ. (Titus 2:7) This risghteousness know by our good works, is something that we should be eager to do, (Titus 2:14) something we are devoted to, (Titus 3:14) and that causes even the unbeliever to glorify and praise God. (I Peter 2:12) It is to live out both Love and the very word and heart of the living God. (Hebrews 10:24; James 1:25) These are the good works of righteousness that come from faith, not from the flesh and our efforts to live out our own righteousness. (James 2:14)
