10 ways people deceive themselves about their faith

Michie said:

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality: our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us. Nowhere is this more evident than in Revelation 3:17, where Jesus rebukes the church of Laodicea and said, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

This chilling contrast reveals that it is possible to be fully convinced of your spiritual health while being utterly bankrupt in the eyes of God. Sadly, many professing believers are self-deceived, thinking they are secure when they are actually standing on shaky ground. At the judgment seat of Christ — where believers are evaluated for eternal rewards, not eternal punishment — many may experience deep regret for how they lived.

The following are 10 common ways people deceive themselves spiritually and what Scripture reveals about God’s true standard.

1. Are you merely religious, or are you truly born again?

John 3:3–8

Jesus told Nicodemus, a devout religious leader, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Continued below.

10 ways people deceive themselves about their faith

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

But what would be so shaky about that ground: of simply missing out on some eternal rewards? I think it’d be most important to think we’re doing His will to begin with so that our eternal destinies are good. And I’m really not sure 2 Cor 5:10 is talking about a judgment any different from John 5:28-29.

Michie said:

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality: our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us. Nowhere is this more evident than in Revelation 3:17, where Jesus rebukes the church of Laodicea and said, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

This chilling contrast reveals that it is possible to be fully convinced of your spiritual health while being utterly bankrupt in the eyes of God. Sadly, many professing believers are self-deceived, thinking they are secure when they are actually standing on shaky ground. At the judgment seat of Christ — where believers are evaluated for eternal rewards, not eternal punishment — many may experience deep regret for how they lived.

The following are 10 common ways people deceive themselves spiritually and what Scripture reveals about God’s true standard.

1. Are you merely religious, or are you truly born again?

John 3:3–8

Jesus told Nicodemus, a devout religious leader, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Continued below.

Click to expand...

I didn't see much good theology in this post and I didn't see anything helpful for the self-decieved either. Could not really find any real information on the preacher either, except he likes getting degrees from online institutions.

Michie said:

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality: our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us. Nowhere is this more evident than in Revelation 3:17, where Jesus rebukes the church of Laodicea and said, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

Click to expand...

Needs to be said. I was really surprised, after repenting of my obvious sins as an adolescent, to recognize how little of my Christianity was full-blown authentic Christianity. For example, I was surprised when I read Watchman Nee's book, "The Normal Christian Life." I had *not* been living the "normal Christian life," but only "following the 10 Commandments" and going to church every Sunday (and then some).

Sometimes it's just how we were raised, being raised by parents that had not received a full Christian education themselves. In my case, both my parents had attended Christian universities and were every week at church Christians. Somehow the message just gets lost. It is just a "spiritual" thing that language does not easily convey what is being said about "fulness."

But a lot of time and words were spent by God on this in the early phase of Israel's history under the Law. For example, in the opening chapters of Deuteronomy God spent a lot of time emphasizing the importance of Israel remaining distinct from the pagan nations around them. We may begin with an "on fire" connection with God, but slowly fizzle out if we spend too much time with "the world."

We don't want to cut ourselves off from them, because we are salt and light and need to influence them. But if we spend too much time with them in lounges and living rooms we become like them and our spiritual experience is diluted and possibly fades away.

Michie said:

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality: our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us. Nowhere is this more evident than in Revelation 3:17, where Jesus rebukes the church of Laodicea and said, “For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

This chilling contrast reveals that it is possible to be fully convinced of your spiritual health while being utterly bankrupt in the eyes of God. Sadly, many professing believers are self-deceived, thinking they are secure when they are actually standing on shaky ground. At the judgment seat of Christ — where believers are evaluated for eternal rewards, not eternal punishment — many may experience deep regret for how they lived.

The following are 10 common ways people deceive themselves spiritually and what Scripture reveals about God’s true standard.

1. Are you merely religious, or are you truly born again?

John 3:3–8

Jesus told Nicodemus, a devout religious leader, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

Continued below.

10 ways people deceive themselves about their faith

The Scriptures offer us a sobering reality our perception of ourselves can be completely out of sync with how God sees us

www.christianpost.com

Click to expand...

in Matt 7- Jesus said that the "many" are "self-deceived" saying "Lord Lord did we not do this... and that... in Your Name?"

But Jesus says to them "depart from me"

So how is it that someone is undeceived?

John 16 says God sends the Holy Spirit (God the Holy Spirit - 3rd person of Godhead) - that "convicts THE WORLD of sin and righteousness and judgment".

Rom 8:14-16 says that for those that submit to God 'The Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we ARE the children of God".

The personal - , private - one on one interview with God that we have in this life, in quiet moments of worship and listening - where God Himself speaks to us.

Isaiah 41:10
‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’