Do Not Let Yourselves Be Deceived

[Christsfreeservant]

“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them; for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them.” (Ephesians 5:6-11 NASB1995)​

“These things” mentioned here refer to immorality, impurity, greed, filthy language, covetousness, idolatry, and vulgar and crude jesting which is sexual or obscene and/or which is rude or disrespectful in nature (vv. 3-5). Because of things such as these (and more) the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience, meaning all who are living in sin and in walks of disobedience to our Lord regardless of whether or not they give lip service to Jesus Christ as Lord and as Savior of their lives. Let no one deceive you!

Therefore, we are not to be partakers with the sons of disobedience who are living immoral lives in direct defiance to our Lord and to his commands. We are not to allow ourselves to be deceived by those who are teaching that a mere verbal confession of Christ as Lord is enough to get us saved from our sins and on our way to heaven and/or that God makes no such requirements as those which teach us that death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord are critical elements of faith which saves and which promises eternal life.

For, if truly our faith in Jesus Christ is biblical faith which saves, it means that formerly we walked in darkness (in sin) but now we are to be walking as children of Light in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in all truth and goodness and righteousness. Now we are to be trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord, and then be doing what pleases him, in his power, wisdom, and strength. And instead of us participating in the unfruitful deeds of darkness (sin), we are to be those who are exposing these evil deeds.

For, not only should we be living the truth of God’s word and of his gospel message, but we should also be those who are speaking the truth of the gospel to other people. And, in addition to that, we must also be exposing all that is of Satan, and all that God regards as sinful practices, and we are to expose the lies of the enemy which so many people are teaching today as the truth, and thus they are deceiving many people into believing that God does not require of them that they die to sin and obey God’s commands.

For Jesus Christ taught that to come to him we must deny self, take up our cross daily (die daily to sin), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives for eternity. But if we deny self, die daily to sin, by the Spirit, and we walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in his power, then we have eternal life with God. For not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING (obeying) the will of God (see Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

For by God-gifted faith in Jesus Christ, which is not of our own doing, we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin but as slaves to righteousness in walks of obedience to God’s commands. We are no longer to permit sin to reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, it results in death. But if obedience to God is what we obey, it results in sanctification, and its end is eternal life with God (see Romans 6:1-23).

So don’t buy into the lies which may be telling you that all your sins are forgiven and you are now on your way to heaven regardless of whether or not you obey our Lord’s commands and that you put sin to death in your life, by the Spirit. And this is not saying that you must live an absolutely sinless life or you are cut off from God entirely (see 1 John 2:1-2). But the Scriptures do teach that if sin is our practice, and not obedience to our Lord’s commands, that we will not inherit eternal life with God. Believe it!

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:3-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

For Our Nation

An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love
Recording Via Gerry Peters, music producer and arranger

Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.

Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.

Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.

Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.

Do Not Let Yourselves Be Deceived
An Original Work / October 25, 2025
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love