Wednesday, August 12, 2015

DECEPTION

Satan’s Ultimate Deception 

We may have taken our philosophy of life from family members, friends, the media, or various other sources, but it is suspect unless it was derived from God’s Word. Even though we may call ourselves Christians, unless we regularly read the Bible and meditate on what it says, we are vulnerable to the world’s philosophies. Examples of these philosophies are the mistaken notions that Jesus was poor, money is the root of all evil, and there were only three wise men who brought gifts to Jesus when He was born. The only protection from falling prey to this danger is to develop our way of thinking from the Scriptures, and not from what everyone else says.

The world will try to push its own philosophy on us. It is up to us whether or not we accept it. 
        We must not let philosophy adversely affect our mind. It is vanity and deceit, and goes against the Word of Christ (Colossians 2:8, AMP).
            Guard against the world’s idle fancies, nonsense, and intellectualism.
        The serpent suggested to Eve that maybe God was lying when He issued His instructions regarding the Tree of The Knowledge of Good and Evil. The devil lied, saying she would not die from eating its fruit (Genesis 3:1-5).
            Eve was fooled because she did not receive her instructions directly from God. She missed the truth of His Word.
            The world’s traditions work the same way. They add to God’s straightforward Word and twist the message, making it into something He did not say.
        Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations. The enemy twisted the Scriptures and quoted them out of context, but Jesus defeated him by quoting the Word correctly (Matthew 4:1-10).
   
When we are in Jesus and He is in us, He transforms us.
        Anyone in Christ is a new creature, and the old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).
            This is the same reasoning Paul used when he declared that he had wronged no one. It was true because Paul was a new man—spiritually, Saul had passed away.
        God sanctifies us completely. He preserves our spirit, soul, and body, and keeps us blameless (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
            To try and counter the effect God has on us, the devil blinds our mind to the truth, so we will not experience what God wants us to have (2 Corinthians 4:4).
        Jesus preached true repentance, which is a change of mind that makes us regret our past sins and change our behavior (Mark 1:14, 15, AMP).
   
We see hints of God’s grace under the old covenant. This grace was plainly revealed when the new covenant was established through Jesus.
        After the flood God brought on the earth, when the waters receded, the ark rested on the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4).
            The Old Testament is a shadow of things to come. Ararat is a Hebrew word meaning “the curse is reversed.” God reversed the curse that brought the flood.
        We communicate our faith and make it effectual by acknowledging the good things Jesus establishes in us (Philemon 1:6).
        Christ living in us is our hope of glory. When we are in Him, we are made perfect (Colossians 1:27, 28).
        Jesus made the one sacrifice that perfects us forever (Hebrews 10:14).
        When we are crucified with Christ, our old self dies, and a new creature is born. Christ lives in us, and we live by the faith of Jesus (Galatians 2:20).
            His faith, not ours, is what brings us healing, deliverance, prosperity, and all of the gifts God has for us.

Everyone has a philosophy, but whether it is right or wrong depends on whether or not it is based on God’s Word. We have every right to make our own choices, but just because we have a right to choose does not mean we always choose correctly. Choices always have results or consequences, and the Bible tells us God lets us decide for ourselves whether we receive life or death. The Word must be the foundation for our world view, or else the devil will steal from us. Everything in our life is the result of what we allow ourselves to think.

God honors our freedom of choice, but He wants us to make the right choice. He does not use the world’s standards when evaluating us.
        God places before us blessings and curses. He lets us choose for ourselves, but advises us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19).
            We are free moral agents, and He will allow us to make a wrong choice, if that is what we insist on doing.
        God doesn’t look at our countenance or appearance, but at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).
            The mind is the door to our heart. Therefore, anything we do in life comes out of our heart. Our behavior is influenced by our way of thinking.
        Good people do what is good, because of the treasure in their heart. Evil people do bad because of the evil in their heart. The spiritual condition of their heart causes them to speak evil (Luke 6:45).
            What is in our heart is the source of our external behavior.
        Jesus warned the Pharisees to change the way they thought and cleanse their hearts. If they did so, the outward appearance would follow suit (Matthew 23:26).
   
God’s philosophy blesses us, makes us strong, and keeps us safe.
        To prosper and succeed, we must meditate constantly on the Word and do what it says (Joshua 1:8).
        We are blessed when we walk in godly counsel. The righteous person delights in God’s Word. Meditating on it makes us strong and prosperous (Psalm 1:1-3).
            The world’s thoughts are found in religion, but God’s thoughts are found in the Bible.
        The devil tries to corrupt the simple and straightforward Word of God. He does this by subtle influences, the same way he tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden (2 Corinthians 11:3).
            Spiritually, wrong thinking brings danger.
        Standing strong in the Word helps us withstand the devil’s philosophy. We are engaged in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:11-17).

Scripture References
    Deuteronomy 30:19
    1 Samuel 16:7
    Luke 6:45
    Matthew 23:26
    Joshua 1:8
    Psalm 1:1-3
    2 Corinthians 11:3
    Ephesians 6:11-17
    Colossians 2:8, AMP
    Mark 1:14, 15, AMP
    Genesis 3:1-5
    Genesis 8:14
    Matthew 4:1-10
    Philemon 1:6
    2 Corinthians 5:17
    1 Thessalonians 5:23
    2 Corinthians 4:4
    Colossians 1:27, 28
    Hebrews 10:14
    Galatians 2:20
  



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