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The Order of Deception
and the Ways of Rejection
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The Tree of Light against Deception
My Feet Trailed to Destruction
melody
My feet trailed to destruction,
And swiftly sin pursued
But Thine were nailed at Calv'ry
That I might walk in anew.
My mouth, of bitter waters,
An evil course betrayed.
But words of lifeThou offered
That I might sing God's praise.
In sin my soul was shapened;
Accursed from Adam's fall.
Now I, by the atonement,
Stand just before God's law
O, just and justif'er,
How pure art all Thy ways;
And perfect Thy Lamb, offered
For all my debts to pay.
My heart, so dark and barren,
Deceiving and deceived,
Ill bred in ways of Balaam,
Idolatry achieved.
But greater is Thy mercy
And power to restore
With light and life; to serve Thee,
O God, forevermore.
Words: 2016 by Stephen Popovich
Music: St Theodulph
The Order of Deception
Sin Machines
1John 1:8, 10
(8)If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us...(10)If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (KJV)
The machine:
In verse eight, the verb tense is present-active-indicative. To paraphrase: if we say we are not in a state of continually sinning, then we are also in a state of continually deceiving ourselves and know not that we are sin machines.
We see major components of the sin machine in Romans 3:11-18:
• None who understand (Rom.3:11)
• None who does good (Rom.3:12)
• Throat an open grave with deceiving tongue (Rom.3:13)
• Mouth full of cursings and bitterness (Rom.3:14)
• Feet swift to shed blood (Rom.3:15)
• On a path of destruction with no peace (Rom.3:16-17)
• Eyes with no fear of God (Rom.3:18)
Why "deceiving ourselves"? Because God has installed a conscience in us that functions as a sin indicator alarm. And because our fallen nature is a sin machine, the alarm should be regularly ringing (Rom.2:13-15). Denying the sound of the sin alarm never washed away anyone's guilt. But obedience to the gospel---turning to Christ and confessing our sins---ushers in the cleansing blood.
The production:
In verse ten, the verb tense is in the perfect-active-indicative. In other words, if we say we have not produced individual sins in the past then we deny what the word of God says---in effect calling the eternal Judge of the universe a liar.
Every sin machine produces a vast amount of sins that must be paid for:
My feet trailed to destruction,
And swiftly sin pursued
But Thine were nailed at Calv'ry
That I might walk in anew.
My mouth, of bitter waters,
An evil course betrayed.
But words of lifeThou offered
That I might sing God's praise.
Be of sin the double cure, cleanse me from its guilt and power - Rock of Ages
The Order of Deception
Anchored in Darkness
1John 2:18-19
(18)Little
children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. (19)They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would [no doubt] have continued with us: but [they went out], that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
(KJV)
Jesus carried the Father's word into the world that leads through himself to the Father. The days of Jesus mark the beginning of "the "last hour", now almost 2,000 years, rife with antichrists who offer words that lead away from Christ and the Father (2Jn.1:7).
Receiving Deception
Unless one is truly born again by words from above (1Pet.1:23), the words from the Father above and given through Jesus (Jn.17:8) are ultimately rejected (Jn.5:38-40,
43-44) in favor of flesh-friendly words from below (Jn.8:44).
Spreading Deception
Words designed to appeal to the lusts of fallen man (Eph.2:1-3, 1Jn.2:16) blow like ill winds through vessels that deceive and are themselves deceived (1Tim.2:14).
Overcoming Deception
Those born of the word of God stay forever anchored by the Spirit in the Foundation of Christ (1Cor.3:11). As such we remain in and among His body, sanctified (Jn.17:17) and set free by the truth (Jn.6:68, Jn.8:31).
But greater is Thy mercy
And power to restore
With light and life; to serve Thee,
O God, forevermore.
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. John 10:27
The Order of Deception
Sons of Deception
1John 3:7-8
(7)Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness
is righteous, even as he is righteous. (8)He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested,
that he might destroy the works of the devil. (KJV)
Of his words
Believers abide in words of God but the unconverted will unwittingly follow words from their spiritual father below (Jn.8:37-38).
Of his traits
Sons of deception will make plain their spiritual 'genetic make-up' by reflecting the traits of their spiritual father (2Pet.2:14, Jn.8:44).
Of his end
Sons of deception unwittingly follow to their doom the captain of their deception (2Tim.3:13) to the end of Satan's rebelious work at the end of time .
Satan is the first and the last in the order of deception. He was cast from heaven to earth where he continued his deceitful and rebellious work (2Thess.2:8-10, Rev.12:9) that will come to an end at the second coming of Christ. Satan deceives himself into believing that he can destroy God's plan; but it is Satan's works that will be destroyed by Christ (Rev.20:10).
My heart, so dark and barren,
Deceiving and deceived,
Ill bred in ways of Balaam,
Idolatry achieved.
Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil Prov 12:20
Ways of Rejection
Sin Making
1John 2:1
My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (KJV)
advocate: from the Greek word parakletos, from para (alongside or around) + kletos (helper), meaning intercessor or pleader on behalf of an other.
Sin Separates
Sin has separated fallen man from God's presence (Is.59:2, Gal.5:19-21, Rom.3:23) and separates believers from God's fellowship (Eph.4:30).
"Sin not"
"Sin not" is the same exhortation as "be ye holy". It is fitting because it's a description of the way and destination, emanating from the heart of God, to which all believers have been converted; and since God is Holy, his ways are also holy (1Pet.1:15-16, Ps.145:17). But where does such perfect holiness leave sinful man...both believers and unbelievers?
Precious blood provision
Christ's work at Calvary provides the power to remove our sins from under God's judgment; first as the one-time bloodbath event as we are baptized into the Body of Christ the moment we receive the words of the gospel (Jn.13:10, 15:3, Rev.7:14); and then fellowship restoration as we are continuously brought to our
knees with confession and praise by daily washings of his word (Jn.13:8, 1Jn.17:9 ).
In sin my soul was shapened;
Accursed from Adam's fall.
But now I, through Thy payment,
Stand just before God's law
Place of my rejection
Ways of Rejection
Law Breaking
1John 3:4
Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.(KJV)
transgress: from the Greek word "anomia" from "a" (negative particle) + nomos ("law" or "commandments"), meaning lawless or law violator.
Sin shatters God's law which requires that a penalty be paid (Heb.9:27, Rom.3:20, Ja.9-10, Gal.3:10). God's full judgment on our transgressions was meted out on Jesus Christ at Calvary (Gal.3:13, Col.2:13-14). God is no longer angry because of man's sin (Is.53:11), but that peace God now has toward man is only in Christ (Col.1:20-22, Rom,5:1). Those who remain outside of Christ remain under God's wrath (Rom.5:1). (click here to see how God's wrath works)
But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith (Gal.3:11) |
O, just and justif'er,
How pure art all Thy ways;
And perfect Thy Lamb, offered
For all my debts to pay.