THE ART OF SELF-DECEPTION

JEREMIAH 37:1-10                                           

 

Pastor Rick Jackson [inspired by Dr. J. Don Jennings]

 

Most of us realize the Devil is a deceiver and the world is often right in line with him but the closest deceiver to each and every one of us is … ourselves! We like to think we never deceive ourselves but if you think that you have just deceived yourself! God warned the Israelites in this passage of that very danger. They wouldn’t obey God’s Word [v.2] and yet they still wanted God’s help [v. 3] but God told them they were in danger of deceiving themselves [v. 9]. Let us see some very real ways we can deceive ourselves and, in so doing, avoid it!

 

We deceive ourselves when we:

 

I. BELIEVE THE HEART WON’T LIE [Jer. 17:9, 49:16]

 

II. BELIEVE IT WON’T AFFECT US IF WE “HANG” WITH THE WRONG CROWD [1 Cor. 15:33]

 

III. THINK WE ARE “SOMETHING” WITHOUT HIM [Gal. 6:3]

 

IV. THINK WE CAN BEAT THE LAW OF SOWING & REAPING [Gal. 6:7]

 

V. IMAGINE WE ARE RIGHT WITH GOD HEARING WITHOUT DOING [James 1:19-23]

 

VI. IMAGINE WE ARE PIOUS WITH AN UNBRIDLED TONGUE [James 1:26]

 

VII. SAY WE HAVE NO SIN NATURE [1 JOHN 1:8]