Free From Self-Deception
Introduction. The difference between what we truly are and how we see ourselves is often staggering. So Paul found on the road to Damascus. When he left Jerusalem, he was of the opinion that by “persecuting the church,” he was zealous. This “zeal” had advanced him beyond many of his countrymen: “For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers." (Phil 3:6; Gal. 1:13-14). Paul was very pleased with himself!
On the road to Damascus, all this came crashing down. Far from being zealous, he was “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.” He learned “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1Tim. 1:12-15). The man “advanced in Judaism” realized he was “less than the least of all the saints” and “the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (Eph. 3:8; 1Cor 15:9). How did such self-deception occur? Today, multitudes cannot see themselves clearly, because of a “deceitful heart:”
God sees us exactly as we are. He searches our heart and tests our mind, cutting through all our defenses, excuses, and rationalizations. He knows exactly who and what we are for “ all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). As we live, thought and each decision reveals more and more of our heart and soul.
This is exactly what God did for Abraham. Since God never tempts above the ability to bear, He already knew Abraham’s heart. But He wanted to push Abraham to his limits, so “God tested Abraham” by asking him to take Isaac and “offer him there as a burnt offering.” Through this command, Abraham was allowed to see himself clearly. When God said, “now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son” (Gen. 22:1-12), He revealed the truth to Abraham and to us. The “works” Abraham did through the command “justified”, “perfected his faith”, was “reckoned as righteousness”, and made him “the friend of God.” All of this occurred because he passed a simple test God laid across his path (Jas. 2:21-24).
Noah’s ark also sifted the people of the ancient world. “As the ark was being prepared,” all who saw it had the opportunity to find out what it was for. All who did not enter failed this test. In the same way today, everyone has the opportunity to see Jesus on the cross, find out why He was there and then join or reject Him. This is why Peter said: “eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism.” (1Pet. 3:20-21). An antitype is an exact comparison. Hence, just as entry into the ark saved, all who “were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” and were also saved (Mk 16:16).
Conclusion. Every command in the Scriptures tests, measures and reveals the direction of our life. As God watches how we respond to them, He knows our heart and our thoughts. This is why Paul “obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” God saw all his other decisions and knew His heart. It is how God knew Abraham would become His friend through that difficult command. It is why He gave such a prominent place to baptism. It is why “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1Cor. 1:27-28). How we respond to these things will reveal our heart to him now and will be remembered when we stand before Him.
On the road to Damascus, all this came crashing down. Far from being zealous, he was “a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man.” He learned “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1Tim. 1:12-15). The man “advanced in Judaism” realized he was “less than the least of all the saints” and “the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.” (Eph. 3:8; 1Cor 15:9). How did such self-deception occur? Today, multitudes cannot see themselves clearly, because of a “deceitful heart:”
- “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” (Jer. 17:9-10).
God sees us exactly as we are. He searches our heart and tests our mind, cutting through all our defenses, excuses, and rationalizations. He knows exactly who and what we are for “ all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Heb. 4:13). As we live, thought and each decision reveals more and more of our heart and soul.
- “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” (Ps. 139:1-4)
- Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Ps. 139:23-24)
This is exactly what God did for Abraham. Since God never tempts above the ability to bear, He already knew Abraham’s heart. But He wanted to push Abraham to his limits, so “God tested Abraham” by asking him to take Isaac and “offer him there as a burnt offering.” Through this command, Abraham was allowed to see himself clearly. When God said, “now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son” (Gen. 22:1-12), He revealed the truth to Abraham and to us. The “works” Abraham did through the command “justified”, “perfected his faith”, was “reckoned as righteousness”, and made him “the friend of God.” All of this occurred because he passed a simple test God laid across his path (Jas. 2:21-24).
Noah’s ark also sifted the people of the ancient world. “As the ark was being prepared,” all who saw it had the opportunity to find out what it was for. All who did not enter failed this test. In the same way today, everyone has the opportunity to see Jesus on the cross, find out why He was there and then join or reject Him. This is why Peter said: “eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us — baptism.” (1Pet. 3:20-21). An antitype is an exact comparison. Hence, just as entry into the ark saved, all who “were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death” and were also saved (Mk 16:16).
- “Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death,” were “united together in the likeness of His death, and “our old man was crucified with Him.” (Rom.6:3-7).
Conclusion. Every command in the Scriptures tests, measures and reveals the direction of our life. As God watches how we respond to them, He knows our heart and our thoughts. This is why Paul “obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.” God saw all his other decisions and knew His heart. It is how God knew Abraham would become His friend through that difficult command. It is why He gave such a prominent place to baptism. It is why “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are” (1Cor. 1:27-28). How we respond to these things will reveal our heart to him now and will be remembered when we stand before Him.