Q6. Self-Deceit

[Servantjean]

Why are we so easilty fooled into thinking that listening to the Bible teaching means that we are living out the righteous life? What is the nature of the self-deception?

I believe that some of us think this way due to teaching we may have received while growing up. Some churches teach that the Bible is only a history book and that there are only a certain number of people in the church that can interrupt the Bible. As a child I thought that the pastor of a church was the word and law as to what we are suppose to be like. I did not become to know my Savior Jesus Christ until I was about 46 years old. When I first started reading the word I could not understand it, but I didn't give up and now the words speak to me.

I believe that the nature of self-deception is ignorance on our part and Satan keeping us away with his lies, by telling us that we would never understand it.

[TennLady01]

Q2. (1:22) Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives? What is the nature of the self-deception?

Faith without works is dead and the word tells us that when we think we stand that is when we seem to fall. We can't depend on what we feel or what we think while here on this earth we need to depend totally on the word of God and then we will not find ourselves thinking we are righteous. None are perfect we can all use improvement and we all need more of the Lord in our lives.

Thinking we are something when we are truly nothing except what God has made us to be is self-deception. We are only what God makes us and we are willing to do for him. We have to be careful Satan is out to destroy all he can and when we get into self that is when we fall.

[utopia_in_extremis]

I think at first when we are studying the word of God, we are filled with fire and zest, but as time comes along, it suddenly becomes just a routine. Too much familiarity, and I agree that it makes us self-righteous. Thus, just because we know of God's goodness and mercy we become too confident and decieve ourselves.

[georgejv]

There is a world of difference between knowing and doing. As crystal clear as the example. Seeing yourself in the mirror and not doing anything about your untidy appearance.

Pharisees, mature Christians, selft righteous Christians, and most vulnerable are born again Christians with a powerful start and maybe me too :-) - Know a lot, but not able to to do it.

Knowing is 1/10th the battle.

[linda bass]

We need to do more than just listen to the word or read the bible.

We need to do what it says.

Familarity with the Bible can be deceiving.

It can breed a kind of self-righteousness, a spiritual smugness with us.

There is a difference between knowing the truth and doing it.

Alot of Christians have a good head knowledge of the scriptures,but never apply that knowledge to their daily walk.

[Happy Feet]

It is hard to see or feel the effects of our own thoughts, words or actions because we are not always sensitive to the ways we bump into others with all the baggage we carry as insulation. We are easily fooled into seeing only the robe of Christ

[herneph]

why are we so easily fooled into thinkikng that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives?

I feel for me it is because, I hear and think "yes that's right, preach it or teach it brother!"

But I never stop to ask God to reveal to me if my life reflects if I am living what I am saying Amen to!

It is easy to do a "self-examine" it is hard to ask God to "search me".

Until God does the examine and I am still enough to hear His still small voice

then I am just a hearer!

But then when He shows me my short comings I must then obey and become a doer.

[Kim E.]

Why is it that so many seem to think that spirituality is measured by the quantity of our speech, while the Scriptures frequently instruct us to be quiet.

We fall into a trap. It seems that we listen to Bible teaching and then try to find ways to wrongly apply what we hear. How often we wish to use our Bible knowledge in other ways then it was intended to be used. We prefer to teach our neighbors, even when they don

[glory]

FROM THE TIME WE WERE LITTLE, WE WERE SENT TO SCHOOL TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE AND GAIN AN EDUCATION SO WE COULD ONE DAY HAVE A GOOD CAREER.WHEN WE ARE BORN AGAIN, UNLESS OUR MINDS ARE RENEWED TO THE WORD OF GOD, WE ARE CONFORMING TO THE WORLD'S WAY OF THINKING.SO INSTEAD OF GOING TO CHURCH WITH THE INTENTION OF HEARING THE WORD AND THEN DOING IT AS A LIFESTYLE, WE SOMETIMES GO, TAKE NOTES, FEEL GOOD ABOUT OURSELVES, BUT WE DONT DIGEST THE WORD AND SO WE BEAR NO FRUIT . WE ARE JUST FILLED WITH HEAD KNOWLEDGE, AND KNOWLEDGE PUFFETH UP. TEACHING TAPES IN ITSELF IS GOOD BUT TO LIVE OUT A RIGHTEOUS LIFE BEFORE GOD THE HEART MUST BE RIGHT WITH GOD.

I THINK THE NATURE OF SELF DECEPTION STARTS IN THE HEART WHEN WE BELIEVE A LIE.THE PROPHET JEREMIAH SAYS THE HEART IS DESPERATELY WICKED, WHO CAN KNOW IT? ONLY THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN REVEAL WHAT'S IN THE HEART. FOR THE LONGEST WHILE I COULD SEE NO FAULT WITH MYSELF. ONLY AFTER GOING THROUGH A MAJOR TRIAL AND ASKING THE LORD TO CHANGE ME DID I SEE THE SINS IN MY HEART..WE CAN BECOME VERY LEGALISTIC AND RELIGIOUS LIKE THE PHARISEES, WANTING TO BE SEEN GOING TO THE HOUSE OF GOD EVERY SUNDAY YET OUR HEARTS CAN BE FILLED WITH HATRED, BITTERNESS, UNFORGIVENESS..ETC...BUT THE MORE WE SURRENDER OUR HEARTS TO JESUS AND YIELD TO HIM, HE WILL SHOW US THE SINS OF THE HEART SO WE CAN REPENT AND TURN AWAY FROM THOSE SINS..IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT LEARNING MORE SO MUCH AS IT IS ABOUT COMPLETE SURRENDER TO GOD....GOD BLESS..

[Eastrea]

We lose sight of what it actually means to BE a Christian. We confuse being surrounded by Christian things i.e tapes and books, or going to Church, with the importance of being in a close relationship with Jesus. We get comfortable and smug and can also become self righteous. The nature of the problem is that we can be tempted to "rest on our laurels" and not move on with Jesus.

[bobbie4]

It goes back to the "you look great on the outside but on the inside you are rotting away". We can make our lives presentable to the world but if we let evil corrupt us with secret sins or sin of any kind of course we will be found out. We must "live" what God says and not just look at it now and then and think "that was a nice story" or such and so should pay heed to that. We should take God's Word personally. Just as a parent knows that we must live what we say so should the christian.

[Carolynne Speck]

We look at the outside, while the inside is so deceitful, but God can see the heart.

To be a Christian is to walk in the ways of the Lord.

To live a Godly life, we are not perfect and we are going to make mistakes, but as long as we truly repent and turn away from our sins God will forgive us, for Gods ways are not our ways and nor his His thoughts ours, but we become more like Him as we surrender to his will for our lives.

We can not by our way into the Kingdom of God, with money or good deads, it is our relationship with our Heavenly Father first then our relationship with other people.

If God reigns in our heart then everything else will full into place.

Thank-you Jesus your love is so amazing. AMEN

[Saved55s]

Why do people blame God for evil?

Because the think if he is the all powerful God, that he can destroy the devil get rid of all evil if he really wanted to.

Does God tempt us with evil?

No, but he allows it so we can grow stronger in Christ by being over comers in his strength.

Does he tempt sinful people with evil?

God doesn

[Saved55s]

Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives?

Sometimes we might think that we are listening to Bible teaching to confirm how on track we are, as opposed to where we can be corrected & directed by putting what we hear into practise in our daily lives.

What is the nature of the self-deception?

I believe sometimes too we can become very complacent with God's word & Bible teaching, because we hear everything repeated so many times in our Christian walk & in church services that we become complacent, as opposed to hearing it all in a fresh new way each time we hear it. God's word is living.

[johnd]

Q2. (1:22) Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives? What is the nature of the self-deception?

It's the easy option and sometimes we are not willing to truly live the Christian life.

Your Brother in Christ,

John.

[crackedharp]

God asks some pretty big things of us...If we are thinking that we have to live up to his standards in our own strength..then it isn't any wonder we just want to be "hearers and not doers".

I love watching home improvement shows. I've learned a lot of home improvement lingo, but it really looks like a lot of work, and I don't really want to be a "doer"! I think we approach our own lives as Christians in much the same way..."Love your neighbor...that sounds great....Be slow to anger....yeah, absolutely....But then when you come face to face with your neighbor and his annoying barking dog and foul mouthed kids that throw trash on you lawn...It's hard work to apply Christ's teachings! I don't want to love that annoying neighbor! I think once I started to realize that I can't ever do all Christ taught in my own strength, that I can't ever be a "doer" of his word on my own... that's when I started to ask for His help! Now I pray for His help and grace to deal with my annoying neighbor in a way that will please Him.

[DamamaSellers]

Q2. (1:22) Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives? What is the nature of the self-deception?

We think by listening we are living. That we do not have to do anything else. We do not have to bare fruit. We are so deceived by our own self righteousness. We do not even know that it is only through obeying what the word says are we truly listening!

[Jeannie]

Before Christ was in my life I would attend church and think that was great and I was better than anyone else in my family because they didn't even go to church, so I was a bad person. WHAT A LIE!!! When I said yes to Christ and the Word was opened up to me I saw there was a lot more out there that I was lacking and I can see now that I still carry a plank in my own eye. I have become I full fledge member of a church, I get into the Word everyday and I've met some very special and God fearing friends. I can not go a day without any of this as this is my daily food. I do not look at my family members as less than I, I pray for them daily to hear that know that I heard 7 years ago. I also ask God for strength and discernment when I am around them so I can be able to shine His light.

[HisSong]

Q2. (1:22) Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives? What is the nature of the self-deception?

I believe we, as humans, are prideful and blind to our sins by nature; in James' words,"deceiving ourselves." Satan is very clever in that he makes us see ourselves better than we are and keeps the world's clamor and distractions so great before us that we are unable to feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit when we hear the Word of God. It is able to pierce our souls, but we must put down our fleshly armor and allow the Holy Spirit to work within us, by first confronting ourselves and examining ourselves.

[JustJeff]

The answer is on word; LAZY. We work all week long for personal gain and survival. Why should we work to know God and develop great gain? It's easier just to sit and listen, drop some money in the plate and get that Sunday morning feel good buzz and plan to go to heaven. This self deception comes from the habit of listening to messages that do not direct the listeners to the word of God. I've been in a main line denomination service where the scripture is printed in a bulletin and not once did the pastor direct the congregation to pick up the bible. Not once.

[kreddman]

The nature of the self deception is man's sinful nature. The sinful side

of us likes to live in the dark (sin). God confronts us through the Word

and similar to our initial conversion to be a follower of Christ, we need

the Holy Spirit to help us confront our behavior and motives to discern

whether or not we are truly living the life God has design for us.

As a believer, we like to assure ourselves that what we are doing is right

in God's eyes; so we listen to preaching, we read our Bible, we go to

church, we do alot of outwardly correct activities. God, however, is not

decieved by our activities and looks at our hearts. We are "performance

based" people, expecting a reward for our good performance. It is only

through the Holy Spirit's conviction on our hearts that we realize that on

our best of days, we are yet sinners. Spiritual "pride" is particularly

heinous when you consider who you are and who God IS. Grace and mercy

rain down on us each day, thank God.

Kathy

[bini]

I believe that our hearts can decieve us when we too quickly accept it without pondering over it. I see very often that it's easy to listen to a Bible teaching without allowing God to take full of control of your heart. The word can redeem us but too often we just process it in our minds and it doesn't sink into our hearts. When you listen to the word there has to be a transformation, a change of will, a conflict between our flesh and spirit and eventually the word convicts us. The nature of self-deception is when we node in acceptance, pay lip service, to the word and going out and forgeting all about it. Righteous living is when a word of God revives and energizes us into action.

Bini

Q2. (1:22) Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives? What is the nature of the self-deception?

[Debra]

The Bible musn't just become another book to read, it is important to remember that it is GOD'S HOLY WORD. It is the authority of God, which inspires and animates us. It is the truth revealed to us in words that we can understand. By just reading the Bible or listening to it's teaching and thinking we are living out righteous lives is a great self deception. Thus by being self-deceived we become two people, our spiritual side believes things our physical side doesn't want to live out and we become like the man in 1:8 '' unstable in all his ways''. As I write this I feel very guilty knowing that Iam not practising what I preach. So for all who call themselves christians let us make 2007 the year of being a hearer and a doer. We must not see God's word as a law of restriction, but a law of freedom; then we will be truly blessed.

[jenifer]

Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives? What is the nature of the self-deception?

WE CAN BECOME IMPRESSED WITH OUR OWN KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT THE WORD SEZ. FAITH CALLS US TO STEP OUT OF OUR COMFORT ZONE. WE CHOSE TO FORGET THAT JESUS WANTS US TO BE A WITNESS FOR HIM AND THAT MAY INVOLVE ASSOCIATION WITH THOSE WE DON'T THINK WOULD BE INTERESTED. THAT IS NOT UP TO US. OUR LIVES SHOULD BE AN INVITATION TO THOSE WITHOUT CHRIST TO WANT TO HAVE WHAT HE HAS SO FREELY GIVEN US. THE MEN THAT GOD USED TO WRITE THE SCRIPTURES WERE NOT WORTHY ON THEIR OWN BUT ONLY AFTER BEING REFINED BY THE SPIRIT.

[joanharmelink]

Q2. (1:22) Why are we so easily fooled into thinking that listening to Bible teaching means that we are living out righteous lives? What is the nature of the self-deception?

Many go to church and listen to the word proclaimed but it never takes root to obeying it. Church attendance does equal obedience. We often assume that just listening to the word without any a ction is sufficient.