Where It All Starts When It Comes To Deception

 

"The deceived and the deceiver are His; the simplest men that are deceived are not below His notice; the subtlest men that deceive cannot with all their subtlety escape His cognizance. The world is full of deceit; the one half of mankind cheats the other, and God suffers it to be so, and from both will at last bring glory to Himself. The deceiver makes tools of the deceived, but the great God makes tools of them both, wherewith He works, and none can hinder Him." - Matthew Henry Commentary

 

"The world is full of deceit..."

 

Job 12:16 mentions "the deceived" and "the deceiver" - "With Him(God) is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are His."

 

Stop a minute and ask yourself - into which category do I fall - that of "the deceived" or "the deceiver"?

 

You may argue - as a Christian, I fall into neither.

 

Is that true? Are you sure?

 

Pastor Henry said - "The world is full of deceit; the one half of mankind cheats the other..."

 

Are you somehow a part of that number? Do you cheat others...are you deceptive in your relationships with God and others...are you oftentimes wearing a mask so that others cannot see the real you?  

 

Let's look into the Scriptures and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal exactly where we stand on this issue of deception today.

 

In this world of deceit, the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 3:13 - "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."

 

First of all, let's notice that he mentions "evil men" and "seducers."

 

Who are they?

 

In contrast to the godly, they are the liars, conjurors, tricksters, diviners, and imposters who are leading people into error and away from the truth.

 

What are they doing in this world "full of deceit"?

 

They are "deceiving, and being deceived."

 

Notice that they had to be misled first before they could seduce others - that is, to convince them that that which is right is wrong and vice versa.

 

When given the right conditions, deception - like leaven - spreads throughout - making the world a place which is "full of deceit." 

 

The prophet Isaiah describes its inhabitants in this way - "He feedeth on ashes..."(Isaiah 44:20). 

 

Imagine a people pasturing or grazing on something so disgusting, loathsome, or deadly as "ashes." Yet - figuratively speaking - that is exactly what the majority are doing. They are making this world their portion...seeking happiness in riches and honors...taking pleasure in persons or things...and striving after that which is vain, unprofitable, unsatisfactory, or unsubstantial.  

 

Do we wonder why Pastor Henry stated - "The world is full of deceit..."?

What is the cause for this degrading and revolting worthlessness - this "feeding on ashes"? 

 

The Prophet Isaiah explained it this way - "He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul..."(Isaiah 44:20).

 

It all begins in the heart - "a deceived heart hath turned him aside."

 

And what would make his heart "turn...aside" to pursue after foolishness and vanity?

 

That answer can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 which says - "...because they received not the love of the truth...And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie."

 

Because they did not love the truth - receive it when they heard it and allow it to change their lives - they were immediately made to believe a lie. A "deceived heart" took over and "turned them aside." They began to believe impostors, trust in pseudo leaders, adhere to false notions, and rely on unfounded or spurious information. In failing to appropriate the truth to their daily lives, they were left to indulge in all kinds of wickedness, unrighteousness, and depravity. 

 

Matthew Henry made this remark - "The world is full of deceit; the one half of mankind cheats the other..."

 

The Scriptures specify -

"evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived."

"He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside..."

"...because they received not the love of the truth..."

"...that they should believe a lie."  

 

Are you a part of this world which is "full of deceit"?

How can you know?

 

It all depends on what you do with the Truth of God's Word.

 

Are you applying it to your life or rejecting it?

Is it changing you or are you changing it in order to fit your lifestyle or appease a guilty conscience?

Are you seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness or pursuing after the things of this world?

Which is more important to you - being holy or successful?

 

In His High Priestly prayer found in John 17, the Lord Jesus prayed to the Father for His church - "Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth"(John 17:17).

 

The only antidote for a "deceived heart" is to fill it with the Truth.

The best way to conquer a lie is to launch out against it with the Truth.

 

The end result - "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free"(John 8:32).

 

Let's make our world a place - not "full of deceit" - but full of the Truth - by knowing it, applying it to our lives, and living it before all!