World of Deception

 

When it comes to perception of goodness there is so much we are deceived by. For instance ...

1. Some people believe they're actions and lives are basically good, therefore sin isn't an issue. DECEPTION. 1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

2. Some people believe the small things they've committed are not wrong. DECEPTION. 1 John 1:10 "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."

3. Some people believe nothing they've ever done is worthy of damnation. DECEPTION. 1 Corinthians 6:9 "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionist, shall inherit the kingdom of God." 

The word deceived in the above verses of the King James Bible comes from the Greek word “planaw.” Interestingly, it is the verb from which we get the English noun “planet”. It implies a wandering away on a separate path. Planets wander on their own orbit or path away from the center point of its axis. And people do the same thing, they wander off on their own way of doing things, just as Isaiah 53.6 states: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all." We have wandered away by making up our own interpretation of what sin is, then modifying our beliefs to excuse our behavior.

That is mankind’s problem, we all sin by choosing to do what our sinful flesh desires rather than seeking and doing what God wants and desires for us.   Isaiah 53.6 tells us that God has provided a solution to and for our sin and Paul declared the same thing so plainly in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Paul makes it clear that there are many who will not inherit or enter into the kingdom of God. He names several categories of sins whom many people even reject are sins. DECEPTION. The following are all sins that will keep you from heaven. Let's look at them. Ten are listed. I'll cover each one because the world seeks to deceive both Christians and the lost into believing that these are not sins and that the unrighteous will not face the consequences and judgment for their actions. Here they are:

 "Be not deceived “fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionist.” You will not escape from God’s judgment if you persist in your sin. Notice I said persist! That is, if you willfully continue in sin. Ask yourself, how many people forty or even thirty years ago that thought homosexuality, fornication and/or adultery were not acceptable conduct? Numerous. How many do you know today that think these are acceptable? Many. There has been a tremendous propaganda campaign waged to deceive the American culture. It has been and is still being carried out in public schools, on radio and television, in the movies and the various news sources available today. Sexual perversion is shown in nearly every home in America on the television sets in our living rooms every night. Answer this question, would you send your child or grandchild to a school where the teachers spelled the word WRONG with the letters R-I-G-H-T ? That is taking place in the United States’ public schools when it comes to the teaching of morals, especially when it comes to sexual conduct. Ephesians  5:11 "Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them."

Here is the list of groups that God calls “unrighteous.” You can pick one that interests you or you can read them all. Bear with me.

FORNICATORS

America is filled with fornicators. That simply speaks of those who commit sexual acts outside of a marriage contract. Heterosexual marriage is the only marriage where God and the Bible recognize and allow for a sexual union. Fornicators will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

IDOLATERS

Idolaters speaks of those whose god is anything other than the God of the Bible. It can be Allah, Vishnu, Satan, Buddha, nothing or yourself. None of these are God and none of them can deliver you from the judgment you will face before the one, true God. Idolaters will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

ADULTERERS

Adulterers are those that have sexual relations with another while they themselves are married. Adulterers will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

EFFEMINATE

The effeminate is a male who submits himself to be used as a woman, as a male prostitute. The effeminate will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

ABUSERS OF THEMSELVES WITH MANKIND

Abusers of themselves with mankind are men who have sexual relations with another man rather than a woman. Today the word is homosexual that is used in place of “abusers of themselves with mankind.” Homosexuals, or rather “abusers of themselves with mankind” will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

The principals are set forth and whether it is a homosexual, lesbian, bisexual or transgenders, they all fall under the same grouping of the unrighteous that will not inherit the kingdom of God. These make a mockery of God, accusing Him of making a mistake. Notice should be taken that these sexual sins are also mentioned in the Old Testament as being abominable in the sight of God (Leviticus 18) and are not excused under the New Testament as some teach and or believe.  Some mistake the doctrine of God’s grace as the idea that God does not care whether or not a sinner saved by His grace continues on in sin once saved. This is a very dangerous and an heretical view. Paul asked the question in Romans 6:1-2a “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid …” and in Titus 2:11-12 we read “For the grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men,  12 Teaching us that, denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.” That's pretty plain, no?

THIEVES

Thieves here speaks of embezzlers and pilferers and by extension can even speak of teachers who care more for their own gain rather than the truth. Thieves will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

COVETOUS

Covetous persons are those who desire to have something or someone that someone else has, are greedy of gain and are never content with such as they have. Paul in Colossians 3:5 calls covetousness the same as idolatry. The covetous will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

DRUNKARDS

Society has softened the debauchery of alcoholism. Rather than calling a man or woman a drunkard, they are now called alcoholic, or that they have a drinking problem or worse yet, it's called a disease. No, it's a choice. The Bible speaks direct to the point and calls those who get intoxicated Drunkards. Drunkards will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

REVILERS

Revilers are those that “speak about (someone or something) in a very critical or insulting way” according to the Merriam Webster online dictionary. They are those who verbally abuse others. Revilers will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

EXTORTIONERS

Extortioners here speaks of robbers, those who snatch property away from others with no qualms about it. Extortioners will spend eternity in hell “where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

Jesus is the one who described hell, or Gehenna, as the place "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9.43-44).  The Word of God shall still stand true unscathed, unmarred, undented, and undeterred, as Romans 3.3-4 states "For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."

These are not the only groupings or categories of the Unrighteous found in the Bible. Revelation 21.8 names several more: But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. I won’t give any detail on this group, but it is clear that there are many categories of sin by which we offend the holy and righteous Lord God.

Time is drawing near to the Lord's return. Your situation may be dire — but not hopeless. However, you must be willing to confess your sin and repent of it. God can and will deliver you from your sins if you will but turn to Him and trust in Christ. That is what had happened to these Christians in the ancient city of Corinth to whom the Apostle Paul wrote. Notice what Paul said in verse 11: "and such were some of you" (meaning the same type of sinner). They no longer were, but they had earlier been in one or probably several of those ten groupings of the unrighteous named in verses 9 and 10. I know I was. I can look at the lists above and see that I once fit into a couple groups before I was born again!

But when these Corinthian Christians — and even when I — repented and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ to save us the rest of verse 11 took place … but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. I praise God for cleansing us of our sins and making us righteous in Christ!

Is what I am sharing “hate speech” as some may accuse me of? If you have never repented of your sin, turned to God and trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you, I don’t hate you. Surely you would not call it “hate speech” if you had cancer and went to an oncologist, and he told you the truth that you had cancer and that he recommend a course of treatment to cure you of the cancer? Or would you rather he tell you that you are just sore from too much exercise, go home, take three aspirin and go to bed and get some rest? The doctor does not hate you when he tells you the truth. Neither do I hate you and neither will I call evil good, nor good evil. I desire to have you realize the truth of the peril of your situation.

 The simple Gospel message that you must believe is this, according to 1 Corinthians 15:1-4  “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” God, (it is said in Romans 5.8)  “commends His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” To commend simply means that He demonstrated His love for us once and for all time. And the last part of Isaiah 53.6 says the same the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. We have each and every one of us wandered off to our own appetites for sin. But God loves us and has provided us a Savior. And 1 John 1.9 tells us that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Confess simply means to say the same thing, or to agree with God about the fact that you have committed sins. 1 John 1:8 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

As someone who was once a persistent  sinner  I urge you to repent of your sins, turn to God and trust in Christ that He took your sins upon Himself when He died on that cross on Calvary. God's Word has not changed! It is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Sin is still sin. No excuses. Be saved today – Be washed – Be sanctified – Be justified .

Until He comes,

-Pat-