“Saved or Self Deceived?”
Introduction:
Are you saved? If you were to die today would you know without a doubt that you would go to heaven? I want to ask you that as I bring this message for you to search yourself and ask yourself if you are really saved, or have you been deceived. I believe that there are many people in the world who honestly feel saved, but they will be disappointed on judgment day. There are many sincere people in the world who are deceived about their salvation. Satan’s ultimate weapon is to make us think we are saved. I do not know of many people that would admit or say that they are not saved; everybody wants to be saved, so people convince themselves that they are. Imagine the power that Satan has over an individual who feels saved, but is not really saved. Many people are simply deceived because they have not obeyed the gospel the way in which we are commanded to obey it. There are many people who go to church regularly, but they are not saved because they are deceived.
The good news, friends, is that we do not have to be deceived. The Truth cannot be kept from us and we each have the ability to search into God’s Word to see if we are saved. Satan has a lot of power over us, but he should not have the power to deceive us into making us think we are saved when we are not because God’s Word speaks clearly on how not to be deceived about your salvation.
There is nothing wrong with “feeling saved”, I do feel saved. I feel like if I was to die today I would go to Heaven, and I hope that we all feel saved. The sad truth though is that sometimes our feelings deceive us, don’t they? Sometimes our feelings are just flat out wrong. Feeling saved does not equal being saved; our salvation is based on objective facts. If we simply trust in our feelings about our salvation then we will easily be deceived.
Jacob’s favorite son was Joseph. Jacob’s other sons were jealous of their brother, in fact they hated him because they knew their father loved him most. One day when the brothers were working in the field, Joseph came out to check on them and told them that one day they would serve him. All his brothers got mad, so they thought they would kill him. After putting him into a pit they decided not to kill him, but to sell him and get some money out of him. So they sold their own brother as a slave to some slave traders passing by. The brothers took Joseph’s coat and covered it in goat’s blood and brought it to their father, and his father assumed he was devoured by some great animal.
Jacob felt sad, he mourned, and he felt that his favorite so was dead, but was he really dead? No. He was alive and his feelings had deceived him.
Perhaps today you feel that you are saved, you feel that you are right in the eyes of God, but perhaps your feelings have deceived you.
We as humans do not like to think of anyone as lost. That is why so many people believe whatever feels good must be right. That is why so many people believe that if you are simply a good person you will be saved. Many people are deceived. Many people do not want to think objectively about their salvation.
We learn from the words of Jesus that first of all more people are lost than are saved, that is a message that the church needs to be reminded of. We need to wake up and realize that narrow is the way and more people are lost than are saved. We learn from Jesus that many people who thought they were saved were surprised on judgment day. I wonder if any of us will fit into that category. Many people on judgment are going to be surprised, are you going to stand amazed at judgment. Let us look into God’s Word and examine our hearts to see if we are really saved or if we are self deceived. No matter whom you are or how long you have been a Christian it would not hurt to examine to see if you are saved. If you really are saved then this message will reaffirm your hope, but perhaps you will come to the realization that for many years you have been deceived. Examine yourself honestly, so that you are not surprised before Jesus.
Text: Matthew 7:13-29
I. Narrow is the way
We live in a world in which it is not politically correct to say that a person is lost. Many people who claim to be Christians are now saying that Jesus is just one of many ways to God. Christians are embracing the Jews and Muslims and their brothers in the faith. Many preachers seem to believe that you really have to be bad to be lost. I remember before I was a Christian I thought that Hell was reserved only for the really wicked people and not many people would be there, but that is not what Jesus taught us about the way into Heaven. Jesus said about the gate to Heaven…
a. Few will find it
Jesus’ teachings do not fly well in today’s culture. People today want to pick through the words of Jesus and take those things which make people feel happy and dismiss those things which are not so nice. Jesus spoke more though about Hell than he did about Heaven. Hell is a real place, and we learn from Jesus that many people will be there. Few people are going to find the way to Heaven. Remember that three out of four of the seeds that were planted were snatched away and only one grew up, the rest were thrown into the lake of fire. Many people are lost, there are even many in the church that are lost. While few people will find it, it is not impossible to find the way. In fact God has made a way for all people to find that narrow way. God does not want few people to find the way, that was not a prescription of what God wants, but it was a description of the way things are. God desires all to be saved and all to come to repentance, but God I His wisdom knew than many people would be deceived and many people would reject. Right before Jesus said that narrow is the gate, Jesus made it clear anyone who seeks will find, and anyone who knocks the door will be opened to him. Few though are going to truly seek the truth. Many people think they have found the way and stop before they find the narrow way. If you want to be one of the few that enter the narrow gate then you can, but you must go to God’s Word and seek the truth. Brothers and sisters, many people are lost, many people are going to enter into destruction. Are you part of the few are joined with the many.
b. We must strive to enter
Many people think that it will be any easy thing to get through the narrow gate. Many people think that the Christian life is easy. The Christian life is the best life, but it is not the easiest, if you don’t believe me ask the Apostle Paul. Being faithful to God is not an easy life because you will constantly be under Satan’s attack and you will be tempted to sin against God.
Luke 13:23-24
We must strive hard and agonize to enter through the narrow gate. Paul said work out your salvation with fear and trembling. Many people seem to think that once they are baptized then they are through the gate, but the truth is baptism is not the finish line it is the starting line. Those of you who have run the course longer than I have can testify that in order to stay faithful to God you have to make conscious effort and agonize at times. We must strive to enter in the narrow gate. I will tell you for sure that nobody is going to just slip into the narrow gate; no one will find the gate by accident. If you want to enter into the narrow way you must strive to do so.
c. We go through it alone
We must pass through the gate alone. We are not going to make it through the narrow gate because our mother taught Sunday school or was godly. We will not make it to Heaven because our Daddy was an elder. We will not make it into Heaven on the faith of anyone else because we must pass through alone. We each individually are going to be judged. Husbands and wives, your spouse will not be there to bargain to get you into Heaven. Your spouse will not be able to give an account for you. You go through the gate alone. I think it is time church that each person develops an individual and personal relationship with Jesus. It is time that you as an individual pass through the narrow gate because you will not make it through on the coattails of faithful family member, but we go through it alone.
II. Watch out for False Teachers
The New Testament is full of warnings against false teachers. Jesus knew that when the church began that many people would come in and teach false teachings and drag many people away from the Truth. Jesus’ warning here was clear to beware of false teachers. I think that this is a problem that we are dealing with in this day. People automatically assume because a person is a preacher that they are preaching the truth, but there are many people preaching whop are preaching false doctrine, and people are buying into their teachings lock, stock and barrel. These false teachers are leading people straight into the wide gate. We have been warned about false teachers, and we will be without excuse. I believe that many sincere people are deceived by false teachers. How can we distinguish between a Biblical preach and a false teacher?
a. Bad Teachers Produce Bad Fruit
Jesus told us one way to tell a false teacher was by the fruit in which they bear. A false teacher will bear bad fruit. False teachers produce more false teachers. Always be weary of a teacher who produces constant bad fruit.
b. Guide people through the wide gate
False teachers guide people into the wide gate. Perhaps because of their teachings people do not obey the gospel the way in which scriptures tell us to, and those people are lost because of bad guidance. There are many sincere people who are misguided by false teachers. Many times seekers come to these false teachers and ask them for advice and guidance, and they in the name of God misguide them. Perhaps they counsel people not to be immersed. Perhaps they counsel people to indulge in sin, perhaps the counsel people to do or not do other things that God’s Word teach. I hope and I pray that none of you have been mislead by a false teacher. We are now without excuse for what we do, and we will not be able to blame them for our ignorance and lack of obedience. False teachers perhaps have guided you into the narrow gate, but the good news for you is it is not too late. Even if you have been guided the wrong way you can turn and go towards the narrow gate.
c. Do not teach the whole Word
II Timothy 4:3-4
Those who preach the gospel are commanded to preach the whole counsel of God no matter how much people that listen do not like it. Sometimes there are messages that I would rather not preach, but I am commanded by God to preach the whole Word of God and not omit anything else. I would be liked a lot more if I came here and made you all feel really good about yourselves each Lord’s Day. In fact, I do not like preaching about Hell, and how many people will go there. I would much rather say we are all going to Heaven, but that would not be the truth and if I love you I will tell you the truth. I do not like suggesting that some people even in our midst may be self deceived and not saved, it would be much easier to make you all feel really secure in your salvation. The truth of the matter is there probably are some here deceived. False teachers do not teach the whole Word of God; they pick and choose what they teach and preach, considering how their message will make people feel.
1. they do teach some Truth
False teachers do teach some truth. I do not want to imply that everything a false teacher says is wrong because that is not the case. There are many preachers in the world who have a lot of good incite to offer on prayer, holy living, some doctrinal issues, but they are still false teachers. A person can give the best marital advice, can defend their faith well, and still be a false teacher. A false teacher does preach some truth, but not all truth. Even though these people can offer us some good things, they need to be avoided because they are deceiving people. I will tell you why I am skeptical about reading a lot of the popular books today, because if a person omits to tell a person that they need to be immersed for the forgiveness of their sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, I do not care how popular or respected they are, I do not care how many crusades they have lead, and how many presidents they have advised, I don’t care how many books they have written, and people encouraged, they are a false teacher through and through. I hope you catch what I said there. We need to be careful about who we listen to. Some of the most popular preachers in the world are leading many people to Hell. These teachers are deceiving people. They preach a sermon, and hundreds of people come forward wanting to give their lives to Jesus and they tell them to pray Jesus into their heart, and that is no where to be found in scripture. Yes, these people can offer a lot of good advice, but they are wolves in sheep’s clothing, they are false teachers, they will be judges harshly by God for leading people astray and teaching people that they are alright apart from obedience to the gospel, and they need to be avoided like the plague. That may have ruffled some feathers, but the point is false teachers teach enough truth to be dangerous. They teach many good things and not every thing they say is wrong, but a false teacher is a false teacher. Just because a person teaches some truth does not mean they should be accepted as Biblical teachers and heralds of the truth.
d. Not always immoral
False teachers are not always immoral people. We hear a lot lately about scandals of false teachers and the way in which they live. I have always said that bad doctrine leads to bad character and I believe that is true, but there are many moral people who are teaching false doctrine. Just because a person lives a moral life does not mean that we accept them as a herald of the Truth. Many moral and good people are deceiving people, intentionally or unintentionally I do not know, but they are false teachers none the less and we need to be on our guard so we are not deceived.
The number one way in which people in the church become deceived is because of what someone who claims to be a preacher teaches them. Let me tell you that your faith does not have to rest in the counsel of any preacher and you can search the truth for yourself. Always search to see if what I am saying is true, because the truth is not afraid to be checked out in God’s Word. Do not lean on any man’s wisdom, but only on God’s Word and if you do that you will not be deceived.
III. Many are Deceived
There are many people who will not be in Heaven with us because they are deceived about their salvation. These people have trusted in man and not in God’s Word, they have trusted in their feelings and not the objective word of God. Jesus made it very clear that many who thought they would be saved were actually deceived. These people that Jesus talked about did many good works in the name of God, but they were lost because they probably had not obeyed the gospel. Good works are of no value and we can not earn our salvation. Do no be deceived, but look into God’s Word to see if you really are saved the way the Bible says to be saved. God is God and He can do what he wants. If he wants to save someone outside of His plan of salvation that is up to Him, but no person has the promise of eternal life unless they believe, confess Christ, repent of their sins, and are immersed for the forgiveness of sins and gift of the Holy Spirit. How though can you spot a deceived person? Or how can you know that you are deceived? The Deceived…
a. Do not come to God on His terms
God has laid out in His Word what individuals must do in order to be restored into a right relationship with Him. He set that plan in motion and people should not argue about the way in which God forgives sins. It just so happens that God’s terms say at baptism you are saved, and it is not for us to argue, but simply to obey. Deceivers and the deceived do not want to come to God on His own terms, but they want to come on their own terms. They are the one’s who pervert the scriptures and tell people they are saved without obeying the gospel or simply by believing in Jesus.
1. Argue their way out of obedience
It seems to me that deceived individuals argue their way out of obedience to the gospel. Whenever I hear people debating over God’s plan of salvation it is people trying to find a way out and not a way in. People should be thrilled that they have a way out, people should be excited about obeying the gospel. The deceived though go out of their ways not to obey what God’s Word says. They make up hypothetical situations and speak for God when he has already spoken. Are you arguing about what God said to do? Are you deceived about how to be saved?
2. Overindulgent in the name of grace
The deceived are overindulgent in the name of grace. There were people just like this in the Roman church when Paul wrote to them. Paul told them that where sin increased grace increased all the more. He then said, should we go on sinning so that grace may increase, by no means we died to sin. Only a deceived person would want to live in sin after be forgiven of their sins. The only visual validation for our salvation is our continued obedience to the Lord.
b. They really think they are saved
The deceived really think that they are saved, but in reality they are lost. These are the same type of people that Jesus talked about here in Matthew 7. These are the people who pray and do a lot of good things, but they are lost. They probably come to church every week, they even serve regularly, but they are lost. There is nothing wrong with thinking you are saved or knowing you are saved, because we can know that we are saved. If you do think you are saved, evaluate your heart and be sure that you really are saved and are not just deceived because it does not matter if we think or feel saved if we are really lost. Thinking we are saved won’t get us into Heaven.
IV. Wise or Foolish Builders
Matthew 7:24-27
As we begin to close out this message I want to ask you what type of builder are you? Jesus described two builders. First, the builder who built his house on the rock and secondly the one who built it on sand.
a. Rock
1. obedient to Word
The one who builds on the rock in obedient to the Word in the way in which they live and they are continually growing in the faith. Are you obedient to God’s Word? I do not have to sit here and list for you what that means, because most of you know if you are or are not. If you are not it is not too late to build your faith on the rock of obedience to God’s Word.
2. Keeps checking foundation
I Corinthians 3:10-15
A good builder will check their foundation. What is your foundation of your faith made out of? Is it still strong or is beginning to crumble and sink? The man who built his faith on the rock regularly checked his foundation. That is exactly what we need to do. We need to regularly examine our lives and make sure we are saved and are living obediently. We need to make sure we are doing right, by checking our hearts.
b. Sand
Perhaps today your faith is built on the sand like the foolish builder that Jesus talked about. What is the foolish builder like?
1. May be immersed
A foolish builder may be a person that is immersed into Christ, but they have stopped building on their faith. For many people baptism is the finish line and not the starting point. Perhaps you today have been immersed, but your foundation is crumbling. Perhaps you are struggling with sin, if you are Jesus offers a way out and forgiveness from that sin. There will be many people who have obeyed the gospel who are not in Heaven because they do not build on their foundation. If you are struggling, then the truth of the matter is you need to grow and build on your faith. That growth comes through the study of His Word which conforms you more like Christ and through prayer which enables you to communicate to God
2. Does not obey the Word
The foolish builder also does not obey the Word. Perhaps the foolish builder has a tough time accepting some of Jesus teachings as truth. Perhaps they are like the people who turned away from Jesus because he was teaching some things that were hard to accept. Many people are like that, they will obey what is easy for them to, but the hard things they omit.
Are you saved or self-deceived? John says in his epistle that you can know that you have eternal life. To ensure that you are not self deceived first ask yourself have you obeyed the plan of salvation. Believing that he exists, confessing Christ as Lord, turning from your sins, being immersed so that your sins will be washed away and you will be given the Holy Spirit. Have you done those things the way the Bible tells us? Secondly ask yourself if you are living obedient to God and showing the fruits of the Spirit in your life. Perhaps someone here has not been immersed, or perhaps you were, but you didn’t know what you were doing it for. Baptism is a pledge of a good conscience towards God, and if you were not repentant when you were baptized you just came up a wet sinner and maybe you need to consider being baptized for the right reasons. Perhaps you were a Christian at one point in your life, but now have strayed; today you can make that right. Perhaps today you realize that you’re whole like you have just thought you were saved, but now you realize you were deceived. Today you can get right with God so you can enter through the narrow way into Heaven.
