I. Introduction
Read Genesis 29
(Psalm 101:7) No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence.
That’s a very heavy penalty for something that is usually said without thinking!
Most deceit has its origin in thoughtlessness and carelessness. It can begin as an effort to make yourself look good in front of your friends, your co-workers, or your relatives, but it ends up growing and propagating itself throughout a person’s life. It’s a perpetual thing that prompts people to selfishly put themselves first. It’s a wicked taskmaster that harshly demands that people build themselves up, while dishonestly maintaining itself in front of just the right people. Deceit is prompted and driven by the ego. The ego is a very hungry and ravaging cancer-like emotion that demands, demands, and demands, until it (which is essentially you) has destroyed everything you have in front of everybody.
Most deceit has its origin in thoughtlessness and carelessness. It can begin as an effort to get something that you cannot get through any other way. King David saw Bathsheba, and, knowing that he would not be able to have her any other way, he deceived many people. He deceived his servants, his generals and captains, and even attempted to deceive Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.
Deceit, in king David’s case, had its start in lusting after something he could not have. In the end, it caused the death of at least two people, and maybe more.
The stories of deceit in the Bible are numerous and not just limited to king David or Jacob. Deceit can be seen in practically every family and person of the Bible, except for one person, Jesus Christ.
The sin that is in man can be traced back to the serpent in the garden. There, it deceived Adam’s wife, Eve. And, with that, the foundation for various sins was established. Sin has spread its roots deep into the very soul of man and takes on varying shapes and sizes, but none are more hurtful and despised than deceit. Yes, most of man’s trouble can be traced back to one moment in time where one person chose to deceive another.
If we were to go back to what Abimelech said on two separate occasions, we can see where the tendency, or inclination, for deceit began in Jacob’s family.
After Abraham lied to Abimelech…
(Gen 20:9) Then Abimelech called Abraham in and said, "What have you done to us?
After Isaac lied to Abimelech…
(Gen 26:10) Then Abimelech said, "What is this you have done to us?
Jacob says to his father-in-law, Laban
(Gen 29:25) “…What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?”
“What is this you have done to me?” “Why did you do that?” “What were you thinking?” What compelled you to act like that?”
Everything a human being does is done for a reason. Oh, they may question your evaluation of the ulterior motive, or reason they did something, but everything that takes place, takes place for a reason. Ask the question, “Hey, why did you do that?” And, they may tell you, “No reason.” You can ask the same question of any person, whether man, woman, or child, and they may not be able to give you a reason right away or even a direct reason for doing something, but rest assured, there is a reason! There may not appear to be a reason for why God may choose to do something, but, for His people on this earth, there is always a reason for everything!
An excellent passage of scripture to visit once a month or so to give you a check-up from the neck-up is Galatians 5:17-26
Galatians 5:17-26 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
What can deceit do to you? What can deceit do to the church, your workplace, and your families?
D = Divides the Church/Destroys Relationships
E = Eliminates Respect
C = Creates Discord
E = Encourages Revenge
I = Isolates Believers
T = Tears Down Character, Integrity, Honesty, and Truthfulness
II. The Message
D = Divides the Church/Destroys Relationships
We are all human. And, because we are all human we will tend to want to exalt ourselves in one way or another. We desire to lift ourselves up before the church body, or other relationships.
Deceit will divide a church quicker than any other form of sin in the church body. People desire to deceive their relatives, families, co-works and the church for all kinds of reasons. Some of the primary reasons for deception in the church are:
Power
I want to control how things are done; I want everything to go through me; I want all things under me!
Self acclaim
This is the trinity of Me, Myself, and I. I want to look good, me and me!
Promotion
I want to move up in this organization and I’ll go over the back of anyone to get what I want!
What are some of the indicators that will arise when we are being deceived?
One of the primary indicators that a person is practicing deceit is when they start to rationalize or justify something that they are doing. In the game of deception, there is no end to the methods or means a person will use to carry out their deceit. Gossip, false accusations, always putting others down, or always lifting others up too high, are some signs to watch out for in the church.
It is the desire of Jesus Christ that we are all ONE in the body of the church. If we are at odds with one another, the church will not grow spiritually or numerically. We will actually start to go in the other direction.
Now, if we are staying in the Word and walking side by side with Jesus, and our only aim is to glorify God, we cannot help but to do the right thing. We are fixing our eyes on Jesus and focusing our lives on His wisdom, guidance, and will for our lives.
The primary reason for church division is deceit, and the number killer of churches is division. Satan, the great deceiver, will use any means possible to get into any church to divide its member against one another. Some scripture verses to remember about deception are:
1 Cor 3:18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness";
(Eph 5:6) Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.
(Col 2:1) I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.
E = Eliminates Respect
The Bible has much to say in Proverbs about fools. The number one phrase I like to remember is: Better to remain quiet and let people think you are a fool, than to open your mouth and confirm that you are a fool. There are two types of fools:
Someone that simply is unaware of what is going on in the world.
Someone that believes that they are the center of the universe, that they know everything, and everyone looks up to them.
The sin of deception has at its core, one aim: to destroy everything in its path. There is another phrase about fooling, or deceiving people, Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on you again. Because that’s mean. What that means is, respect has been tossed out of the window. And, not only is it tossed out of the window, it is eliminated. When we talk about being in Christ, we use vocabulary words like compassion, love, trust, etc. and we are happy and spiritual, etc. But when another Christian deceives us, it takes us a long time to trust that person again, much less respect them.
C = Creates Discord
The intention of a Church is to provide a place to come together and worship God as a body of believers. In the New Testament there are numerous references as to how a church body should conduct itself, along with how a person should conduct themselves as believers within the church.
In Hebrews 10:25, there is a strong admonition on attending church and what we are to do when we get there.
(Heb 10:25) Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
The Bible speaks of planting or sowing discord like someone plants a seed in the ground. Deceit is the catalyst or the means by which discord is sown or planted in the church. James tells us this in chapter 4, verse 1-5 of his epistle,
James 4:1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
Beyond a shadow of doubt, Discord will ruin any healthy church. People will not want to come to church because they don’t want to run the risk of having to talk to the person that deceived them. Discord is planted, then it grows, and finally the person quits coming to church entirely.
Deceit divides the church, it eliminates respect and, it creates discord or conflict within the church body.
E = Encourages Revenge
Deception has taken place! You fooled me. You played a trick on me and got your own way. Now I’m going to get even!
So often when we are deceived our first inclination is to get revenge on the person that perpetrated the deception. We sometimes don’t even think that what they did was a sin! Instead, we begin sinning in our own minds in plotting or scheming ways on how to get back at the deceiver.
Deception will cut straight to the marrow of any church, and those that are hurt by it should come together and pray, rather than seeking ways in which to get back at the perpetrator.
If you have truly been hurt, the only recourse, the only way to handle the situation is to Matthew 18 the situation.
15 "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16 But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ’every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
I = Isolates Believers
Deception either eventually causes believers to quit coming to church, or, it will isolate them from the rest of body. Believers will look the other way, or go out of their way to avoid someone that either deceives them or talks bad about other people.
Isolation is a proven way in the prison system for handling prisoners but has no place in the church. Isolation will only result in a bigger confrontation in the end.
T = Tears Down Character, Integrity, Honesty, and Truthfulness
Deception tears down or tears apart character, integrity, honesty and truthfulness. It can be said that a person’s true character and integrity are displayed when no one else is around.
Jesus has told us we have to be faithful in the small things. What that means is we need to take care not to deceive, because deception is out of character and makes us unreliable.
Additionally, deception has its basis in dishonesty and untruths. Deceivers will try any lie possible to accomplish their selfish agendas. And, they will not hesitate to tear down your character and integrity or call you dishonest.
III. Summary
There is only one end and one purpose for deceit and that is selfish gain. Yea, Yea, deceiving other people can destroy relationships, eliminate respect, etc., etc., but it is still a sin and it’s a sin that is the top of the list of sins.
There is only one way to overcome being deceived, and that is to be prayed up, to stay in the Word. The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle:
(1 John 4:1) Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
In Romans 7:21-25, we are given the only way to steer ourselves either out of deceit, or to avoid deceit altogether.
(Romans 7:21-25) So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Let’s re-visit Galatians 5 one more time:
Galatians 5:17-26 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. 19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
