Banquet With The King: Deceived? Don’t Be

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You told Your disciples, and thus us, to not be deceived. John and Paul repeated Your instruction. How can people not see what they are doing…or what is happening around them? May Your words and guidance convince people to live righteously and to honor our Heavenly Father. Thank you for Your guidance and for being our example in all things.

Do you belong to God...or to the devil?
The choice is yours.

Dear children, don't let anyone deceive you about this: When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil. Those who have been born into God's family do not make a practice of sinning, because God's life is in them. So they can't keep on sinning, because they are children of God. So now we can tell who are children of God and who are children of the devil. Anyone who does not live righteously and does not love other believers does not belong to God. 1 John 3:7-10

Meditate. Consider what it means to belong to God.

Do you belong to God?

A Christian friend recently said that she knows her sins are forgiven—washed away by the blood of Jesus, but she doesn’t stop sinning. We all have that problem. Our sins were “justified” –just as if we never sinned when we were saved. Now we’re in the process of being “sanctified” or “made holy”–set apart as God’s own children and filled with the Holy Spirit. (Underlined below for emphasis.)

For God's will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. ... For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy. Hebrews 10:10, 14 NLT

By this will, we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time. ... For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. - Hebrews 10:10, 14 NASB20

We may not have totally stopped sinning—only Jesus is sinless—but we have found that we don’t sin as often—and not deliberately. We’re not evil. Sometimes our actions may seem mean…or downright evil—but not intentionally. The whole sanctification process is just that—a process. During Old Testament times priests offered guilt offerings to the Lord to purify a person from their sins (see Leviticus 5), but now we can directly be cleansed by praying to our awesome, holy, and forgiving God. Paul tells us that we are the temple of God. We want to be holy—for He that is within us is holy.

And what union can there be between God's temple and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God said: "I will live in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they will be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:16

Because we have these promises, dear friends, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that can defile our body or spirit. And let us work toward complete holiness because we fear God. 2 Corinthians 7:1

Can we ever attain complete holiness? Probably not in this earthly life—but we definitely will in Heaven. It will be a pure and holy place. No room for sin there. Paul wrote that we should work toward complete holiness because we fear God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever! Psalm 111:10

Don’t be deceived. To fear the Lord is to respect Him, giving Him reverence and honor. Review what John wrote. Are you trying to do what is right in God’s eyes? Are you intentionally or deliberately sinning? When people do what is right, it shows that they are righteous, even as Christ is righteous. But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning. To whom do you belong? Each person has the opportunity to make a willful choice—sin or not. Don’t be deceived. The choice is yours.

Verse of Salvation ~ Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the LORD! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! Habakkuk 3:17-18

Be Thankful with Patience in Your Heart

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®,

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Deceived? Don’t Be

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