Text for series read: James 1:21-25
James 1:22 (NKJV)“ But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
The real challenge for most of us is not in the doing, but in the deceiving. The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. It’s one thing to deceive other people, that’s bad enough; but it is profoundly dangerous to lie to yourself. When John wrote his first epistle, he tackled this topic right out of the box. Three times in 1 John 1 the apostle repeats the phrase “If we say”:
“If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,’ yet we walk in darkness” (v. 6).
“If we say, ‘We have no sin’” (v. 8).
“If we say, ‘We don’t have any sin’” (v. 10).
Every deception starts with the man in the mirror.
James 1:22 (NKJV)“ But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”
The real challenge for most of us is not in the doing, but in the deceiving. The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. It’s one thing to deceive other people, that’s bad enough; but it is profoundly dangerous to lie to yourself. When John wrote his first epistle, he tackled this topic right out of the box. Three times in 1 John 1 the apostle repeats the phrase “If we say”:
“If we say, ‘We have fellowship with Him,’ yet we walk in darkness” (v. 6).
“If we say, ‘We have no sin’” (v. 8).
“If we say, ‘We don’t have any sin’” (v. 10).
Every deception starts with the man in the mirror.
If you lie to a friend, that’s bad, but at least you know what you’ve done. If you lie to yourself, you’re probably not even aware of it. No wonder the psalmist confessed,
Psalm 19:12 (NLT) “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults”
Only the Lord himself can deliver us because he alone sees the part hidden from our own view. Unless I am regularly contradicted by God’s Word, I am not engaging it. God’s Word is like a sword (Hebrews 4:12-13). Swords cut. Good swords are razor sharp. Even a slight touch draws blood.
That leads to a third question: Am I willing to be rebuked by the Lord? It’s one thing to read the Bible. It’s another thing to let the Bible read me.
Psalm 19:12 (NLT) “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults”
Only the Lord himself can deliver us because he alone sees the part hidden from our own view. Unless I am regularly contradicted by God’s Word, I am not engaging it. God’s Word is like a sword (Hebrews 4:12-13). Swords cut. Good swords are razor sharp. Even a slight touch draws blood.
That leads to a third question: Am I willing to be rebuked by the Lord? It’s one thing to read the Bible. It’s another thing to let the Bible read me.
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