People often deceive themselves if they see something they do not want to see or something very hard to accept has occurred to their life. However, what exactly is self-deception and what harm does it bring to all, including Christians?
Elder Yao from a church in Shanghai shared the message about "self-deception" on a Sunday service on June 5.
Self-deception means "deceiving yourself"
He shares a tale he has heard in his childhood about an ostrich which has a feature that it will hide its head under the sand, thinking the hunter cannot see it when the hunter runs after it closely.
This specific action of the ostrich is a good example of self-deception because one cannot see the fact that others will see him even if he or she hides partly himself.
Christians often deceive themselves, lying to themselves that they can still do the things which are forbidden. Even self-deception exists in several aspects of a Christian's spiritual growth: salvation, victory and awarding.
Self-deception in salvation
Preachers often encounter two problems in evangelism: the belief that there is no God and that we're not sinners.
For the first problem, denying that there is no creator for such a big universe is self-deception. It is like saying no man can make a desk. When it comes to the issue of sin - the core problem of Christianity; why should people believe in Jesus when they have no sin? Why did Jesus come to the world if people don't sin?
Considering these aspects, how does one free themselves from self-deception? The answer is to come to God and ask Him to enlighten us because any dark or hidden sin in us will be revealed when His light shines upon us.
Jesus' apostle Peter experienced this. He said to Jesus that they caught nothing after an all-night efforts, but he let down the nets after Jesus told him to do so. For Peter, he was the fisherman who fished all night but gained nothing so how can Jesus do more than what he could? However, he tried doing what Jesus said. With this thinking, Peter showed how proud he was.
When he did Jesus' word, they caught a large number of fish to the point the nets began to break.
Peter had to fall at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" (Luke 5:8)
His pride was all gone after the light of the Lord flashed on him.
Self-deception in the holy life after being saved
We are new creations that should live like God after believing in the Lord. We should be holy since God is holy.
It is God's will that we should live a holy life of victory: to be honest and live a victorious life makes people tired.
Before being a Christian, men gratified from the cravings of their sinful natures and they followed their own inclinations. However, they need to listen to the Holy Spirit but doing this while not doing that makes them weary. They may have difficulty in putting aside the world they are familiar with to serve the Lord.
Elder Yao gave the example of the rich man and Lazarus. The rich man who led a life of pleasure was in hell after death; while Lazarus who received evil things in his lifetime was carried into Abraham's bosom after he died.
Some Christians want to be rich men in the world and be like Lazarus after their death, but does it work?
A man reaps what he sows. What we do in the world acts as sowing. Do we sow to please our sinful nature or the Spirit?
Paul says that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. On the contrary, the one who sows to please his sinful nature will reap destruction.
God knows everything. Christians must remember this verse: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad (2 Corinthians 5:10)." Fear God for He cannot be offended.
Self-deception in awards
A large percentage of Christians think that they behave well: often praying and reading the Bible, attending services, volunteering and offering donations, who must get awards.
Is this correct? No.
The Bible said, "If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceives themselves." (Galatians 6:3)
Paul also said, "Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:13-14)."
Paul stressed that it was a long distance for him to reach God's requirement and he hadn't taken hold of it although he was caught up to the third heaven and preached a lot for the Lord.
Self-deception means we think we're good in front of God. How can human be self-satisfied even though he is so small and cannot meet the requirements of God so far away.
The church in Laodicea felt very good about it and seemed rich while lacking nothing: there were so many churches and high service attendances. Nevertheless, it was wretched, pitiful and poor in God's eyes.
We shouldn't be complacent before God for we're pitiful and tiny in the perspective of Him.
The Lord said, "Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh...Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep." (Luke 6:21&25)
Are we well-fed or are we hungry before God?
Be reverent and don't deceive yourselves before God.
