Grappling with deception
1 Corinthians 3:18 “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.” Extra Reading: 1 Cor. 3:1-23.
Too many people in this world are deceived. Some deceive themselves thinking that they know and are better than others. Others entangle themselves in the practice of deception. But we all know it. We cannot go on deceiving ourselves, others or God forever. Somewhere somehow we shall be caught out. In each case, it is a losing practice. We cannot make a person believe what is not by being deceitful. Deceit is dishonest, false and it steals one’s self-respect. Deceit is a common practice. Some people always try their luck at others. Smiles are at times deceitful; so is a play on words. I attended primary school with Jim who thought of himself cleverer, more shrewd, and more knowledgeable than all of us in class. I thought to myself, “But this fellow is egotistical.” Maybe I was right, or I was wrong. To be deceitful is to assume also that we have more wisdom than others, more goodness, and more righteousness. My dog, Snappy, thought me more lessons about being honest. He is always positive and truthful towards me. He never deceived me in any day. There are people who try to deceive God. Paul, writing to Galatians in chapter 6:7, put a cancellation on that practice, “be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap” King James Version. One wise preacher once said, “Don’t kid yourself; you can’t turn your nose up at God for you can’t get by with it.” He was so right! The writer to the Proverbs once said, “Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel” (Proverbs 20:17) King James Version. If we try to deceive ourselves by saying we have no sin, then the truth is not in us. That is deceit at its best level. Judas tried to deceive himself in deceiving the Lord, but he only showed his real self.
The prophet Jeremiah says, “And they will deceive everyone his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity” (Jeremiah 9:5) King James Version. The people of Jeremiah’s time had literally worn themselves out with perversions. Deceit here is the same term used of Jacob’s trickery toward Esau (see Gen. 27: 35). The term refers to swindling by false speech or false scales. See here that deception is dangerous. Do yourself a favour and not allow yourself as a God-fearing Christian to fall in the trap of self-deception. Jeremiah again asks a key question: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9 King James Version. A deceitful heart is tortuous, uneven, and crooked like a bad road. It is desperately sick and medically incurable. The phrase “who can understand it?” is strongly a negative assessment of the human heart but is not intended as a description of the believer’s heart under the new covenant, where God promises to write His law on people’s hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 36:26; Romans 5:5). Let us not embrace deceit, either soft or hard.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Your eyes easily detect deceit in our hearts. Help us to stop dark practices. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen!
