Reasons to Take up This Study, Part 1

Introduction to the Series: 'Are You For Real?'

0:00 The following message was delivered on Sunday morning, June 19, 1994, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now before we turn to the Word of God, let me say that in answer to the inquiry of a number of you, and I believe also in answer to your prayers and God's guidance and help, we will be returning this evening to our studies in 1 Corinthians 13, so I would urge you as families and individuals to try to take at least five or ten minutes to read through that chapter

0:46 in preparation for our study tonight, which will basically be an overview and a review and a preview of where we will be going as we attempt to complete our studies, particularly in verses 4 through 7, where the Apostle describes the actings of the grace of love. now for those of you who attend here regularly and were with us on the 8th of may of this year exactly six weeks ago today you will remember that pastor gary hendrix of mebbin north carolina who was here to minister at our women's retreat and then to take the ministries of the lord's day

1:38 preached two sermons on the subject of self-examination. And in those two messages, he demonstrated from the scriptures the duty that everyone has to examine himself with respect to whether or not he is in a state of grace and to examine himself with reference to precisely where he is in his growth and in the development of grace. Then he gave to us some practical guidelines for the safe and profitable exercise of self-examination.

2:24 Now beginning this morning and continuing God willing through August the 7th, I plan to bring seven messages focusing on the very sobering and all important question couched in the modern idiom, are you for real? I know that's bad English and everything in me revolts against using certain modern idioms that are bad English would be considered vulgarisms, but if they are not coarse and if they do not in any way denigrate the sacredness of the things we handle, there are times when common modern idioms, though ungrammatical and composed of poor English,

3:13 do register in our brains the way proper and more classic English would not. And I want to ask you over the next seven weeks, are you for real? Are you the real thing? God willing, following those seven messages, Pastor Lamar Martin will be bringing you the five messages that he brought when he was in Australia on growing in grace.

3:43 And how futile it would be to be exercised in mind and heart regarding the principles of growing in grace if in reality you are not in a state of grace. Therefore, it is crucial that taking our clue from those basic biblical perspectives preached so clearly, and to my judgment so convincingly with the aid of the Holy Spirit six weeks ago when Pastor Hendricks was here, I want us to turn to the word of God in the coming days and consider this question, not is my wife for real? Is my husband for real? Are my children for real? Is this elder or that deacon for real?

4:40 but to make it intensely personal, am I for real? Am I for real? And I want you to attempt to shut yourself in with as much sanctified self-centeredness as you will be forced to experience in the day of judgment. For though the scriptures describe that awesome day as a day in which all of the nations shall be gathered before the throne of his glory, in which the grave shall give up all the dead that are in it.

5:25 And there are times in my mind's eye when I try to picture what that vast aggregate of mankind from all the ages will look like when assembled in the presence of God. At the end of the day, my friends, it is going to be the most intensely individual and lonely experience you have ever had. For the scripture says, so then every one of himself, every one of us, shall give account of himself to God. and as surely as you came out of your mother's womb as an individual though you may have been one of quintuplets

6:11 so you will die as an individual and so you and I will go to judgment as individuals and therefore no question is of more pressing concern then the question, am I for real? Am I the real thing? Is what I profess to possess as a Christian that which the Bible says will inevitably be the reality in every person who truly possesses Christ?

Reason 1: Deception is a Real and Tragic Possibility

6:57 Well, in opening up this subject, if you've been listening with half an ear and with anything other than a feigned attentiveness, then surely the question ought already to be framing in your mind, why should I carefully and prayerfully and with judgment day honesty face the question, am I the real thing? Am I for real? And that's a very fair question. And I believe in this introductory message an obligation rests upon me to answer that question from the scriptures

7:43 to the satisfaction of the conscience of every person, man, woman, boy or girl who respects the authority of the Word of God. Why should you, why should I face the question, and that in six seasons of concentrated biblical exposition, today the first of the messages being introductory, why should I face that question, am I the real thing? Is not this a bit of pastoral and homiletical overkill? Isn't it beating a subject thin at the edges?

8:25 I don't believe it is either of those things. And that there are at least four compelling reasons to engage in this spiritual exercise. The first is this. Because deception in this most important issue in life is a real and tragic possibility.

8:52 Deception in this most important issue in life is a real and tragic possibility. And the scriptures demonstrate this basically in two categories. First, we are repeatedly warned against deception, and secondly, we are repeatedly informed that some have deceived themselves. why should I ask the question am I for real I answer because deception on that very question deception in the most important issue of life

Biblical Warnings Against Deception (1 Corinthians 6, Galatians 6, Ephesians 5)

9:38 is a real and tragic possibility and we know it is because we are repeatedly warned against deception look at three clear biblical witnesses First, in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 6 and verse 9. First Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 9. Many of you will be familiar with Paul's burden in these chapters of the letter to the Corinthians. Here in chapter 6 he begins by dealing with the subject of professed believers going to civil courts one against another, thereby bringing open reproach to Christ and to his name and to his church.

10:32 And the apostle is pressing upon their consciences to take an alternate route, one that would use the deposit of wisdom and general knowledge of equity and uprightness among the people of God to sort out these matters among brethren so that there would not be litigation in civil courts, thereby exposing the name of Christ to reproach. And in that setting, urging the people to be willing for the sake of Christ even to be defrauded, even to have something less than what is rightfully theirs, he says in verse 9, Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?

11:24 Be not deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God. And do you see the relevance of at least three of those categories to the issue he's been dealing with? surely most of the Corinthians would have agreed that anyone practicing a course of sexual impurity would not enter the kingdom and anyone who was given over to such sexual perversion

12:12 as is described in the words effeminate and abusers of themselves with men or drunkards or those who give themselves to abusive speech revilers, but he also lists extortioners, covetous, and thieves. And you see, it was in the matter of brethren going to law against brethren that had to do with my rights and my possessions and the possessions and the rights of another. And Paul is saying, if the matter of grasping after things is more important than the honor of Christ. You're a covetous man.

12:57 If you are grasping unjustly at the things of another, you are an extortioner. You are a thief.

13:07 And he says, Such people shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Now, why did he have to write this to a Christian church if there were not in that Christian church people who were maintaining high levels of assurance that they were in a state of grace while some of these sins were still reigning in their lives. Paul did not waste time writing about hypothetical dangers. He says to a Christian church, Be not deceived, clearly indicating that in the apostles' judgment such deception was a tragic possibility.

13:52 Likewise in the book of Galatians chapter 6. Chapter 6 of the book of Galatians we're seeking to demonstrate why we must engage in answering the question am I for real? the answer being because deception is a real and tragic possibility and this is why we are repeatedly warned against deception the book of Galatians verse 6 of chapter 6 let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him who teaches in all good things be not deceived God is not mocked

14:39 For whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap. He that sows unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption. But he that sows unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life. In a setting which has at least overtones again of dealing with material issues, he says, don't be deceived.

15:06 don't be deceived do not allow yourself the luxury of thinking that you can have a lifestyle that is mastered by that which is anchored to the flesh to this world and to things sowing to the flesh and after a pattern of sowing to the flesh at the end of the day namely harvest time reap eternal life Oh no, if you sow to the flesh, you will of the flesh reap corruption. There will be destruction and death at the end of the summer. In harvest time you will reap what you have sown. And apparently the apostle believed that there in the churches of the Galatians,

15:54 there were people who thought they could reap that which was qualitatively different from what they were sowing. And he says, don't be deceived. Don't be deceived. Do not be deceived.

16:12 Don't play spiritual head games on yourself. And think that with your lips you can name the name of Christ. With your body be plumped in a congregation of Christ. For remember, they were gathered with that congregation or congregations in Galatia.

16:31 when this epistle was read and be found amongst the people of Christ. But day by day, be found giving your time and your energy and your substance to the flesh. And at the end of the day, because you name the name of Christ, we're found in a company of disciples of Christ, attended to the concerns of a church of Christ. You're going to reap everlasting life.

16:58 Don't be deceived. There are people that are going to drop into hell from the pews and the membership role of Trinity Baptist Church. Because they are not sowing to the Spirit. They are sowing unto the flesh.

17:16 While all the while their heads are getting fuller and fuller of the language of Christianity. Of Reformed Christianity. Of Orthodox Christianity. and the turns can be bantered about like professional tennis players knock a yellow ball over a net.

17:37 But where the rubber meets the road you're sewing unto your flesh. Don't be deceived. In God's name, I beg you, don't be deceived.

17:52 Third warning in the book of Ephesians.

17:57 Just looking at the biblical witness, it's deception. It's not a real and tragic possibility. Why the repeated warnings? Ephesians chapter 5.

18:11 In this context, having called the people of God to walk in love, he then in verse 3 says, But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, Notice again how God's list are not like the list that some of you make. You've got your list that would have fornication and uncleanness in it, but certainly not covetousness. You'd have a list that would say swearing and adultery and drunkenness. But you don have a list that says gossip laziness time God list aren like your list my friend In the day of judgment you meet God list not yours

19:01 Paul says fornication. All uncleanness. Not just consorting illicitly in open sexual intercourse. But all uncleanness.

19:16 the uncleanness of fantasies known only to you and God the uncleanness that goes on in secrecy behind the closed bathroom door the uncleanness that goes on in the privacy of your own mind literature that you have that nobody knows but you and God fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness where does covetousness take place? in the heart you can go about with the bearing of a self-denying saint and be as covetous as the devil yearning and burning with the lust for things you do not have

20:02 you don't covet with your hands you don't covet with your feet covet with your heart God says it's idolatry Let it not even be named among you as become saints, nor filthiness, nor foolish talking or jesting which are not befitting. Double innuendo, borderline risque remarks, giggling and smiling in a knowing way at that which is a few shades away from purity. let it not be named among you,

20:49 but rather giving of thanks. Well, why get so upset about it? Here you go, Pastor Martin. Setting up a standard.

20:56 That's your generation. If I hear that one more time, I'm going to scream.

21:01 Anyone that wants to cop out on biblical standards by this nonsense, that's your generation. Will you please have the guts to come and face me with a Bible and show me when I've ever imposed upon you any standard that had to do with my generation. And if you're not prepared to have the spiritual guts to come and face me and open the Bible or any other man in this pulpit and show us where we've gone beyond the Word of God and imposed generational standards, then don't do it bravely to your buddies or to your girlfriends.

21:36 This is the changeless, timeless Word of God. and it says covetousness foolish talking and jesting that are not befitting are not to be named among the saints at any generation at any time under any circumstances someone says oh come on pastor you you look at the next verse for this know of a surety know this for certain that no fornicator, nor unclean person, nor covetous man who is an idolater has any

22:21 inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. In other words, you allow any of these things to be your lifestyle, and you are not the real thing. Oh, but look at the next verse. let no man deceive you with empty words any words that any man will tell you starting with your own mind and your own heart that will assure you that you're an heir of the kingdom while deliberately walking in any aspect of these patterns of life condemned by the word of God Paul says, don't let anyone deceive you with empty words.

23:12 For because of these things comes the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience. And if any one of these things is part of your overall lifestyle, the wrath of God will come upon you and let no one deceive you with empty words. Because, my friend, in the day of judgment, you'll need more than empty words to shield you from the wrath of God.

23:37 You'll need an exalted, glorified God-man-redeemer who will say to his Father, He's one of mine. I loved him. I died for him. In due course, I drew him.

23:54 I changed him. I made him my loving, obedient disciple. and in spite of all of his or her remaining sin and all of the onslaughts of the world and of the devil, I kept him or her in the way of holiness, in the way of a radical alternate lifestyle of discipleship to myself, my Father. This one is covered by my righteousness.

24:22 This one has been transformed by my Spirit. This is one of my own. those are the only words that will stand you in any stead in the last day. Try to cover yourself with the empty words that give you the right to say, oh yeah, and a real thing, if you're indulging in any one of these things as a pattern of life.

24:50 Now my friends, I beg you, and this is the thing that has wrenched my soul afresh, as I've launched into the commitment to bring this series that I recognize as all of the old writers did whenever you try to unearth a self-deceived hypocrite from his bastions of lies generally you only end up disturbing the true people of God while such hypocrites become more hardened but then as the old writers said if you're going to go to the day of judgment with your hands clear of their blood, you must still seek to blast them out of the pillboxes of their self-deception.

Biblical Accounts of Self-Deception (Deuteronomy 29, James 1, Matthew 7)

25:37 Am I the real thing? Why do I need to ask the question? Because deception in this most important issue of life is a real and tragic possibility. We are repeatedly warned against deception.

25:54 But secondly, we are repeatedly informed that some have deceived themselves. We are repeatedly warned that some have deceived themselves. Look way back in the book of Deuteronomy. One of the classic expressions of this tragic reality of self-deception.

26:18 Not set before us as a warning, but in descriptive form. God has reiterated the covenant, pronounced through Moses the blessings of obedience, the fearful consequences of disobedience. Read about them at your leisure in chapters 28 and all of chapter 28, I'm sorry. and then into chapter 29 Moses calls the people of God to ratify afresh that covenantal commitment and now in Deuteronomy chapter 29, 19 to 21 notice what it says here is a man whose heart turns away

27:05 from the living God to serve the gods of the nations verse 18 verse 19 it had come to pass when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart. Now look, this is not something he's doing for a show. He is actually deceiving himself at the depth of his own heart. He shall bless himself in his own heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart to destroy the most moist with the dry, the marginal reading to add drunkenness to thirst, the Lord will not pardon him.

27:53 But then the anger of the Lord in his jealousy will smoke against that man and all the curse that is written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord will blot out his name from under heaven. You see the picture? He hears all of the curses against the covenant breaker and in spite of the fact that he has broken the covenant, has turned unto other gods, has allowed his own heart to bring forth the fruits of a covenant-breaking spirit, he deceives himself and says, I'm one of the people of God, I shall have peace. I belong to the right nation.

28:38 I'm associated with the right people. Those curses don't apply to me. I say it is one of the most crass expressions of the horrible, frightening possibility of self-deception. Turn to the book of James.

29:00 The book of James, where again we have the record of people who actually deceive themselves. James chapter 1, verse 22. But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding, deceiving, conning your own selves. See what James is saying?

29:31 If you continually sit under the word, and you experience something that makes you come back to sit under that word, Maybe you even get the goosebumps when it's preached with clarity and when it is preached in a context where the people of God are rising to the preaching and you sense something of those peculiar dynamics of the presence of God in the midst of the preaching of His Word. You may even find delight in hearing as the stony ground hearer receives the word with joy. But whatever is your motive for hearing it, whatever you experience of what you think is spiritual delight in hearing it, he says, if you are only a hearer and you do not implement what you hear, you delude your own self.

30:22 You delude yourself. If you mistake whatever decisions you must make to get where the word is preached, and whatever feelings you may experience under the preaching of that word, if it doesn't get into your shoe leather, and into your hands, and into your schedule, and into your tongue, and into your ear, and into your eyes, you delude yourself into thinking you're the real thing you delude yourself and James faced the fact that there were some who were self deluded and then in that same chapter verse 26

31:08 if any man thinks or the marginal reading seems to be religious here is a man that has the profession has the assessment of himself and others that he possesses true and saving and vital religion while all the while he bridles not his tongue. There is no conscious effort in the strength of God to reign in the tongue with the reign of truth and of righteousness, the reigns of kindness and of justice. The tongue is allowed to run wild over the fields like a wild colt, untamed and unbroken.

31:56 Any man thinks himself to be religious while he bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his heart.

32:07 He deceives his heart. Now, it's a terrible thing when you've calmed yourself at the deepest level of what you are. Out of the heart are the issues of life. When self-deception possesses the heart, only a miracle of grace can release you before the flames of hell will shock you into reality.

32:40 self-deception possible? James believed it was. He states it very clearly in this text and according to our Lord Jesus in Matthew 7 there will be many found in the day of judgment whose self-deception followed them through life and they even tried to make it the law of the disposition of the judge in the last day or toward the close of what we commonly call the Sermon on the Mount our Lord Jesus having warned of false prophets and then from the warning about false prophets

33:27 moves to general principles when he says in Matthew 7, 16 by their fruits you shall know them do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? He's not speaking now just exclusively of false prophets, but he's taking a general principle that has a specific application and illustration in them. But notice how generally now speaks. Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit, but the corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit.

33:58 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit. Neither can a corrupt tree bring forth, I'm sorry neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire therefore by their fruit you shall know them not everyone that says unto me Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he that is doing the will of my Father who is in heaven many, many many many many Do you hear it? Many, many, many, many Many will say unto me in that day Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

34:47 We not only took your name upon ourselves as professors of true religion We not only took your name upon ourselves as disciples of yours But oh Lord, we so effectively took that name upon us and became proficient in speaking of that name, that we were given places of prominence to speak in your name to others, and by your name cast out demons, and by your name do many mighty works, then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, I never knew you, depart from me, you that work iniquity, And then it's very interesting, he goes right on into the famous parable of the buildings.

35:36 Everyone therefore that hears and does shall be likened. And he speaks of the difference you see between people who take his words and become adept at passing them on to others. Using his name to exorcise demons. and those who take his words as regulative of thought and life and conduct.

36:06 And he says in the day of judgment there are going to be many self-deceived who were awakened at death to their true state and in spite of that seek to carry their delusions that they were able to carry through life and nailed them to the throne of the judge of the universe. And Jesus cuts through it all.

36:37 Now friends, does that do anything to sober you? That when I say we're going to spend six weeks looking at specific passages that delineate the marks of a true child of God, do you draw back and say, No, what a heavy handed over. But you say, God, help me. While I have life and breath to know if indeed I am for real.

37:08 For surely, Lord, you would not give the repeated warnings against deception. Nor would you inform us that some are deceived in life. And seek to carry their deception right on to the day of judgment. Oh God, you wouldn't have said this if it were not possible.

37:27 And if it's possible and it's going to be actual for many, oh Lord, is it I? You see, the true child of God stands to lose absolutely nothing. By honest Bible self he stands to gain much the only one who stands to lose anything is the one who better lose what he got to lose now or he lose it when it too late That's his false hope. That's the self-deceived person.

The Vulnerability of the Cock-Sure to Deception

38:01 That's the person who is deceived about his true state, to come prayerfully and asking the Spirit of God, Oh God, if I am deceived, show me that I may become undeceived, that I may do something about it now, while in the land of the living, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose. By facing the fact that in asking the question, am I for real, you're simply responding in a rational way to the fact that deception, according to the scriptures, is a real and tragic possibility. And you know who is the most vulnerable person? to the tragedy of deception?

38:47 The one who thinks he never could be. Let me illustrate. There's a place down in Georgia called the Center for Disease Control. I believe it's in Atlanta.

39:01 And suppose an announcement were to come out in a few weeks that after many weeks the Center for Disease Control had conclusive evidence that an unusually strange and deadly virus had come into our country from some source yet unknown. And as they've tracked its devastating effects, they have seen that it lies dormant, undetected. There are no symptoms until it becomes active to the point where in three days it destroys brain tissue of all those who've been infected. So from the first external symptoms three days, and your name is in the obituaries, they're convinced that this thing has been carried into every part of the country.

39:55 They're convinced that there are millions possibly infected with this virus. and so they set up emergency stations all over the country in every city, in every town and village out in the heartland of America way out in the boonies, in the farmland and in the inner cities and in the great metropolises and the announcements go out over the radio and television by every means of communication that if everyone will come and have himself submitted to the scrutiny of a simple blood test and several other tests they'll be able to ascertain with almost perfect accuracy who has the virus

40:40 and what to do to deal with the matter.

40:46 Now, who stands the greatest chance to be dead with that virus?

40:55 The person who's so sure he hasn't got it. He doesn't visit and he wanted the examining centers.

41:05 You see the point?

41:08 Who stands the greatest chance of dropping into hell self-deceived? The person who's so cocksure about his state. He doesn't come to the examining center.

41:23 Unwilling to bring his professed Christian experience and stayed to the touchstone of the word of God with all the honesty with which he must bring it in the last day when we face him whose eyes was a flame of fire.

Reason 2: Agents of Deception are Constantly Present and Incessantly Active

41:42 May God grant, you and I will be convinced that deception on this issue is indeed a tragic possibility or God would not repeatedly warn us about it nor would he repeatedly inform us that some are deceived. But then secondly, we must face this question, am I for real? Not only because deception is a real and tragic possibility, but because the agents which promote deception on this most important issue of life are constantly present and incessantly active.

42:31 We must, we must, because the agents which promote deception on the most fundamental issue of life are constantly present and incessantly active. It is only in heaven among the glorified saints and in hell among the damned that the agents which promote deception can no longer exert their influence. But since none of us is in heaven nor in hell, none of us is immune from the influence of these agents. And what are they?

Agent 1: The Arch-Deceiver, the Devil

43:11 They are three. Number one, the arch deceiver, the devil himself. the arch deceiver the devil himself no sooner does the devil appear on the scene of human history but that he appears in his role and activity as a deceiver so that when Paul is describing his influence upon our first mother Eve in 1st Timothy chapter 2 he says Eve was utterly deceived she was utterly deceived deception and the lie have been his tools of seeking to establish

43:57 maintain and increase his kingdom of darkness turn to the book of the revelation for a concentrated description of the fact that he is the deceiver that this is the work which above all else he seeks to engage in. In Revelation chapter 12 and verse 7 we read, And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels going forth to war with the dragon. And the dragon warred and his angels, and they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast down, the old serpent, he that is called devil

44:44 the devil and Satan so there's no question who's being identified the various names by which he is identified in the previous revelatory data of the word of God old and new testament the great dragon was cast down the old serpent Genesis chapter 3 he that is called the devil and Satan the deceiver of the whole world, he was cast down to the earth. The moment he moves from some of his proper names, Satan and devil, and is described in terms of his activity,

45:30 he's called deceiver of the whole earth. Chapter 13 and verse 14. And he deceives them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast who has the stroke of the sword that lived. Deception. Deception.

46:01 The great tool of the powers of darkness. And then in chapter 20 and verse 3, with direct references again to this same personages as was referred to in Revelation 12. Revelation 20 and verse 2, he laid hold on the dragon, the old serpent, who is the devil and Satan. Cast him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him.

46:30 Now notice, to what end this casting, this shutting was done, that he should deceive the nations no more. Verses 7 and 8, and when the thousand years are finished, and don't get distracted with questions, what are the thousand years? You can die and go to heaven being utterly ignorant of what the thousand years are. But if you're deceived about the question, am I for real?

47:00 You'll know experimentally what the lake of fire is. So forget what the thousand years are. Satan shall be loosed out of his prison. Shall come forth to do what?

47:13 When the restraints that are placed upon him for what is called the thousand years are removed. It's as though he's been chomping at the bit to do that work which he most delights to do. And the moment he is given release by the sovereignty of God to do it. He manifests what he's been yearning and longing to do.

47:33 He shall come forth to deceive the nations that are in the four corners of the earth. Verse 10, and the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone. Now, dear people, how many times does God need to tell us? If there's a real devil and there is,

48:01 the fruit of this first deception all of us lives with, we have lived with it from the moment of our conception and will take it with us to our graves and will not finally leave it until the day of resurrection. Well, that real devil is called the deceiver, preeminently the deceiver. let me ask you if you were the devil and you hated God and you hated everyone made in the image of God and you wanted to take as many image bearers of God to hell with you to be twisted distorted tormented image bearers of God for men and women in hell will still be men and women who were the image of God

48:47 though the image was distorted by original sin and though the image was further distorted by actual sin and will be further distorted by the removal of all common grace in hell there will be image bearers of God who suffered the conscious torments of the damned that's why the devil is so determined to take as many to hell with him as possible and if you were the devil and hated God and all his image bearers what would be your most effective way to get them into hell? would it not be to convince them they're on their way to heaven when they aren't and every time they read in their Bibles except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter

49:33 oh I am born again doesn't apply to me except he repent your parents oh I have repented believe on the Lord oh yeah I believe on the Lord Jesus and every time a preacher stands and pleads and urges to leave sin and flee to Christ If the devil's got you deceived, you've already left sin and fled to Christ. He's got you encased in a deception that will take you into hell unless it's cracked open by the Word and the Spirit. You see yourself for what you really are. As I've entered this series of studies, my cry to God is, Oh God, do through the ministry what you said you'd do through Messiah.

50:18 he the scripture says would not break the reed that is bent he will not quench the smoking flax and I would not want to be an instrument to cause disruption in the heart of the most tender flickering wick of genuine Christian light burning in the soul of any child of God I would not place the slightest pressure upon a bent reed that is a reed of God's planting. But my friends, I fear in this place that is not our practical danger. Our practical danger is that we shall sit under another series of sermons turning us to this discipline of self-examination

51:07 in the light of the objective standard of the Word of God. Not man's standard saying you've got to have 25 pounds of conviction this way and 35 ounces of tears mingled with so much bitterness and so much grief. And you've got to have 8 weeks of seeking and 12 weeks. My friend we have no sympathy for imposing such a yoke upon the soul of any man.

51:33 but when we turn to passages that say the people of God are marked by this and this and this and if they are not they are not the people of God what will it take for some of you to lay that stuff to heart?

51:58 Deceiver will be there at your shoulder whispering that's over his feet that's Pastor Martin getting carried away that's rhetorical over it my friend the devil is present when the gospel is preached Jesus said it he that sows the seed is the one Jesus said who preaches the word then cometh the evil one if the devil did not scruple about entering into face to face dialogue with the son of God himself don't think he'll have any scruples about dialoguing with you. And he'll be dialoguing with you in this series of sermons I wouldn't doubt he's been doing with some of you today. And your defenses are already going up saying,

52:46 it's not going to get to me, not going to get to me. By friend in God's name what you're saying is, I want to go to hell so bad. Let the preacher preach his heart out. Let the word of God come and touch me.

53:01 I'm going to proof myself against it. I'm so determined to be damned in my self-delusion.

53:10 God help you. God help you. God have mercy upon you.

53:17 There's a real devil.

53:20 He is the great agent of deception. And he's constantly present. And he's incessantly active. I beg you, don't cooperate with the devil in your own damnation by refusing the exercise of honest, Bible-based, balanced self-examination.

Agent 2: False Teachers

53:46 you can cooperate with the devil in no more effective way to your own damnation than to say I don't need to face the question am I for real what a horrible thing to cooperate with the devil in your own damnation what a horrible thing then there's another agent of deception not just the arch deceiver the devil himself but secondly the class of people called false teachers the bible the class of people called false teachers

54:32 from the time the devil took the role of a false teacher himself contravening and casting doubt upon the clear word of God in Eden, for that's what he did. Yea, hath God said? Do you really understand what God said, Eve? Yes, I know on the surface of things it appears that what God said was, but hath God really said?

55:01 Has he really told you all that you need to know about the issue?

55:07 You see, he himself was the first false teacher. and from that moment on he's never lacked mouthpieces to do his work. And one of the dominant characteristics of false teachers in the Old and the New Testaments is their passionate efforts to entomb men and women in a deceptive confidence that all is well between them and God when all is not well. It is one of the peculiar, passionate efforts of all false teachers.

55:46 Look at two specimen passages on the book of Jeremiah, chapter 6. Jeremiah, chapter 6. Remember now, all I'm trying to do is to persuade you from the Word of God. Why?

56:00 You must ask the question, am I for real? not only because God warns against deception informs that some are deceived but because the agents to promote deception are constantly present and incessantly active added to the devil himself is this class of people called false teachers Jeremiah chapter 6 and this is only a sampling when one reads the prophecy of Jeremiah we find that his biggest problem came from the influence of the false teachers. Every time Jeremiah cried out with the true word of God there were a hundred false prophets to quiet the people down and say He just a morose melancholic narrow narrow dud

56:52 Don't listen to him. And at times their opposition became so intense, they threw him in a slime pit. He suffered greatly. But here you have one of the epitomizing statements of what the false teachers did.

57:08 Verse 13 of Jeremiah 6. From the least of them, unto the greatest of them, everyone is given to covetousness. And the prophet, even unto the priest, everyone deals falsely. And how are they dealing falsely?

57:23 They have healed the hurt of my people slightly. Saying, peace, peace. When there is no peace. That is, there is no just real grounds for peace.

57:40 They are putting a band-aid over an open cancer. They're treating a deadly disease with placebos. They've healed the hurt of my people slightly. Result, were they ashamed?

57:58 Would they have committed abomination? Hey, they were not at all ashamed. Neither could they blush. They lost the ability to blush when involved in the most patent expressions of covenant breaking.

58:14 Why? Because they had the words of false prophets ringing in their ears saying, You're alright. You're part of the covenant nation. You're part of God's favorite people.

58:24 Everything's alright. You're in the right associations, in the right place. You have the right privileges. is all is well so they could commit abominations and not even blush.

58:38 Jeremiah 14, 13 and 14. The influence here of false prophetesses. Female prophets.

58:52 Here we read in Jeremiah 14, 13 and 14. I'm sorry the prophetess has come in the Ezekiel passage my eyes slipped down on my notes in the next line I'm sorry but this is the prophets again O Lord God behold the prophets say unto them you shall not see the sword neither shall you have famine I will give you assured peace in this place see the prophets were telling them look no matter what you're doing no matter how you live you're God's covenant people You have the promises of his protection and his presence. And when Jeremiah comes along and tells you that the Babylonian armies are going to come and you're going to be ravished and conquered, don't believe him. Everything's going to be all right.

59:39 The prophets said unto me, and Jehovah said unto me, the prophets prophesy lies in my name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither did I speak unto them. they prophesy unto you a lying vision and divination, a thing of naught, and the deceit of their own hearts. The prophets being self-deceived, delighted in deceiving others.

60:08 And it was not just the prophets, but then the Ezekiel 13 passage, it was the prophetesses with which the true prophets had to contend as well. for here in Ezekiel chapter 13 verse 17 it's clear son of man set your face against the daughters of your people that prophesy out of their own heart and prophesy thou against them so he's speaking to the prophetesses now look at verse 22 because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous whom I have not made sad and strengthen the hands of the wicked that he should not return from his wicked way and be saved alive.

60:54 See what the ministry of the false prophets was? Discouraging the true people of God, the remnant of the godly, and lulling to sleep the self-deceived. Encouraging them that all is well, though there was not a return from the ways of their wickedness. this is not just something peculiar to the Old Testament when we turn to the New Testament one of the major purposes for which God gives pastors and teachers to His church according to Ephesians 4 in verse 14 one of the major reasons is the recognition that there will always be false teachers that we should be no longer children tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine

61:40 by the slight of men in craftiness after the wiles of error. Look at the language, slight. What is slight of hand? Here it is, there it is, now it's gone.

61:52 You see it, now you know it. You know it hasn't disappeared, but the action of the hand, quicker than that of the eye. There's a mesmerizing effect with error, slight of men, craftiness, wiles of error. my friends the errors that damn don't come riding down the aisle of the church in ugly colors and with a cacotonous sound that make you want to run from the whole thing as ugly they look so attractive and so plausible and false teachers are described as those who with fair speech deceive and beguile the innocent.

62:39 Peter had to warn about it in 2 Peter 2, 1 and 2. As there were false prophets, there shall be false teachers among you, Peter says. And their false teaching will focus upon denying the Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Paul, in his second letter to Timothy, he says that in the end times, there'll be grievous things.

63:03 People will be this, this, and this. But in the midst of it, he says, having a form of godliness, but having denied the power. Man's a passionately religious creature, and he's going to maintain his forms of religion. But then in chapter 4, he says, Timothy, those very people will heap to themselves teachers.

63:21 Having itching ears, they will gladly attend to teachers who make them feel good, but whose message does nothing to change them. And such teachers, dear people, abound in our day. They say one can have all the benefits of the cross of Christ by, quote, simple faith, without reckoning with the demands of the crown of Christ in a radical turning from self and submission to Christ as king. We are told you can be justified by nodding at the cross, and you can choose whether or not you'll be sanctified.

63:57 you can have a moral life but not necessarily need a holy heart and any self-examination is morbid introspection and all a preacher should do is just hold up Christ and let you so fall in love with Christ that that's all you need to live as you ought to live and die as you ought to die anyone who tells you what you ought to do and holds up the mirror of the word of God and calls upon you to examine yourself. He's a legal preacher. He's not a gospel preacher. He's a legal preacher.

64:32 Stay away from him. My friends,

64:36 that's false teaching that will damn your soul if you stake your soul upon it. I didn't read from the Koran when I opened up the six passages that told us, do not be deceived and told us there are people who deceive themselves. I was reading from the Bible we were looking at the Bible not the Quran I wasn't quoting the Puritans and when we looked at the focused work of the devil as that of the deceiver and how he never lacks for mouthpieces to do his work we are dealing with our Bible and those two agents would be enough to make us take seriously the exhortation to ask if indeed were the real thing.

Agent 3: The Deceitful Human Heart

65:27 But you see, add to the devil himself and to false teachers what Rutherford called the house devil, namely the deceitful human heart. You and I are conceived and born with what Rutherford called our house devil, a natively foul, corrupt, and deceitful heart. You know the verse as well as I do, Jeremiah 17, 9. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

65:57 Who can plumb the depths of its unfathomable wickedness and deceitfulness? The next verse God says, I the Lord search the heart. The omniscient God alone can plumb its depths. But he's informed us that it's deceitful above all things.

66:17 And in no area is the heart's deceit more potentially fatal than when the heart can persuade a man he's right with God when he is not. And the surest indication that the heart is under that form of deception is when the heart refuses to come to the light of the scriptures that are appropriate to self-examination. nowhere is the evidence of a deceived heart more powerfully manifested than when it makes a man refuse to come to those passages which most clearly set forth the evidences of what a real work of grace is.

67:04 Turn to John chapter 3. This is as far as we'll get this morning. John chapter 3.

67:13 having spoken of God's gift of His beloved Son,

67:23 and whether the Lord Jesus is speaking these words Himself or John, it's irrelevant. They are the words of God. Verse 19 of John 3, This is the judgment that the light has come into the world, and men love the darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be reproved or convicted.

67:54 But he that is doing the truth continually comes to the light, that his works may be manifest, that they have been wrought in God. You see the mark of a true child of God is That he is prepared to bring his heart and life to any portion of the word of God Any ray of light that breaks from the word of God he welcomes Because he wants to know that what he is and what he is doing is well pleasing to God the deceived person has come in contact with just those scriptures that give him enough comfort to believe he's alright and he doesn't want to have any more shed light upon him

68:40 lest it disturb his peace just enough gospel text just enough gospel promises just enough gospel light to make him feel safe but he won't bring his heart to those that will really search him out because he's got a subtle sneaking suspicion. If the light shines, it may find that which is rotten. And his deceitful heart draws back and says, I don't need that exercise. I've gone through that before.

69:15 That's for someone else. I'm not grossly immoral. I attend church regularly. I'm a member in good standing.

69:23 And I say, my friend, listen, Unless you're ready to plead those things in the presence of God in the day of judgment and think they'll wash with God then, don't plead them now.

69:37 Plead nothing now. It won't wash them. you've got a deceitful heart and even if you're a child of God there are the remnants of that inveterate deception that are yet within us and for some of you who think you may have a new heart according to the tenor of the new covenant the mark is he that does the truth continually comes to the light you will take the time not only to prayerfully prepare for but prayerfully meditate upon subsequent to the preaching of the word the passages that we will examine where God describes the character traits

70:25 of those who are for real.

Conclusion: A Plea for Honest Self-Examination

70:31 Why should we engage in such a discipline? Because, because First of all, deception on this most important issue is a real and tragic possibility. Secondly, because the agents which promote deception are constantly present and continually active. And then I'll just preach the last half next week.

70:59 And again, dear people, I've come to the place in my life where I don't care what anyone sitting there judging the neatness of my homiletics may think. I'm on my way to judgment. And I've got a bigger concern than getting through my four pages of well-written, outlined notes. I want to deliver my soul so that when I stand before God, my hands are not red with the blood of people who went to hell deceived.

71:27 because you sat in Trinity Church and basked in a reputation of orthodoxy and youthfulness and some degree of prominence but your heart was a stranger to the grace of God.

71:47 Are you ready to ask yourself am I for real?

71:53 Are you? answering your own heart how are you not outwardly inwardly am I prepared oh God search me and know me try me help me to know what you know and what the whole universe will know in the day of judgment nothing else matters we have sitting here this morning the wife of an office bearer who sat in this church for almost two decades and was as unconverted as the pew on which she sits until just a couple of years ago.

72:34 Self-deceived. She didn't cuss. She didn't chase around with other men. She believed everything in our confession.

72:45 Sang our hymns. Was here Sunday school, Sunday morning, Sunday night prayer meeting. She had no heart delight in Christ. Did not know what true communion with Christ was.

72:58 Everything her lips framed in hymns and in prayers was empty and formal. And now it's real by the Holy Ghost.

73:08 I got a sneaking suspicion she's not the only one. Dear people, I don't preach these things to hurt a soul.

73:18 I want to take more people to heaven. with me. And in the process, I want to make sure afresh that I'm on my way there. Because if I am, it's not for any sermons I've preached. It's not for any others who may be getting to heaven by those sermons.

73:36 I go to heaven, it'll be because I'm a justified, sanctified man by the grace and power of Christ. And for no other reason.

73:48 And it's the same with you. Let's pray.

73:59 Our Father, we thank you for your word that faithfully addresses our souls. in a day of flippancy and lightness in a day when there is so much cheap and even tawdry trafficking in gospel language and in the profession of the faith of the gospel we pray that your spirit will take the things we've considered this morning and drive them home to our hearts with irresistible power O God we plead with you that this season of biblical self-examination will indeed result in not a few seeing their true state,

74:48 fleeing from the bed of comfortable delusion, running to Christ. We pray that your true people will be strengthened in the confidence that they are truly yours. they may come up the other side of these meditations convinced with renewed biblical conviction that indeed you have begun a good work in them and having begun it you are committed to perfect it until the day of Christ O Lord seal the word to our hearts may none here cooperate with the devil in their own damnation but may each one be dead in earnest

75:35 to seek you while you may be found and to call upon you while you are near hear then our cry and seal your word to our hearts we ask in Jesus name Amen