A New Devotion - Participatory Self-Deception

Here's a new devotion that I wrote. You can find a recording of this devotion at the bottom of the page.

1 John 2:18-29

Children, it is the last hour! As you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. From this we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they did not belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us. But by going out they made it plain that none of them belongs to us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and all of you have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and you know that no lie comes from the truth. Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father; everyone who confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you will abide in the Son and in the Father. And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.

I write these things to you concerning those who would deceive you. As for you, the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and so you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, abide in him.

And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he is revealed we may have confidence and not be put to shame before him at his coming. If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.

Participatory Self-Deception

It seems to me that a lot of Christian have and are participating in their own self-deception, and they're doing it with an enthusiasm that I find both disconcerting and sad. You see, they've willingly turned from Jesus Christ to follow values that are antithetical to lessons taught by the Lord. In other words, they've put their faith in a golden idol rather than in God. Of course, I understand that their motivates are varied. For example, I think some believe it's reasonable to exchange righteousness for political power while others have confused Godly principles for secular prejudices. Still others have been misled by men and women who have cloaked arrogant vitriol in psuedo-spiritual verbiage.  But regardless of the reason, many sincere and dedicated believers have fallen in the trap described by John by allowing the antichrists to deceive them.

And for that reason, I think it's crucial for us to make the decision to abide in Jesus. And in my opinion, we can best do that by grounding ourselves in scripture and in his words. And when we do this, I believe we'll find ourselves spiritually strengthened so we can resist that sweet message of self-deception.