Deceivers

Deceivers

2 Timothy 3:13 - 'But evil people and impostors will flourish. They will go on
deceiving others, and they themselves will be deceived.' New Literal
Translation

In the beginning, the enemy deceived Eve into believing that she should eat of the tree of good and evil. He took God's words and manipulated them to cause her to eat. Well, many of us practice this same kind of deception so often, that we consider it a "doing what we have to do" to get ahead or make it in this life. Whenever you use deceit to get what you want, you are practicing witchcraft! What is witchcraft? Webster defines it as: A magical or irresistible influence, attraction, or charm. We must be careful that we don't deceive people to get things for ourselves. God was very straightforward in dealing with witchcraft in the word. He would not even allow someone that practiced it to live in the Old Testament. The reason being that witchcraft takes his place! it causes us to use our own ways, tricks, and manipulative skills to get what we want instead of relying on God to give to us.

Deceiving also causes us to have the image of the devil rather than the image of the creator. The devil is totally powerless without deception. He cannot do anything to us unless he first deceives and this is how he manipulates situations around us.

Christians are to be upright and do things based on a Godly standard so that we reflect our father God in our actions. But when we lie and deceive people, we are behaving like the enemy and his image gets the glory. So, stop telling those lies to get what you want or need.

When you do that, you get the glory for whatever it is you were trying to get and God does not take part in it. Stop deceiving people and making them think you are okay when you are not. Don't you know if no one knows there is something wrong, then no one can help?

And then you feel alone and unwanted because it seems people don't care, when it's really because you have deceived them into believing all is well. Be on the up and up and walk uprightly before God. If you have a Godly image, then walk like it and behave like it and never deceive to get what you want or need. God will supply all that you need if your ways please him. And then he can get the glory for what you have and who you are in him. So, whether in our personal relationships, in the church, in your home, or in the workplace, God wants us to keep our words and actions straightforward and on the up and up, as a reflection of him.

Suggested Reading: Col. 3:9, 1John 1:6, 1Tim. 4:2, James 5:12, Gal. 2:14