Are You Deceived (Part 2)?

Yesterday we looked at the passage in 1 Corinthians and learned that I can deceive myself in my thinking. Today we see that I can deceive myself in what comes out of my mouth.


If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:8-10 ESV)


If we say we have no sin. If we say we have not sinned.
~we deceive ourselves, we make him (God) a liar.


Why am I deceived if I say that I have no sin? Because if I say that I have no sin, and I actually do have sin, then I am deceiving myself. How do I make God a liar? Because God has said that you have sinned. Let me show you...


for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23 ESV)


Did you know this was in the Bible? Lets say it this way...
1. All people have sinned
2. I am a person
3. Therefore I have sinned

So if you say, "I have not sinned." You have just made God a liar because he says that you have sinned. And one of you has to be lying. I have put the above three statements into a syllogism. If I can prove one of the first two statements false, then I make the whole argument fall on its head.

Let me give you two examples. We are at your house standing next to your very cute new puppy and you make this statement, "All dogs are four-legged." And I say, "my sisters old dog Thunder only had three legs." Therefore, not all dogs are four-legged. I have just made you into a liar.

Now lets say you are I are by a well of water. I carry a very heavy lead bucket to the well and drop it down to get some water. I say to you, "watch this jug as it goes into the water, it fills all at once." And you say to me "hey that can't be, Buddha says 'A jug fills drop by drop." Then I say, "well that may be true out in the rain, but it sure is not true in this situation." I have just made Buddha out to be a liar, even though I did not know that "truth" statement was ever made by him until you just told me.

You and I deceive ourselves when we say things as true, that actually contradict something in the Scriptures. This process of deceiving myself less and less I believe we can call sanctification. Sanctification is God making me more and more like Jesus in this life. I become more and more like Jesus, the more my thinking and my words become conformed to the Scriptures.