Psalm 23:1-4 - 1 The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. 2 He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He renews my life; He leads me along the right paths for His name’s sake. 4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me.
How Self-Deception Baits Us: (Galatians 5:19-21) >> Sexual immorality, impurity, selfish ambition, gossip, slander, envy & unhealthy escapism.
Romans 6:16 - Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey —either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?
SIN TRAPS YOU THROUGH SELF-DECEPTION, AND THEN IT MAKES YOU A PRISONER TO IT.
Romans 6:21 - So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? For the end of those things is death.
SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE & IDENTITY CONFUSION ARE FRUITS OF BELIEVING THE LIES OF SIN & SELF-DECEPTION.
1 Kings 4:29-31 - 29 God gave Solomon wisdom, very great insight, and understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore. 30 Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the people of the East, greater than all the wisdom of Egypt. 31 He was wiser than anyone…
1 Kings 10:23-25 - 23 King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the world in riches and in wisdom. 24 The whole world wanted an audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom that God had put in his heart. 25 Every man would bring his annual tribute: items of silver and gold, clothing, weapons, spices, and horses and mules.
1 Kings 11:1,4,9-10 – 1 King Solomon loved many foreign women...
4 When Solomon was old, his wives seduced him to follow other gods. He was not completely devoted to Yahweh his God, as his father David had been.
9 The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 He had commanded him about this, so that he would not follow other gods, but Solomon did not do what the Lord had commanded.
Proverbs 3:5-8 - 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; 6 think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths. 7 Don’t consider yourself to be wise; fear the Lord and turn away from evil. 8 This will be healing for your body and strengthening for your bones.
SIN USES COMPROMISE AS A GREAT TOOL OF DECEPTION.
SPIRITUAL COMPROMISE: TO WEAKEN, DILUTE, OR SURRENDER OUR COMMITMENT TO GOD'S WORD AND WILL IN ORDER TO AVOID CONFLICT OR FIT IN WITH THE WORLD, OR SATISFY OUR SINFUL DESIRES.
COMPROMISING GOD'S TRUTH BECOMES A PATH TO BELIEVING SIN IS OUR IDENTITY.
YOU CANNOT FIND REST & PEACE WHILE ACTIVELY DISTANCING YOURSELF FROM THE SHEPHERD.
SIN MAY HAVE TRAPPED YOU BUT IT CANNOT KEEP YOU ENSLAVED, BECAUSE JESUS PAID THE PRICE AND HE HOLDS THE KEYS.
Romans 6:6-7,10-11 - 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims. 10 For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
REPENTANCE FREES US FROM LIVING IN THE FALSE IDENTITY OF SIN, AND ALLOWS US TO LIVE OUR IDENTITY IN JESUS.
Romans 6:12-13 - 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.
TO DEFEND AGAINST THE BAIT & TRAP OF SIN & SELF-DECEPTION, WE MUST DAILY DENY SELF, DEFY SIN, AND DESIRE CHRIST.
