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MATTHEW 7:21 -23

"SELF -DECEPTION"

Intro: Christ to Nicodemus, "We know that thou art a teacher come from God." "Many" in 
       churches and world today. 

I. CHRIST TALKING TO THOSE WHO WERE ORTHODOX.
        A. Said right things, "Lord, Lord."
        B. Doing works in His name.
        C. They have assumed they were safe.
                1. They come to Christ with their profession.
                2. He professes to them.
        D. He said that He does not judge as man judges.
                1. Ye are they that do justify yourselves with man.
                2. We judge after outward appearances.
                3. We judge after a carnal manner.
                        a. Nice looking, good personality, powerful speaker.
        E. Unconscious hypocrisy a great danger.
                1. Conscious is to persuade others wrongly.
                2. Unconscious is to persuade yourself wrongly.

II. IF HYPOCRISY UNCONSCIOUS WHAT CAN BE DONE?
        A. Find conditions that foster self-deception.
                1. False doctrine of assurance.
                        a. Because you say or believe certain things.
                        b. You have repeated certain phrases.
                        c. Fideism, you trust your faith instead of Christ.
                2. Paul said, "Be not deceived neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor
                   adulterers shall enter."
                        a. They may be saying tight things.
                3. Attitudes toward self-examination.
                        a. Anti-nomianism - it does not matter what you do as long as you
                           believe.
                        b. I John, "He that saith He is in the light. He that saith He abideth
                           in Him.
                4. Living in activities.
                        a. Over-busyness high road of self-deception.
                5. Tendency to balance our lives.
                        a. Spirit condemns us of some wrong activity.
                                1. Saul.
                                2. End justifies the means.
                6. Failure to heed plain teaching of the scripture.
                        a. Lord drawing me away from church.

III. WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS OUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST.
        A. He is the judge.
                1. "I never knew you."
        B. Taking name of Lord in vain.