Book: Matthew
Print this documentPrint ( PC Only )
MATTHEW 7: 21 - 23

"SELF DECEPTION"

I. CHRIST TALKING TO THOSE WHO WERE ORTHODOX.
        A. Said right things.
        B. Doing in His name.
        C. "Many will come."
                1. Ten Virgins.
                2. Matt. 25,  final judgment.
        D. These people will be amazed and astonished in that day.
                1. Assumed they were safe, why? 
                        a. Saying Lord, Lord.
                2. The two professions.
        E. He tells us He does not judge as we judge.
                1. "Ye are they that justify yourselves."
                2. We judge after a carnal sort.
                3. Good looking, powerful speaker, personality.
        F. We need not to fear conscious hypocrisy as much as unconscious hypocrisy.
                1. Persuade others wrongly about yourself.
                2. Persuade yourself wrongly about yourself.

II. WHAT CAN BE DONE IF HYPOCRISY UNCONSCIOUS?
        A. Find conditions that foster self deception.
                1. False doctrine of assurance.
                        a. Just because you say certain things or say you believe certain
                           things.
                        b. Saying Lord, Lord.
                        c. "Fideism" you trust your own faith.
                2. Paul said:
                        a. "Be not deceived" neither fornicating nor idolaters, nor 
                           adulterers" shall inherit the kingdom though they say the right
                           thing.
                3. Refusal to examine ourselves.
                        a. Anti-nomianism, it doesn't matter what you do as long as you
                           believe.
                        b. 1 John.
                4. Might be doing right things with wrong motives.
                        a. Why am l doing it?
                5. Living on activities.
                        a. Baking beans into heaven.
                        b. Man retires from business.
                        c. Over busy high road of self deception.
                6. Tendency to balance our lives (justify ourselves).
                        a. Conscious condemns us the way we are living.
                        b. We show some good work.
                                1. Saul.
                                2. End justifies means. (Bingo)
                7. Failure to heed plain teaching of scripture.
                        a. We employ human test instead of scriptural.
                                1. Times have changed since that was written.
                                2. We argue with scripture.
                        b. We are to preach in sobriety and gravity in fear and trembling.
                                1. Evangelist (look at results).
                8. The thing that really matters is our relationship to Christ.
                        a. He is the judge.
                        b. "I never knew you."

Ill. WHAT GOD WANTS IS OUR HEART.
        A. Submission.