“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed him, ‘If you abide in my Word, you are my disciples indeed; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'” John 8:31-32 The converse is also true: if one does not abide in him, he will NOT know the truth. So HOW does one come to know the truth? There is only one way: God did not put us here on earth and say, “Bye now, I hope you make it.” No. He provided his Word for us, his record, his explanation of who he is, who we are, where we’re going and how we’re to get there. The only way to be protected from deception is to feed daily in the Word of God, the Bible. The Word of God is the source of truth. "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life." John 14:6 Most Christians who read God’s Word daily will tell you that the Lord never stops revealing more and more truth continually. You can read the Bible for 40 years and you’ll still come across revelation that you had never “seen” before, because God continually reveals truths to you as you continue in his Word. It is forever new. It is forever fresh. The opposite is also true. Persons, including Christians, who do not continuously feed in the Word of God will NOT know the truth, because it is only in the Word that truth is revealed. These are those who will fall for false doctrines that SOUND GOOD. In this generation, there are many preaching false doctrines and even Christians are falling for them because those false teachers are preaching what people with "itching ears" want to hear – how they can be healthy, wealthy and happy. Those preaching these things deceive many because they will insert Scripture references, which of course makes them SOUND legitimate. The multitudes fall for it. They will never preach on sin, repentance, hell, or the Cross which we must pick up daily. Their followers only want to hear what is “uplifting.” They are great deceivers, con-men, wolves in sheep's clothing. We were specifically warned about this: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; AND THEY WILL TURN THEIR EARS AWAY FROM THE TRUTH, and be turned aside to fables.” 2nd Timothy 4:3-4 But a word to remember about the Bible: many people have read the Bible and gotten nothing out of it. Think of the Bible being used as a source in a literature class. Think of anyone reading the Bible for history. Notice that most of these get nothing out of it because they’re reading it without caring about the supernatural power of God to speak to a human heart through his Word. Christian, when you pick up the Bible, always pray, always ask the Holy Spirit to REVEAL his Word to you, for understanding of spiritual things comes only by REVELATION. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32
"An oracle within my heart
concerning the transgression of the wicked..."
Psalm 36:1
How does one define wickedness? Are there degrees of wickedness? What comes to mind might be murder, rape, theft - and indeed those are works of wickedness. But those are the symptoms, not the malignancy.
The Word of God defines wickedness this way:
vs 1:
"There is no fear of God before his eyes…"
This is the root and very essence of wickedness in the man who has no fear of God. He is his own lord. He governs his life according to his own will. He insists: "I'll do it MY way."
vs 2:
"he flatters himself in his own eyes,
when he finds out his iniquity…"
He's proud of himself and justifies his iniquity.
vs 3:
"The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit…"
Without realizing it, because he does not think of spiritual things, he follows his father the devil whom Jesus said is a liar, and the father of it. (John 8:44)
vs 4:
"He devises wickedness on his bed ...he does not abhor evil."
He conjures up in his mind the plots and plans through which he will achieve his goals, without regard to whom he hurts in the process.
Refusing the Word of God, the Bible, is wickedness, and it will take one to hell. One cannot serve self and Satan and then think they will go with Jesus when they die.
The righteous are of a totally different kind. The healthy fear of the Lord is embedded in their hearts. They love above all else the Word of God. They are not wise in their own eyes. They are happy to surrender their lives to the God who created them and to live out his plan for them, understanding that it’s vitally important to walk out God’s plan in their lives and so - they willingly submit all their ways to him. They do not flatter themselves in their hearts, because the Spirit of God has shown them the depravity of the human heart (Jeremiah 17:9) and they are always aware of it. They hate evil and cling to good. The words of their mouth are truth. There is no hatred in them, it has been replaced with love, and this can only be the case in those who have been born-again because it is natural to man to hate when offended. The only remedy is receiving the Spirit of God when one is born again.
These will go with Jesus when they die, for he has been the love of their lives.
If you flatter yourself that you are "good," you're deceived, because the Word of God says you are not:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked..."
Jeremiah 17:9
and:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;"
Romans 3:10
The righteous are not righteous in themselves, they are the wicked who have turned to the Lord for salvation and they have his imputed righteousness in them. They have realized their sinfulness and have confessed that to him, and have been willing to surrender themselves and their entire lives to him. The Lord has received them and granted that they be born again. That experience has changed them. Bit by bit the old nature dies and is replaced with goodness. It is a lifelong process beginning as all births do, in infancy, in being born again as an infant, and progressing ever so slowly as growth does in a growing child, leading to maturity in righteousness. These are they who lay on their beds and think on how they can serve him. These are they who love.
Of which kind are you? If you're honest with yourself you'll be very careful how you answer this.
“Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
‘You will not require an account.'”
Psalm 10:13
When you think about it, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Everyone has been to a funeral. Everyone is reminded that his day will come also. So it follows, wouldn't one start thinking about his own destiny when he sees death? How can it be that confronted with death, a person comes away with nary a thought of his own fate? Why does he not seek answers in the Word of God, the very one who brought him into the world?
Well, there are several reasons. Jesus spoke of the condition of the heart, and presented four scenarios played out when people hear the Word of God.
The first scenario:
"When anyone hears the Word of the kingdom,
and does not understand it,
then the wicked one comes and snatches away
what was sown in his heart."
Matthew 13:19
Some think the Bible is too hard to understand, so they ignore it. They have a wall built up and whenever they hear the Word they pay no attention, so Satan easily snatches that Word, leading them to think on something else. So having heard it, it was of no avail to them.
The second scenario:
vs 20-21:
"...he who hears the Word and immediately receives it with joy,
yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while.
For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the Word,
immediately he stumbles."
Some have enough reverence for God that they gladly hear his Word - UNTIL - they are overtaken by some kind of trouble; then they can't stand because they only heard it superficially, and that's not enough to support them when troubles come.
The third scenario:
vs 22:
"he who hears the Word and the cares of this world
and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word,
and he becomes unfruitful."
People are too busy. Their minds and hearts are busy looking after the cares in their world, consumed with how to increase in wealth and acquire yet more. When they hear the Word they only give it a nod, because their hearts are focused on their daily concerns and that's where all their interest lies.
But the fourth scenario:
vs 23:
"he who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit and produces;
some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Matthew 13:19
This is the person who sets his heart FIRST on the Word of God. His heart is filled with the desire to know God, and to follow his Word no matter what trials or difficulties may come. He knows they surely WILL come, but he has a depth of faith in him that points his heart to the Word of God in all and every situation he encounters in life.
The wicked are not so. The evil man cares only about one thing: himself. His heart is totally given over to how he can promote himself, achieve his desires, and gain honor in the eyes of man. He knows deep inside that there is a cost to following the Lord and he has absolutely no interest in paying any such cost. He pays attention to the troubles of this world and is determined to avoid them and overcome them himself. He feels that as long as he is in control, he can succeed in whatsoever is in his heart to accomplish. He doesn't need God. And he wants to hear nothing about him.
Oh that a man would realize that our time on this earth is so short. On a yardstick, 1/16th of an inch is lived here, and the rest of it is in eternity. Seeing death should drive that understanding into him, but he simply refuses to let it do so. He insists on his way, period. Many of them do achieve their goals - and enjoy them - for the 1/16th inch of their lives.
Oh that all men would realize that you can't live for yourself and for the devil, and then expect to go with Jesus when you die.