Beech Tree News Network

    God warned man many times in the Bible not to be deceived by certain things. For instance, He warned the Israelites not to let their heart be deceived by serving false gods (Deut. 11:16). Jesus told people in His day, “take heed that ye be not deceived” (Lk. 21:8). Let us consider some other occasions when men were told not to be deceived.

    The Apostle Paul told the Corinthians: “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (I Cor. 6:9-10). In the same book, he also said, “Do not be deceived: Bad company ruins good morals” (I Cor. 15:33). To the Galatians, Paul wrote, “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Gal. 6:7).

    Today, instead of saying, “Do not be deceived,” we might say, “Don’t fool yourself!” This is what God was saying. By inspiration, God warned men not to be deceived or fooled by certain things in this life. Men who have been deceived by others, or have deceived themselves in some way are endangering their souls!

    Let us not fool ourselves, there are certain things that are true regardless of time and circumstances. One thing is sin and its consequences! Regardless of how long one lives, there is still a very real possibility of dying in one’s sins (Jn. 8:24). We never get to the stage where we “outgrow” the need for instruction concerning temptation, sin, and its spiritual consequences. Paul said, “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23), and this is as true today as it ever was!

    Don’t fool yourself, you will reap what you sow! Paul taught this in Galatians 6:7, and it is still true! We cannot “sow our wild oats” in our youth and expect to reap an adulthood that is free from regret and worry! God said of His own people, “they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). In order to have an adulthood in which one’s spiritual life is in order, and in which one does not live with the regrets and sorrows of the ungodly, we must “sow” the proper seed now! “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth …” (Ecc. 12:1).

    Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your friends do not have an influence on you. Influence can be a dangerous thing at times (I Cor. 15:33)! This is true for the young and old. “Peer pressure” does not end at twenty-one. Therefore, let us be careful as to who our friends are. In some cases, it can mean the difference between Heaven and Hell!

    Don’t fool yourself, sin will not be tolerated by God (Col. 3:25; Ezek. 18:20)! Further, do not be fooled about the seriousness of sin. It brings death (Rom. 6:23; Jas. 1:15)! Therefore, let us be wise and attentive to the will of God while we have the time and opportunity (Eph. 3:4, 5:17; II Cor. 6:2.)

-- You are invited to visit with the Caneyville church of Christ. Times of services: Sun.: 10:00 am, 10:45 am, 5:00 pm; Wed.: 7:00 pm. Website: http://caneyvillechurchofchrist.com Tune in to our radio program 101.5 FM at 5:30 am, Mon-Fri. Questions? Call: (270) 589-4167