Could You Be Deceived -- 10/8/06 (Eternal Realities)

Sunday, October 8, 2006

COULD YOU BE DECEIVED?
Matt. 7:13-27

I stand here today. I’m not troubled in my heart about your self-esteem. I’m not troubled in my heart about whether or not you feel good about yourself, whether or not life is turning out like you want it to turn out, or whether or not your check book is balanced. There’s only one thing that gave me a sleepless night. There’s only one thing that troubled me all throughout the morning, and that is this – within a hundred years the great majority of people in this building will possibly be in hell. And many who even profess Jesus Christ as Lord will spend an eternity in hell. You say, "Pastor, how can you say such a thing?" I can say such a thing because I don’t do my X-n work in America. I spend most of my time preaching in South America, in Africa, and Eastern Europe. And I want you to know that when you take a look at American Christianity, it is based more upon a godless culture than it is upon the Word of God. And so many people are deceived, and so many youth are deceived, and so many adults are deceived into believing that because they prayed a prayer one time in their life, they’re going to heaven. And then when they look around at others who profess to know Christ and see those people also just as worldly as the world, and they compare themselves by themselves, nothing troubles their heart. They think, "Well, I’m the same as most in my youth group. I watch things I shouldn’t watch on television and laugh about the very things that God hates. I wear clothing that is sensual. I talk like the world. I walk like the world. I love the music of the world. I love so much that’s in the world; but bless God, I am a Christian. Why am I a Christian? I don’t look any different than most of the other people in my church. Why am I a Christian? Because there was a time in my life when I prayed and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart." I want you to know that the greatest heresy in the American evangelical and Protestant church is that if you pray and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, He will definitely come in. You will not find that in any place in scripture. You will not find that anywhere in Baptist history until about 50 years ago. What you need to know is that salvation is by faith and faith alone in Jesus Christ. And faith alone in Jesus Christ is preceded and followed by repentance, a turning away from sin, a hatred for the things that God hates and a love for the things that God loves, a growing in holiness and a desire not to be like Brittany Spears, not to be like the world, and not to be like the great majority of American Christians, but to be like Jesus Christ… I don’t know why you’re clapping. I’m talking about you. I didn’t come here to get "Amens." I didn’t come here to be applauded. I’m talking about you.

The preacher was Paul Washer. The occasion was a large Christian youth conference in the year 2000. We would all have to agree that those are very strong words. So why did I play that little segment for you this morning? Because that is exactly what I have come to believe over the past several years. Of course, whether or not I believe it makes no difference. The question is this – is it the truth? Are these words from the heart of God, that God who is a consuming fire? I tell you, "Yes, this is the truth." I played you that segment because I didn’t feel like I could say it so concisely and powerfully as Paul Washer said it.

Make no mistake about it, that fits in perfectly with where we have been in our study of God’s Word. If it is true that God is so holy, so set apart, that He can not have anything unholy in His presence; if it is true that man is sinful to the core, that even his best deeds are like filthy rags; if it is true that because of his sin man is separated from God and under God’s wrath; if it is true that if something isn’t done about the sin that separates a man from God, that man will be separated from God in hell for all eternity… If all of this is true, then what can be done? We know another great truth, don’t we? "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." Though we don’t understand it, we read in Is. 53:10, "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him…" "And God hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (II Cor. 5:21). Praise God for what He has done in Jesus Christ. God sent His own Son to be the propitiation for our sin. That is, the wrath of God was poured out upon Jesus, so that we might not have to endure that wrath. The only righteous man who ever lived took the place of rotten, filthy sinners like me. And there on that cross, He cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me." That’s why Jesus dreaded the cross. That’s why He said, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me…" (Mt. 26:39). As bad as the physical abuse of the cross could be, that wasn’t what moved Jesus to pray that prayer. Rather, it was the thought that He would be cut off from His Father, with whom He had enjoyed perfect fellowship forever and ever. That’s what Jesus did for us.

But who will be the recipient of that gracious act? Who is it that will become the righteousness of God? We read it in Revelation – the one whose name is written in the book of life. And what book of life is that? The Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (Jn. 14:6). And how does a person get his name in that book? Through knowing the Son and the Father. And how can we know the Son and the Father? How can vile sinners like us have any fellowship with the holy God? It is only through the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is only when what Christ did for us becomes ours on a personal level. And that happens only as we exercise repentance and faith. It is only when I change my mind about my ability to handle life on my own and give myself to God on the basis of Jesus’ death that I can become a child of God. And even when I have done that, I must acknowledge that it was God who initiated the relationship. As Jesus said, "No one can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him…" (Jn. 6:44).

And that brings us back to the big question: How do you know that you have truly become a child of God? How do you know that your name is in the book of life? You say that you have repented and believed? How do you know it was genuine? Could you be deceived? Could you be one of those who will say "Lord, Lord" in the last day but will then hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me"? Perhaps that is the best title for our study this morning – Could You Be Deceived?

Suppose a person comes to a pastor or other Christian leader and says, "I’m not sure that I’m saved. I think I am, but I’m not sure." What do you think would be the number one response of evangelical Christian leaders in this nation? Here it is: "Was there a time in your life when you asked Jesus to come into your life?" You say, "And what’s wrong with that?" Here’s what’s wrong with it – it doesn’t take into account the deception factor. What if the person responds and says, "Yes, when I was 12 years old I accepted Jesus as my Savior"? It seems in modern American Christianity, that is the end of discussion. The pastor then says something like this: "If you accepted Jesus, then you are His child. Don’t let the devil make you doubt your salvation. When he tries to make you doubt, you remind him of Jesus’ promise, ‘…Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out’ (Jn. 6:37). You came to Him, and now you have His promise that He will never cast you out. You can rest on His promise."

Now the deeper question: Will the Word of God support this kind of thinking? Where do we find in the Scripture that we are to accept Christ as our Savior? That is the most common terminology which most of us have heard, but where do we find it in God’s precious Word? Let me give you again the strong assertion of Paul Washer: "I want you to know that the greatest heresy in the American evangelical and Protestant church is that if you pray and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart, He will definitely come in. You will not find that in any place in scripture." Why does he label this the greatest heresy in the American evangelical church? Because unless there is some kind of spiritual awakening, that heretical belief will send millions of American church people to hell.

So what saith the Word of God? Let’s come back to Matthew 7, where we were three weeks ago. Let’s read verses 13-27. You will remember that most of this was our passage for memory and meditation during the month of October. So now let’s come to familiar territory, as we read Matt. 7:13-27…
Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. 24. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

We are going to look at this passage in four sections. I want to tell you ahead of time what we are going to find. We are going to find that the evidence of salvation is not found in reference to a prayer which a person prayed at some point in his life. Rather, the evidence of salvation is found in the life he lives.

I. Strait Is the Gate and Narrow Is the Way (13-14)

Let’s begin with verses 13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Because we spent some time looking at these two verses just three weeks ago, we won’t go over the details again.

What I want you to catch hold of in these verses is the great truth that Jesus speaks not only of the gate, but He also talks about the way, the road, the path. While we can go through a gate rather quickly, we then walk on the path until we reach our destination. Let’s suppose that you live in a houseboat out at the end of a long, narrow pier. There is a narrow gate right at the water’s edge which gives entrance to the pier. In order to reach the boat, which is more important – to enter through the narrow gate? or to walk on the narrow pier? They are equally important. If you don’t enter through the gate, you won’t even reach the pier. But if you don’t walk safely on that narrow pier, you will not reach your destination.

In the same way, Jesus urges us to enter in at the strait/narrow gate and to walk on the narrow way/path. The narrow way is associated with the strait (narrow) gate. What is it that leads to life? It is the strait gate and the narrow way.

Let me repeat what I said before: The evidence of entering through the narrow gate is a continual walking on the narrow path. Let me say that again: It is our walking on the narrow path that proves we have entered through the narrow gate.

Listen again to Jer. 6:13-14, "For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. 14. They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace." The false prophets were telling the people they could walk on the broad way with no consequences.

Or consider the Word of the Lord through Ezekiel in chapter 13. The Lord pronounces judgment against the false prophets, and then in verses 22-23 He gives the reason for that judgment… Ezek. 13:22-23
Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life: 23. Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

The Lord says that these false prophets strengthened the hand of the wicked by refusing to tell them they should forsake their wickedness. Instead, they promised life to the wicked.

That is exactly what is happening in our day. People are being promised life if they can simply believe they have entered through the narrow gate, regardless of whether or not they walk on the narrow path. They might as well be told: "If you are walking on the broad way, don’t let it bother you too much. The only thing that matters is that you have entered through the narrow gate." Do you see it? Such teaching strengthens the wicked in their own wickedness. Where is the man who will stand up and say: "If you are walking on the broad way, the way of the world, know that the broad way leads to destruction"? And when he protests and says, "But I asked Christ into my heart when I was 12," where is the man that will say, "No man who has truly entered the narrow gate can continue to walk on the broad road"?

Now let’s move on the next section of the passage. Not only have we found that the gate is strait and the way is narrow, but now we find that…

II. Every Good Tree Bears Good Fruit (15-20)

Let’s read again Matt. 7:15-20…
Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

We have also spent some time with this passage in recent days. When we talked about it three weeks ago, we focused on the false prophet, whose life and teaching contains little of the narrow way. While the false prophet may appear to be right on, his deceptive message is often detected by what he does not say. He says little or nothing about the holiness of God, about our God being a consuming fire, about judgment and hell. If asked, he would affirm that he believes those things, but he preaches the love of God to the exclusion of the wrath of God.

And how will we be able to identify false prophets? Jesus tells us twice in this passage that we will know them by their fruits. Just as a tree may not be easily identified immediately, so the false prophet will not be easily identified at first. But what happens when you give that tree some time? It will bear fruit, and the fruit is easily identified. You can tell what kind of tree it is by the fruit that it bears. If it bears only thorns, you know it isn’t a grape vine, and vice versa.

Now this morning I would like us to give this fruit principle a wider application. There is no question that Jesus exhorts us to use this test to identify false prophets. However, in the overall context of chapter 7, this same test is applicable to all who profess the name of Christ. In our day there is much question about who is and who is not a true Christian. None of us can see into the depths of a person’s heart. What we can see is the fruit of one’s life. Not only is it true of prophets, but it is also true of people in general – Ye shall know them by their fruits.

Jesus said, "Every good tree bears good fruit, but a corrupt tree bears evil fruit." As a matter of fact, Jesus goes on to say that it is absolutely impossible for a good tree to bear bad fruit or for a bad tree to bear good fruit. It will never happen. Don’t expect the one who has entered through the narrow gate of life to walk on the broad way to destruction. It will never happen. If God has planted a good tree, don’t expect it to bring forth bad fruit.

And yet today there is much deception in the professing church. People are being told essentially this: "As long as you have believed in Jesus Christ, how you live makes no difference. Well, of course it makes a difference, but it makes no eternal difference. If you have believed in Jesus, then you will go to heaven." Is that true? Yes, and No. The follow-up question that must be asked is this: "How do you know that you truly believed in Jesus?" The answer is simple: Ye shall know them by their fruits. What kind of fruit are we bringing forth? If we are bringing forth evil fruit, how can we be a good tree?

But let’s move on to the next section of this passage.

III. The Only One Who Will Enter the Kingdom Is the One Who Does the Will of the Father (21-23)

Now we come to the part of the passage that you have heard hundreds of times. I know most of you have heard it hundreds of times because I have read it and quoted it hundreds of times in your presence. The more I consider these issues, the more I am convicted that we can’t refer to these words too often. Better to face these stern words now than to hear Jesus say in the last day: "I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

Let’s examine verse 21. "Not every one that says to be ‘Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven." First of all, we wee that there will be those who claim Jesus as Lord who will not enter the kingdom. The next verse makes it clear that these will not be just a few, but they will be many. In blunt language, there are many who think they are on their way to heaven, but they will be greatly disappointed when they stand before the Lord. Their eternal dwelling place will be hell rather than heaven. And it is highly likely that some of those people are right here in this room. You could be one of those deceived people who will hear Jesus say, "I never knew you; depart from me."

So if it isn’t everyone who says "Lord, Lord" that will enter the kingdom, then who is it? Jesus doesn’t leave us to wonder; He tells us plainly that is the one who does the will of the Father. Do you see the plain implication of this verse? Jesus is saying, "The proof is in the pudding. Profession without the life of obedience will not stand the test. You can say whatever you want, but if you don’t do the will of my Father in heaven, you will be turned away."

Here in verses 21-23 two lifestyles are contrasted. Look back over these three verses. Do you see the contrasting lifestyles? Here they are. On the one hand, there is the life which does the will of the Father. In contrast to that life is the life of the one who works iniquity.

Let’s pause for a moment to consider that little phrase "ye that work inqiuty." That word translated "iniquity" is very interesting. The root is nomoV, which is the common Greek word that means "law." In front of it is the letter "a," which means "not." Literally, it means "lawlessness." The NASV translates this phrase, "you who practice lawlessness." The Amplified renders it "you who act wickedly," and then further explains in brackets, "disregarding My commandments." This phrase clearly speaks of the person who disregards the law of God, the person who does not take His commandments seriously. And remember that this person who practices lawlessness is contrasted with the one who does the will of the Father.

Now hear me and hear me well, no matter how strongly a person says "I’m saved; I’ve accepted Christ; I’m a Christian," his profession will not impress Jesus, who sees that he does not do the will of the Father, but rather lives a lifestyle that has little regard for the commandments of God. We have largely misunderstood salvation. The modern church has come to regard salvation as a legal transaction that frees the new believer from living a life of righteousness. I don’t need to live a righteous life, because Jesus is my righteousness. He lived the life of righteousness that I could not live. We have failed to understand that the imputed righteousness of God leads to a practical life of righteousness in the believer. In other words, real salvation doesn’t free us from God’s call to righteousness; it enables us to live out that righteousness day by day.

This is what Jesus is telling us that we must not be deceived about. Don’t be deceived. Don’t let anyone tell you that if you ‘accept Christ’ [by the way, that is the term of others; I don’t use it], it doesn’t matter how you live. If you believe that, you are greatly deceived. Don’t let anyone tell you that Jesus is going to welcome into the kingdom those who say ‘I am a Christian’ and live a life that contradicts their profession. If this isn’t what Jesus is saying, then why did He speak these words? This is a bold warning that is particularly suited to our present situation.

IV. Those Who Do Not Practice what Jesus Says Will Be Destroyed (24-27)

Now let’s read again verses 24-27…
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

I have heard this section interpreted something like this: "This is a warning for the believer. If you build your life of the teachings of Jesus, it will stand. But if you don’t, you will lose all of your reward. But if you profess Christ and don’t do what He says, then you will have great sorrow in your life." When these interpreters are asked, "So will the person who builds on the sand go to heaven," they will answer, "Yes, but he will lose his reward."

I want you to look at the context of this passage. Those who walk on the broad way rather than the narrow way will be destroyed. They will end up in the destruction of hell. And what will happen to every tree that does not bring forth good fruit, according to verse 19? That tree that bears bad fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. That is a reinforcement of verses 13-14. Those who walk on the broad way are the very ones who do not bring forth good fruit. And then Jesus gives the warning about those who profess Jesus as Lord but practice lawlessness. And what will happen to them? Jesus will turn them away. And make no mistake about it, when Jesus turns a person away, there is only one place to go, and that place is hell, where the lawless will be separated from God forever.

With that context in mind, where could we ever get the idea that Jesus is now talking to believers about building on the foundation of Jesus Christ? Jesus is telling us to build our lives on the truths He has presented. Hear the Lord Jesus. "If you hear me say that you are to enter in at the strait gate and walk on the narrow way and you obey what I say, then you will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock. But if you hear me say that and do not do it, but instead enter through the wide gate and walk on the broad way, you will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand, and you will be destroyed. If you hear me say that every tree that doesn’t bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire and you take heed, being careful to bring forth good fruit, then you will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock. But if you hear me say that and do not take heed, you will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand, and you will be destroyed. If you hear me say that not everyone who says ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom, but only he who does the will of my Father, and you take heed to my words, then you will be like the wise man who built his house upon the rock. But if you hear this warning and pay no attention to it, then you will be like the foolish man who built his house upon the sand, and you will indeed hear me say to you, ‘I never knew you; depart from me.’" That is the simple and clear message of Jesus in these verses. The context demands that we understand it that way.

Are you getting the picture? If you think that a prayer you prayed at some time in the past can override these warnings of Jesus and usher you into heaven, you are greatly deceived. The fruit of a genuine relationship with God through Christ is a life that walks on the narrow way, a life that does the will of the Father, a life that takes heed to what Jesus says.
We sometimes sing that song whose chorus goes like this…

What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see;
When I look upon His face, the One who saved my by His grace,
When He takes me by the hand, and leads me through the Promised Land,
What a day, glorious day that will be!

That is a wonderful song, but listen to me. Many who sing that song will never know the reality of it, because Jesus will not take them by the hand. Instead, He will say, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness." What a day of sorrow and weeping that will be for those who were deceived. Could you be one of those who is being deceived? Oh yes, I know how embarrassing it would be to admit that you might be among the deceived, to acknowledge that your profession of Christ might not be genuine. Listen to me – better to face it now than the day when you meet the Lord.

Conclusion

When I was about 15 I attended a crusade in Anchorage, Alaska, where Bob Herrington was the evangelist. I don’t know if you have ever heard of Bob Herrington, but at the time he was pretty well known in some circles. He ministered in the worst section of New Orleans and was popularly know as the Chaplain of Bourbon Street. I can’t remember a whole lot that he said, but there was one recurring theme that sticks in my mind. It went something like this…
If the old devil ever causes you to doubt your salvation, you take that old devil back to such-and-such a church in such-and-such a town on Oct. 8, 1969, and you tell him how you walked down that aisle and gave your heart to Jesus.

Sometimes the counsel concerning assurance of salvation is more gentle and sophisticated. "Did the Lord promise eternal life to all those who believe? Did you believe? Were you sincere in asking God to forgive your sins? Did you truly ask Jesus to come into your heart? If you did, then did God keep His promise? No matter what you may feel, you are saved."

Do you think the scripture would lead us to trust a past experience as the assurance of our salvation? The answer is NO. I am well aware that the apostle Paul shared his conversion experience on more than one occasion. When he did so, it was not in order to bolster his assurance; it was to give glory to God for what he had done. Paul’s assurance of a relationship with God was not based primarily on a past experience, but upon a present fellowship.

I remind you of what the scripture says: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith…" (II Cor. 13:5). So how do we examine ourselves? We examine ourselves by what we find in the Word of God. We examine ourselves in light of passages like Matthew 7, where Jesus warns us about deception. Surely we understand that many of the many who will say to Jesus "Lord, Lord" in the last day will be able to point to some experience in the past, but Jesus will not be swayed.

As we close, would you consider this question: If you have doubts about your salvation, if you aren’t sure that you truly have a relationship with God through Christ, can you automatically conclude that it is the devil who is planting these doubts in your mind? Could it be that the Lord Himself is the source of these doubts? Could the Lord be trying to blast you out of your hellbound deception? Those are serious questions for thought.