The Alpha of Dealing with Deceit

UV 2991/10000 The Alpha of Dealing with Deceit
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Ephesians 4 v 22

Our old nature, before we trusted Jesus with our lives is riddled with deceit brought on by our human vanity, the lust of our minds and bodies. We are to put off this old nature and live the new Christ nature. We do this by rooting out our inclination to obey the old deceitful lusts and being rooted in the Alpha of the Word. When we apply the Word in all aspects of our lives in 360 degrees or the Omega or completion of our faith, we will be sowing the righteous nature. Today, doctors can transplant virtually every internal organ but only Christ through the Holy Spirit can transplant our character or nature.

Sin is always deceitfully crouching at the door of the heart as it was said of Cain. Cain was deceived into thinking that by getting rid of Abel, his brother , his troubles in life would end. But it was only the beginning of his troubles. Before Cain, his parents, Adam and Eve, indeed the first parents of all mankind, were likewise deceived into thinking that they could become like God by disobeying His command. Christ taught us that it is by obedience of the Word that we become like God. Our lusts and its deceitfulness is so pervasive that at no point in our lives, we can say that we are beyond sin. Therefore, we need to be on guard and alert at all times. When David let down his guard momentarily, he was deceived into adultery with Bathsheba. Pride over one’s attainments or acquisitions, station in life, influence, power or abilities deceive people into thinking they are secure and immune from being detected or punished for even crimes and offences against the law of the land. The Lord who knows the absolute truth about all of us can strip away the veneer of deceit and we are easily exposed and vulnerable as the young ones of a bird that have no feathers and can not fly to escape the big, ruthless and evil predator.

Sin hardens the human heart through its deceitfulness and makes us callous and insensitive to the hurt we cause to the Lord, the Holy Spirit when our words and our conduct fall short of the standards of Jesus. We need to recognize this truth that our bodies were crucified with Christ and we should hereafter live not to the dictates of our flesh and mind but live in accordance with the mind of Christ. We need to silence and ignore the deceitful suggestions of the enemy of our souls and listen to the whispered counsel of the Holy Spirit. In this way, we can effectively and consistently avoid the deceitful lusts and pride of our old nature and allow our new nature to grow, thrive and bear abundant fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control.