Deceitful Lusts

 

Deceitful Lusts

The Bible talks about lusting as being deceitful. Are you caught up in deceitful lusts? Why are you downtown tonight? Are you here to fulfill the pleasures of the flesh? Are you trying to satisfy the lusts of your heart? Will what you are seeking tonight provide you with long lasting joy? Are you deceived tonight? 

Many people lust after various things. I used to lust after money, prestige, power, women, alcohol, rock albums and many other things. I used to have an old coach that used to say “you can look at the menu as long as you eat at home.” That coach was wrong.

Adultery, Alcohol and Drugs

Where do you think adultery starts? It starts in your heart. It starts with you looking at a woman and desiring to have sex with her and many times lusting leads to actual adultery. But Jesus said Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Are you downtown tonight to lust after women? Why did you come downtown?

Do you think an alcoholic or drunkard just wakes up one day as an alcoholic? No, they started with that first drink and they lusted for that drink before they ever took the first one. Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise (Proverbs 20:1).

Sorrow

Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder (Proverbs 23:29-32). Unfortunately, many people are deceived by the lust of alcohol. Why did you come downtown tonight? What are you lusting after?

Drug addicts don’t just wake up a drug addict. They took that first drug and before they took that first drug, they wanted it. They lusted after it. They may have been deceived by someone telling them how wonderful that it would make them feel, but they lusted after it before they ever dove into drugs. They were deceived by deceitful lusts.

Works of the Flesh

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19-21).

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Those who are truly saved, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are to live our lives surrendered to Jesus Christ. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Do No Be Deceived

Do not be deceived tonight. Do not be deceived by deceitful lusts. This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ;

If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:17-24).

Do not be deceived. If you claim Jesus Christ tonight, then you are not supposed to continue living your life like other sinners. You are not to continue in the same lustful sins that you committed before you came to Jesus. Paul says you are not to walk as other Gentiles. If you are truly saved, you are changed. You are no longer the same person that you were before.

Enough is Never Enough

You are no longer to walk in the vanity of your mind. You are no longer a slave to sin. You are no longer to live for deceitful lusts. They are deceitful because sin is only pleasurable for a season.  It is empty. One affair leads to another. One drink leads to another drink. Taking the same drug doesn’t give you the same high, so you move on to stronger drugs. Enough is never enough. That’s why the Bible calls them deceitful lusts.

Are you caught up in deceitful lusts tonight? Why are you out here? What are you seeking tonight? What are you lusting after? If you are still caught up in these deceitful lusts it’s because your understanding is darkened. Satan has you blinded by the desires of your heart. He has you bound in darkness. You love your sins and you don’t want to give them up.

Your Sin Will Find You Out

Be sure your sin will find you out. Many people who continue in sexual immorality end up with a sexually transmitted disease. People who mess around with alcohol or drugs end up being an alcoholic or drug addict. The devil has you blinded by your sin and you are deceived tonight.

When you are truly saved, you are to put off your former conversations. When Jesus saves you, He cleans you up. I’m not saying that you become perfect, no we are still sinners saved by grace. But Jesus works on you through the Holy Spirit. God convicts you of your sins when you are saved. He convicts you over cussing, lusting, drinking and all other types of sins.

Pride, Anger and Impatience

For me personally, God started on the big sins and keeps working on me. I’m not the man I was nearly nine years ago before God saved me, but I still have a long way to go.  I still fight pride, anger, impatience and even some of the old sins rear their ugly head every now and then. I’m nowhere near perfect, but God convicts me over my sins. It grieves me to grieve God. I desire to be holy because He is Holy. I’m still a sinner, but God is working on me. Is He working on you?

The apostle Paul said If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

Turn From Your Sins

Oh is this you tonight? Have you put away cussing? Have you turned from your sins? Have you turned from your deceitful lusts? How can we do this? How can we live righteous and holy lives? Through Jesus Christ alone. Only Jesus saves and only Jesus can change you forever. Make no mistake, if Jesus hasn’t changed you, He hasn’t saved you.

Won’t you cry out to the Sinless Son of God to save you tonight? Won’t you confess and forsake your sins? Won’t admit that you are a sinner? Won’t you admit that you’ve sinned against Almighty God? If you break one commandment, you’ve broken them all. James 2:10 says: For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend on one point, he is guilty of all.

Telling one lie is enough to send you to Hell forever. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death. Face the truth tonight, you’ve done much worse in your life than just telling one lie. You and I deserve God’s righteous wrath. We deserve His everlasting condemnation and the torments of Hell.

Merciful God

But God is merciful. God offers eternal life to each and every person who repents and puts their trust in Jesus. Oh, are you ready to surrender your life to Jesus Christ? Are you ready to bow your knee to the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Are you ready to get right with God? Are you ready to turn from your sins and turn to the only Savior? Are you ready to repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ?

Do not continue being deceived by deceitful lusts. Oh, that shiny new car may look good at the car lot, but wait until you make that first outrageous payment. Wait until it breaks down later on. Wait until it starts costing you an arm and a leg to keep up with the maintenance. The shiny wears off. The new wears off. Where are the deceitful lusts then? It’s too late. You’re already hooked.

Satan Is Not your Friend

Do not be deceived tonight. Satan is not your friend. Oh he whispers in your ear. He’s always near trying to entice you deeper and deeper into sin, but don’t continue listening to his lies. He is a liar. When he speaks, he’s lying. He’s the father of lies. He will continue lying to you. Take another drink. One more never hurt anybody. That’s a lie!

Go ahead and get high again tonight. You’ve done it many times before. It’s alright. Go ahead. You deserve to “get right.” That’s a lie! Go ahead and cheat on your wife. You know your co-worker is good looking. She keeps flirting with you. Go ahead and take what you want. No one will ever know. It won’t hurt anything to have a little fling. It’s just one time. That’s a lie!

The Devil’s Lies

Don’t continue falling for the devil’s lies. Not only is he lying to you, but he’s laughing at you. He’s loving every minute of deceiving you. He thinks that we are stupid creatures and for the most part he’s right. People constantly fall for his tricks. He knows your weaknesses. He knows what you desire. He knows what deceitful lusts are most likely to entice you.

But greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. Satan is like a roaring lion going around seeing who he can devour. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7). Submit to God. He only has one way of salvation -through Jesus Christ alone. Repent and believe the Gospel. Be saved today. Turn from your sins and turn to Jesus. Surrender your life fully and completely to Him. He is Lord of all. Submit to His Lordship. Call upon the name of Jesus and be saved. Do this today. Don’t put it off. Don’t continue being deceived by deceitful lusts. Repent and put your faith in Jesus.

(This message was proclaimed on the square in downtown Springfield, Mo on July 15, 2016)