Sermon 91 "Seductive Sins, Cults & Self Deceptions"

One of the most tragic things in life is how easily we can deceive ourselves. Few people are really good at objective introspection. Rare is the person who is fully self-aware.

We tend to think all our opinions, ideas, actions, habits and beliefs are totally correct, good, and beneficial.

Not only do we have a strong narcisisstic tendency to love everything about ourselves, but we are also easily tricked by sin.

Sinful practices often can have an overwhelming impact that makes you justify what you're doing and can enslave you completely.

You can have an overwhelming, over-powering sense that you are totally in love with a drug, a sexual sin, abuse of alcohol, a celebrity idol, a politician, gambling, over-eating, and other addictions.

Sins can diabolically make you feel extremely happy, peaceful, and right.

You can be deceived, but think you're smart.

You can be seduced, but think you're strong.

You can be mistaken, but think you're right.

You can feel intense pleasurable euphoria from a poison that is killing you.

You can be obsessed with a person who is manipulating you.

You can be devoted and feel spiritually elite in a mind-control cult or an abusive church.

You can be evil, but make excuses for it, blame someone else, or be in complete denial.

Every sin and error uses some form of mind-control to entice you and keep you under its spell.

It's really frightening to think about. Once you break free from something, you can think you were crazy to have been so entranced.

We have all been there. We have all been entangled in sin and deception in some realm of life, and have experienced difficulty realizing it and changing our lives accordingly.

This is why Bible study, scripture memorization, and fellowship with other genuine believers is so important.