Deception
Leadership in Context with Keith Tucci
Episode 128
1 Corinthians 3:18
Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.
“Let no man deceive himself…”
There are a lot of admonitions in Scripture with this flavor. This is not about outside deception. It’s not about demonic deception. This refers to self-deception.
Self-deception is the worst kind of deception. It can become very habit-forming.
When we look at the context of this Scripture, there are three subject matters in this chapter leading up to this verse.
1. Teamwork: We need each other. We work together. We are God’s fellow workers.
2. Taking care of our body: Our body is not ours. We shouldn’t destroy our body.
3. Facing judgement.
In this reference, deceive means “to trick or seduce.” It implies something planned, schemed, systematic, to trap someone, systematically breaking someone down to bring them into your thinking.
Sometimes people get into deception when they over-complicate, over-analyze, over-spin, and bring things in from the outside that are not part of the equation. Be simple in your thinking. Not a simpleton. But simple. Clear. Not too complicated. Not too layered. Think clearly and in straight lines.
Verse 18 is saying, do not seduce yourself; do not entrap yourself with worldly thinking.
THREE TYPES OF WORLDLY THINKING
1. Don’t be seduced into thinking you don’t need to be part of a team.
1 Corinthians 3:10
According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it.
This is about generational teamwork. It’s more than just working together at the same time. There is a connotation of building over layers of time.
2. Don’t be seduced into thinking you don’t need to take care of your body.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.
We have a body that we need to take care of. We are a container of eternity on this planet. Our bodies are the one thing we do possess. (Of course, we can’t control everything that happens to our body.) As far as our body is concerned—our life, our health, our ministry—we should control what we can control, purposefully tending to the gift that God has given us.
3. Don’t be seduced into thinking you have time.
1 Corinthians 3:13-15
Each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
There is an eternal aspect. One of the greatest deceptions is that we will always have tomorrow. But the Bible says that we aren’t guaranteed tomorrow. Putting things off until tomorrow, especially those concerning eternal judgement, is one of the greatest self-deceptions.
“Do not deceive yourself…” How? Walk in the Spirit. Have the Word in your heart. Be part of a team, as it keeps you from being self-focused and ultimately deceived.
Join us next week as Keith Tucci continues to put leadership truth in the context of the local church. And as always, please like, share, rate/review, and invite others to listen. See you next week!
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