People say that if you are deceived, you do not know it because you are deceived and this is true as long as there is no absolute truth to penetrate the deceptive area. However, if My word is heard and obeyed, spiritual eyes and ears are opened and there is no more deception.

There are two absolutely necessary parts, hearing and obeying. First you must be born again to have spiritual ears, and then after obtaining spiritual ears you must listen and then after listening you must obey and do what you have heard! At this point you are no longer in deception!

Most church goers in the west are in deception, when their choices are compared to My word. For example: When questioned about their love for Me, most will immediately answer, “I love Jesus with all My heart”, but they are deceived.

Here are two sample test questions to see if you are deceived by thinking you love Me:

#1. Do you love ALL your brothers, not just most but ALL? For he that does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love Me whom he hath not seen?” 1 John 4:20.

# 2. “If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him,” John 14:23.

The majority of church goers know nothing about My word, much less keep My words. They can name the winners of American Idol, The Voice, the Super Bowl, the World Series, or accurately discuss the activities of Hollywood, yet do not know enough about My word to tell anyone about My love!

“When it is evening, they say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. ^[3] And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. They are hypocrites, they can discern the face of the sky; but cannot even discern the signs of the times, and yet they say they love Me?” Matthew 16:2-3.

Check to see if you are living in deception, start by comparing your life to the Ten Commandments, then if you pass that, take the big one, the 1 Corinthians 13 test. Many simply walk out of the exam trying to use the grace clause, but once you see your sin and continue in it, the grace clause can no longer be applied. Don’t anyone dare say, “we can continue in sin, so that grace may abound! ^[2] I forbid it. How can anyone, who is dead to sin, live any longer therein? Romans 6:1-2.

May I suggest you lay aside every fleshly distraction and, “become a doer of the word, and not a hearer only, so you are not deceiving yourself,” James 1:22. Before you are tempted to cheat on the deception test, and misuse the grace clause, read the footnote on the bottom of the test: “Do not try to deceive on this test: the teacher, is also the final judge that knows all, and will not be mocked: whatever a student sows, that shall he also reap,” Galatians 6:7.

Is there a possibility you are deceiving yourself? If you are sinning and know it and still think it’s okay, you are deceived!

Before you go into deeper deception, excusing sin after sin. STOP IT NOW! Then in the future, in case you should stumble you can use the grace clause, just don’t abuse it, Romans 6:15.

~ Jim Hammerle

Jim Hammerle (1941-2017) began ministry working with David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, founding Teen Challenge Philadelphia. 6 times in the mission field pastoring a mission ship, 15 years with tv and radio, teaching, and preaching.  As a retired businessman, Jim helped to feed widows and orphans in Uganda, helping Muslims find the Jesus who fed them. He became His banker and was privileged to give His money away, wherever He decided, so he also helping to build an orphanage in Haiti and investing in lives in the USA. Totally in love with his Lord, at age 73 he served in ministry at Victory Christian Church and lived every hour listening for his Heavenly Father’s voice.  Jim passed away on May 23, 2017 to be with the LORD.