In
the Collect we ask God to “Free us from all that darkens and ensnares us.” The
Readings remind us of the spiritual dangers of this life. Eli the priest is not
paying attention when he accuses Hannah of being drunk when she is praying (1
Sam. 1.14). In the Hebrews Reading (10.11-25) “those who are being made holy”
are encouraged to persevere. Let us focus on the Jesus warning and consider:
·
How are we deceived?
·
How can we protect ourselves from being
deceived?
11. How
are we deceived?
a.
There
is a deceiver – the Bible names him as Satan, the father of lies
i. Satan
whispers temptations in our ears and hearts
ii. Satan
gives us assurance it is ok – “You will not certainly die” (Gen. 3.4) - die
spiritually
iii. Satan
even quotes Scripture to Jesus
iv. When
we give in to temptation we are accused
v. Think
of Satan as head of quality control on Earth
vi. Many
people dismiss as superstition - are vulnerable
vii. Others
can get paranoid or blame Satan for own foolishness
viii. Need
balance of awareness and vigilance
b.
Jesus
warns us “many will come in my name – clergy
i. Clergy
are Just as vulnerable to being deceived
ii. Enlightenment
questioned the authority of Church as based on superstition
iii. Biblical
Criticism deconstructed the Biblical as a reliable source of religious truth
iv. New
Liberal theology was developed which questioned the supernatural worldview of
the Biblle -Healing miracles, Virgin Birth, Resurrection of Jesus
v. Reason
and intellectual debate replaced Biblical authority – literal vs allegorical
meanings
vi. Church
councils / synods replace Scripture, Tradition and Reason as the authority for
determining truth
c.
Culture
of inclusiveness that excludes true truth
i. Inclusiveness
has become the new authority
ii. Inclusiveness
is not a Biblical value
iii. Inclusiveness
is a secular political value
iv. Inclusiveness
excludes the possibility of truth
v. My
experience is my ‘truth’
vi. Ended
up with ‘my truth’ and ‘your truth’ as equally valid – no religious authority
(only political)
d.
On
the Psychological level we deceive ourselves
i. Our
minds have a built-in protection mechanism
ii. Information
which causes stress or emotional discomfort is filtered out in our subconscious
iii. We
hear but we do not really hear – Biblical
iv. Example
of Eve – believe the lie, does not ask for clarification on what Satan means by
“die”
v. Eve
assumes relationship will not die
vi. My
experience with Red Deer Public Library Board
1.
Did not hear their concerns
2.
Assumed they were satisfied
3.
Contract was terminated
4.
Researched self-deception and discovered
that this is a scientifically valid process
2 2. How
can we protect ourselves from being deceived?
a.
Read
the Bible as the basic standard to test truth
i. Christianity
flourished in England because each family had a Bible they could read at home
ii. Contrast
with France and Italy where there was no effective Reformation and little Bible
reading
iii. My
experience of reading the Bible – and being angry that nobody had taught me the
truth
iv. Daily
Bible reading is our best protection
b.
Invite
the Holy Spirit to teach discernment
i. Holy
Spirit is the Spirit of Truth – guides us
ii. Knowledge
and wisdom come from the Spirit
iii. Daily
prayer and listening time protects us
c.
Do
self-examination in preparation for Confession
i. Need
to “Renounce all things that draw you from the love of God” (Prayer after Communion)