Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as He is righteous. Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
1 John 3:7-8

As followers of Jesus we find sinful behavior, especially in our spiritual leaders, shocking and scandalous. We expect better of each other, because the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts moves us to love each other, and that means we live together according to God’s commandments.

Yet somehow people will blindly follow spiritual leaders who openly live in sin, flaunting their perverted behavior while claiming to be God’s representatives. The power of spiritual deception somehow makes people overlook and excuse these glaring inconsistencies.

We are all capable of falling into sin, and we struggle with temptation every day. Sometimes we fall, and there is forgiveness in Jesus for us when we repent, confess that sin, and seek His forgiveness.

But when you find a teacher, preacher, prophet, or religious leader who claims to know better than God’s Word and practices, justifies and promotes sinful behavior, understand that he or she is not from God. Don’t let them deceive you.

If you’ve been caught in a pattern of sinful behavior yourself, you know what to do: repent, confess it, seek God’s forgiveness for Christ’s sake, leave the sin behind, and move on. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil!

Lord, You know my weakness and failures, and how often I fall. Thank You for covering me with Your forgiveness. Help me to avoid deception as I walk, so that I grow day by day in grace and holiness, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.

Pastor Dan Giles