Characteristic Thirty-One of a Believer-Without Deceit

As they approached, Jesus said, “Now here is a genuine son of Israel—a man of complete integrity.” John 1:47

My Pastor Dennis Keating in Escondido is a man that demonstrates being without deceit. I know that he is a saint who sometimes sins. He has a photographic memory. He can meet you and the next time you meet he will remember you. He is the best speaker and wonderful at illustrations. One time, he demonstrated how we sometimes get stuck in our relationship with Jesus by bringing in a chainsaw and a big branch. You guess it he got the chainsaw stuck in the branch. Another on the safety of following Jesus and he brought a ladder, illustrating you don’t climb on the very top step. He is a great preacher. You can hear him at EFCC.org

Beloved, characteristic thirty-one of a born-again believer is one is without deceit. Without deceit is self-explanatory without the action or practice of deceiving someone by concealing or misrepresenting the truth. Synonyms is telling the truth. Nathanael in John 1: 47 is a man without deceit. It says, “When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Nathanael believed that Jesus was the son of God.

Today is Halloween, a day clouded by evil by some, however, I’ve fond memories as a child and with raising my children in something as innocent as being someone else on this day. On Sunday, my dad, a man of integrity, at church received instructions on carving a pumpkin with a Biblical message. The pumpkin’s picked, picked by God. In John 15:16 we read, ” You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.” After we’re picked we’re washed, 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” He cleans us out in Romans 6:6, “We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin.” After we are clean we have a new face, “I will shout for joy and sing your praises, for you have ransomed me.” Psalm 71:23. And He gives us a light to shine because we are without deceit, “In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Matthew 5:16, We must not forget Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Beloved, characteristic thirty-one of a born-again believer is one is without deceit.

Pastor Keating’s ministry has been life changing for me. I’ve grown up and matured as a Christian under his sermons. When he was our college pastor, he called Dr. Pepper “warm turtle spit” can you imagine! Join him online sometime.

Father God, thank you for Jesus you son whom there was no deceit. Let us be women who walk with you, saint who sometime sins. Let us read your word and pray daily. Let us enjoy our image in Christ that we are beautiful, that Psalm 119:14 is true that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.

It is with sadness that I close today. I wish to thank Dr. John McArthur for the list of 31 Characteristics and Christine Stine for #Write31Days.

What do you need to do to add less deceit in your life?

 

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This post is part of a 31 day series on the Characteristics of a Believer. I am so glad that you are here. To read all of the posts in this series, click here.