Topical Bible: Deceit: Saints: Avoid

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Deceit, characterized by the act of concealing or misrepresenting the truth, is consistently condemned throughout the Scriptures. The Bible presents deceit as contrary to the nature of God, who is the embodiment of truth. For the saints, those set apart for God's purposes, avoiding deceit is not merely advisable but imperative.

Biblical Foundation

The Bible explicitly warns against deceit and highlights its destructive nature. In Proverbs 12:22 , it is written, "Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight." This verse underscores the divine disdain for deceit and the favor found in truthfulness.

The New Testament further emphasizes the call for believers to eschew deceit. In 1 Peter 2:1 , the apostle Peter exhorts, "Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander." This directive is part of a broader call to holiness and spiritual growth, urging believers to abandon behaviors that are inconsistent with their new identity in Christ.

The Example of Christ

Jesus Christ, the ultimate example for the saints, lived a life devoid of deceit. In 1 Peter 2:22 , it is affirmed, "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth." Christ's sinless life and His commitment to truth serve as the model for all believers. His teachings consistently promoted honesty and integrity, as seen in His Sermon on the Mount, where He instructed, "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'" (Matthew 5:37).

The Call to Integrity

The call to avoid deceit is not merely about personal integrity but also about the witness of the saints to the world. In Ephesians 4:25 , Paul writes, "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another." This instruction highlights the communal aspect of truthfulness, emphasizing that deceit undermines the unity and trust within the body of Christ.

Consequences of Deceit

The Scriptures also warn of the consequences of deceit. In Acts 5, the account of Ananias and Sapphira serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness with which God views deceit. Their attempt to deceive the early church resulted in their immediate judgment, illustrating the gravity of such sin.

Practical Application

For the saints, avoiding deceit involves a commitment to truth in all areas of life. This includes personal relationships, business dealings, and interactions within the church. The pursuit of truth is a reflection of the believer's transformation and alignment with God's character. As Paul advises in Colossians 3:9-10 , "Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator."

In summary, the avoidance of deceit is a fundamental aspect of the Christian life, rooted in the character of God and the example of Christ. It is essential for maintaining personal integrity, fostering community trust, and bearing witness to the transformative power of the Gospel.

Nave's Topical Index

Job 31:5
If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot has hurried to deceit;
Nave's Topical Index

Library

We are Warned not Only in Civil Law, but Also in the Holy ...
... but also in the holy Scriptures, to avoid fraud in ... Who could find fault with the
saints in this, namely ... They know not what deceit is, they gladly believe of ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter x we are warned.htm

How to Discern Our Title to the Saints' Rest.
... when it tells us so frequently that the saints before us ... And how could they avoid
knowing it, if they did ... have such charms kept asleep in deceit and security ...
/.../baxter/the saints everlasting rest/chapter viii how to discern.htm

victor Teaches that God Thwarts his Own Predestination.
... of sin:"in order that he might avoid the objection ... changed for the worse, and beguiled
by deceit, if it ... of the immature ages of all those saints whom foolish ...
/.../augustine/anti-pelagian writings/chapter 13 ix victor teaches that.htm

Good Days
... we refrain our tongue from evil, and our lips from speaking deceit; it we avoid
evil and ... I told you, too apt to say that the Old Testament saints got their ...
/.../kingsley/all saints day and other sermons/sermon xix good days.htm

Psalm x.
... he means one in whom both violence and deceit will work ... appear to men, the more those
Saints that shall ... act, excusing themselves of vengeance, to avoid toil or ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/exposition on the book of psalms/psalm x.htm

The Way of Life and the Way of Death.
... Avoid not the persons, but the sentiments, of ... not make schisms among the saints,
but be ... false-witnesses, hypocrisies, double-heartedness, deceit, pride, malice ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec i on the two ways.htm

Festal Letters.
... he might do things befitting the season, and avoid the blame ... And, generally, each
one of the saints has been thought ... far from us all pride and deceit, let us ...
/.../athanasius/select works and letters or athanasius/i festal letters.htm

Thou Shalt not Take the Name of the Lord, Thy God, in Vain.
... be misused worse than for the support of falsehood and deceit. ... Paul, and other saints
often swore. ... betimes to shun falsehood, and especially to avoid the use ...
//christianbookshelf.org/luther/the large catechism/thou shalt not take the.htm

Concerning the Condition of Man in the Fall.
... own Spirit, hath taught us to avoid both these ... spiritual communion and fellowship,
which the saints obtain with ... their tongues they have used deceit, the poison ...
/.../proposition iv concerning the condition.htm

How we are to Reduce all the Exercise of the virtues, and all Our ...
... end of an oath is, on the contrary, to hinder deceit. ... But if he communicate to avoid
blame as much as, or ... it more pure; so that the angels and saints of heaven ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter xiii how we are.htm