FREEDOM FROM A MORAL SICKNESS

He who would love life and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit. 1 Peter 3:10

“Years ago, people would say, “a man’s word is his bond.” That is to say, you could believe a man’s promises. Today we must say, “Many, many years ago a man’s word was his bond.” Dishonesty has flooded our society in the last generation.

The onslaught of such things as identity theft and attempts to trick senior citizens through fraud leaves this generation possibly more characterized by deceit than any other evil practice.

In Acts 13:10 Paul said to an evil man, “"O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?”

Jesus explains the source of deceit when He says:

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” Mark 7:20-23

So what should a believer do if he realizes that he is participating in the ways of the world? He must remember that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and he should continue to receive the filling of the Holy Spirit. This filling is the result of his experiencing the crucifixion of his flesh which gives freedom from the wicked heart.