1) We are often deceived by our own biases and flawed perceptions of reality. We don't always seek the truth and may actively deny truths we don't want to face. 2) The Bible warns that the human heart is deceitful and that we can more easily deceive ourselves than be deceived by others. 3) Specific ways the document outlines we can deceive ourselves include thinking we are without sin, that we are good enough on our own, or that we can save ourselves through works instead of grace. The only way to avoid self-deception is to accept the truth of Jesus Christ.

1. SELF DECEPTION
1 John 1:8
“ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

2. • We rarely see the world as it really is. Our
perception of the world is biased, our
memories betray us, and our true motives
can remain hidden.
• Few people always want to know the
truth or seek it out. In fact, many people
actively deny the truth until they are
forced to deal with it.
• Obadiah 1:3 Your pride has deceived
you. Your capital is a fortress of solid
rock; your home is high in the
mountains, and so you say to yourself,
'Who can ever pull me down?'

3. “No man was ever so much deceived by
another as by himself.”
― Fulke Greville
November 18th 1978 was the day the grape flavor-aid was
mixed with cyanide. Families were told to lay down together
and comfort one another.913 people died including 200
children.Jim Jones himself sat in a chair with a self inflicted
gunshot wound tothe head.It was one of the largest mass

4. 1Timothy2:14 And it was not Adam who
was deceived; it was the woman who was
deceived and broke God's law.

5. Mostly when the scripture speaks of deception
it speaks mostly of
self-deception
Luke 21:8 (KJV) And he said, Take heed that
ye be not deceived: for many shall come in
my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time
draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV)
The heart is deceitful above all things and
beyond cure. Who can understand it?
HOW SHALL WE KNOW IF WE ARE BEING
DECEIVED?

6. 1 John 1:1-10
1 That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we
have looked at and our hands have touched—this
we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
2 The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it,
and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was
with the Father and has appeared to us. 3 We
proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so
that you also may have fellowship with us. And our
fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus
Christ.
4 We write this to make our[a]joy complete. Light and
5 This is the message we have heard from him and
declare to you: God is light; in him there is no

7. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet
walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out
the truth.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light,
we have fellowship with one another, and the
blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from
all[b] sin.
8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive
ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins and purify us from
all unrighteousness.
10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him
out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

8. We are deceived when:
1. When we think we are we are not liable when we are
deceived, we deceive ourselves
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked:
for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also
reap.
1Corinthians 15:33 Be not deceived: evil
communications corrupt good manners.

9. We are deceived when:
2. When we think we are good enough we deceive
ourselves
Rom 3:10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not
one:
3:11 There is none that understands there is none that
seeks after God.
3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together
become unprofitable; there is none that do good, no, not
one.
Ecclesiastes &:20 For there is not a just man upon
earth, that does good, and sin not.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all

10. We are deceived when:
3. When we think we can save ourselves we deceive
ourselves
Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV) 8 For by grace are ye saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift
of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Proverbs 20:9 (KJV) Who can say, I have made my
heart clean, I am pure from my sin?
Titus 3:5 (KJV) Not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to his mercy he saved
us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of

11. We are deceived when:
4. When we think that we can not be sure of our
salvation, we deceive ourselves
1 John 5:13 (KJV) These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye
may believe on the name of the Son of God.
2Corinthians 6:2 Hear what God says: "When the
time came for me to show you favor, I heard you;
when the day arrived for me to save you, I helped
you." Listen! This is the hour to receive God's
favor; today is the day to be saved!

12. We are deceived when:
5. When we think we must wait until we are better
to come to God, we deceive ourselves
Isaiah 1:18 (KJV) Come now, and let us reason
together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they
be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Rom 3:21 But God has a way to make people right,
and it has nothing to do with the law. He has now
shown us that new way, which the law and the
prophets told us about.
•

13. We are deceived when:
6. When we think that we shall escape if we neglect
salvation we deceive ourselves
Hebrews 2:3 How, then, shall we escape if we pay
no attention to such a great salvation? The Lord
himself first announced this salvation, and those
who heard him proved to us that it is true.
Matthew 10:28 (KJV) And fear not them which kill the
body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear
him which is able to destroy both soul and body in
hell.

14. We are deceived when:
7. When we think that simply repeating a prayer will
save us we deceive ourselves
Romans 10:9-10 (KJV) 9 That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is
made unto salvation.
Matthew 15:8 (KJV) This people draweth nigh unto me
with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but
their heart is far from me.
Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave
he power to become the sons of God, even to them

15. We are deceived when:
8. If we think that we can be made righteous by
obeying the law, we are deceived
• Gal 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you,
whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are
fallen from grace.
• Rom 3:20 For no one is put right in God's sight by
doing what the Law requires; what the Law does is to
make us know that we have sinned.
• Gal 3:24 In fact, the Law was our teacher. It was
supposed to teach us until we had faith and were
acceptable to God. Gal 3:25 But once a person has
learned to have faith, there is no more need to have the
Law as a teacher.

16. We are deceived when:
8. If we think that we can be made righteous by
obeying the law, we are deceived
• 1Timothy 1:8 We know that the Law is good if it is
used as it should be used.
• 1Ti 1:9 It must be remembered, of course, that laws
are made, not for good people, but for lawbreakers
and criminals, for the godless and sinful, for those
who are not religious or spiritual, for those who kill
their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
• 1Ti 1:10 for the immoral, for sexual perverts, for
kidnappers, for those who lie and give false testimony
or who do anything else contrary to sound doctrine.

17. IN CHRIST WE WILL NEVER
BE DECEIVED!
Jonh 14:6 Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth,
and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the
truth shall make you free
John 16:13a When, however, the Spirit comes, who
reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into
all the truth…
John 14:17 He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth
about God. The world cannot receive him,
because it cannot see him or know him. But you
know him, because he remains with you and is in

18. Romans 16:25 Let us give glory to God! He is
able to make you stand firm in your faith,
according to the Good News I preach about
Jesus Christ and according to the revelation
of the secret truth which was hidden for long
ages in the past.
1Corinthians 1:8 He will also keep you firm to
the end, so that you will be faultless on the
Day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Corinthians15:58 So then, my dear friends,
stand firm and steady. Keep busy always in
your work for the Lord, since you know that
nothing you do in the Lord's service is ever