Why Sin Is So Deceitful

I am told to bring this down a little bit lower because I'm not quite as tall, but what I lack in height, I make up in girth. So nice to be here. Thank you, Mr. Hargrove. It's always a pleasure to come visit the Columbus Church. I've been doing this for quite a while now because, as you know, our daughter Susie and Todd, son-in-law, used to live here and we used to make trips down from Canada when I was up there and trips up from Cincinnati when I was in Cincinnati. So it's really nice to be here with you. In fact, they said be sure to tell the brethren hello for them for the whole family. They're doing good over in Bloomington. I hope to see them in April, toward before the last Holy Day. Actually, I hope to see them at the beginning of April as I go up to Minnesota. They've asked me to go up there for the teen dance in Minnesota. So I'll do the Bible study and Sabbath service up there, then come back and then I'll be going up to Madison, Wisconsin for their final Holy Day during the days of Unleavened Bread. So I'll stop again. I think they're going to go up with us for that particular time. So I bring you greetings from the home office. Nice to be here with you. And also from ABC, as Mr. Hargrove mentioned, I'm working with the Ministerial Services team. We normally have meetings at 10 o'clock every day. However, I have classes at 10.30 Monday, Wednesday, Friday. And so that knocks me out of that, that meeting at 10 o'clock. So I don't get to go there except on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But we do have a lot of meetings where we try to work on issues together, manpower placement and so on. And for a while there was pretty hairy trying to send individuals out to cover Sabbath services. In fact, we really appreciate you up here in Columbus area. A number of you have gone out and covered congregations in West Virginia, that particular area, as well as Mr. Hargrove's gone down a couple of times down south to give sermons, I think three times down there, to visit and serve in that area. We really appreciate it. We're also happy to have Mr. Stiver down in the area. He doesn't have enough to do. You know, he just sitting around doesn't have anything to do, vertical thought, ABC, personal assistant to Mr. Lucer, helping out the Ministerial team, giving sermons, teaching at ABC.

And, you know, we need to find more for him to do because he just seems to have a few extra hours every week that we just don't know what to do with him. But he's really been a big help down there. The students have appreciated him going through the writings with him. In the next semester, beginning next year, he'll pick up some other classes as well. Very grateful to have him down there. And when his wife moves down, we'll be happy to have her, too, because we have like four pianists and they have to alternate back and forth. So we'll be able to have a fifth one as well, which will be very helpful and very much appreciated. I really appreciate the ABC corral. I appreciate all that Mr. Shoemaker does to work with him. And by the way, he was here and didn't hardly miss the beat, even though he had knee replacement surgery. So that's why he has a cane with him in case he needs it. But he didn't miss a beat in working with the ABC corral. He kept working with him. And they put in lots of hours.

I'm very pleased and proud of them in that sense. They put in a lot of hours of preparation so they can come and give you quality music. Most importantly, they can glorify God with the music. And that's their aim. And if they did that and you felt that, then they did their job.

And we certainly appreciate all of them and the hard work they put in and the sacrifice they make during lunch hours and every Friday evening. Because Ms. Heather Bennett, who's a University of Cincinnati student in the church down there, she's given up her time to come up and play because we didn't have a regular pianist this year like we had Dottie Seifert.

Could have had her drive down every Friday to do it. But we have her helping out with us and she does a marvelous job at the piano. We appreciate her. We have the whole class here with them. They come up to give them support. So virtually everybody in the class came with them, though about 17 were singing in the chorale. The young lady who played the guitar had vocal problems, voice problems, so she can't sing very loudly even though she's a very good singer, I understand.

But she played the guitar, so she's here this year. We're glad she had a voice problem because she's a master's degree and she teaches. She's a schoolteacher over in Virginia. And so they gave her a year off for vocal chords to heal, so she comes to ABC. They don't heal very much because she asks a lot of questions in class. However, we provide her a microphone so she can whisper it into the microphone and it gets amplified.

But we're glad to have her at ABC. This year we have four international students, one of whom is no longer here because she got stuck in Canada trying to be a good person and get her doing everything legally. They wouldn't let her back in the States because they said, you got this visa, you renewed your password because you want to get married? You just went down to the States to get married. You didn't get on there to go to ABC. You just went down there to get married.

She didn't even know the guy she's getting married to when she came down. So, he's in the States. He was at ABC last year. So, now she's stuck in Canada. They won't let her back in. They won't even let her back in for two years. So, it's really a shame. The people who tried to do it right, they said, why did you go back in? I needed to get my password so that I could be able to apply in America because I'm getting married. Oh, that you are! Now you can't go.

Americans held her up. Held her right at the border. And poor Canadians were saying, we're for you. We want you to go to the Canadian border guards. We're happy to have her come back in. They were feeling sorry for her that she couldn't go to the States.

So, all we had to do was make her an illegal alien and they would have given her everything. But we tried to do it right and you get stuck. She's from Canada. We have a Norwegian here singing in the chorale, one of the men.

We have a Colombian singing in the chorale. And we also had an Australian, an Aussie, singing in the chorale. So we have, out of a small class of 22, we have four internationals. So that's pretty significant. And the students come from all over the United States, from the northwest, from the north, from the south, from Texas even, and from the northeast as well. So we have a lot of variety at ABC this year. Another change we have at ABC this year is the students get fed breakfast and lunch every day. It's prepared for them. We increase their tuition to $2,000 and it doesn't begin to cover the food, but it helps.

Because, you know, we have growing guys and they just eat and eat and eat. But the lunches and the breakfasts have been wonderful from what I don't get there for breakfast. I don't normally eat breakfast there anyway. But for lunches have been good.

They're almost like McDonald's. Connie Sipes is one of the drivers. She was in the class before she got the job of looking after the kitchen now. It is a certified kitchen, fully certified, so that we can serve people there. And everything is stainless steel and all the rest in the kitchen. She's doing a marvelous job. The food's been great. The students have loved it. And breakfast and lunches are served. And we have meetings there from Council of Elders or others. They get to eat the same food that everybody else gets.

And it's been really nice. We're very pleased. And the students seem to be happy and healthier. Last year, a few years back, they survived on ramen noodles. And those might be good for a day or two, but all the time, they're doing really good. We're very pleased. Let's see if I want to share anything else with you about that.

Oh, yeah. I just wanted to mention briefly, I am doing ABC, and I'm also helping out with the ministerial team. My region is the west right now. So I look after everything, basically everything west of the Mississippi. A few east, but most of them west. And so I've tried to go out there and do a visit to a main area, main city area, and then have the elders in the surrounding area come in and have a meeting with them.

After all, we do have seasoned elders in our church, and those seasoned elders don't need somebody to be mothering them all the time. So I let them know I'm here, I'm available for them, I try to communicate with them and call them from time to time, and then try to visit those five different areas. I've already been to Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Phoenix. I'm scheduled to go to Denver at the end of April, and then that only leaves the northwest for major visit areas.

But I will plan to try to get to some of the smaller areas like West Texas and Oklahoma City and up in the Montana. In fact, I'm going up to Montana for Pentecost. So I'm trying to cover the area, at least get to know them and spend time with the individuals. Mr. Luecker has been back to the northwest at one time. He's going back again, I believe, for Pentecost. So that saves me having to go up there now, just to let them know that the home office is interested in them and is there to serve them and help them.

Let's see if there's anything else I want to share with you. Oh, yes, Mr. Joe Horchak. I talked to him last night. See how he was doing. He had something removed like a skin cancer, and that's everything is fine. He said when they unwrapped and took it off, I believe it was yesterday, the doctor said everything looked great. So when I was telling him I was coming up to see you, he said, please be sure to give them his regards and his wife's regards to all of you. He misses you and sends his greetings back to you.

Could a man looking at a beautiful lady lead to deceit, drunkenness, adultery, and murder? Absolutely, yes. King David did such a thing. Just looking at a beautiful lady lusting for that beautiful lady, committing adultery with that beautiful lady, trying to deceive her husband by bringing him back and sending him down to have sex with his wife, by then getting this man drunk when he wouldn't go down, and finally, in order to cover his sin, have him killed by placing him in the front of the line and then withdrawing the troops so that he would be killed. Sin is so deceitful. Hebrews 3.13. Hebrews 3.13, as we approach Passover season, it's important that we take a look and see what we're fighting anyway.

But Hebrews 3.13, we read this. But exhort one another daily while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Now, how is sin deceitful? Why is sin so deceitful? I want to share with you some reasons why sin can be deceitful. And we need to be aware of it because we can deceive ourselves when we're in the midst of sin that it's okay.

And you know what the wages of sin is, right? What you earn for sin. Romans 6.23, wages of sin is death. First of all, ask what is sin? 1 John 3.4, you all know this. This is one of the first scriptures I ever knew or could recognize where it was.

Because in the early days of the broadcast on WWVA and WPIT in Pittsburgh, I heard Mr. Armstrong and Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong. And one of the most oft-quoted scriptures was 1 John 3.4 as well as Matthew 24.14. Those two are hammered a lot. What is sin? What is sin? A lot of people say, you sin. Some people say, well, this is so much fun. This must be sin. They don't understand what sin is. What is sin? You have preachers who can invade against sin, who can preach against sin.

They don't tell you what sin is. 1 John 3.4, we read this from the Apostle John, Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law. Because sin is, is a good definition, the transgression of the law. It's going against the law. It's cutting across the law. It's not walking with the law. It's not walking in the law. It's going against the law. It's running counter to it. 1 John 5.17 tells us, all unrighteousness is sin.

That which does not do the righteousness of God is sin. 1 John 5.17, so that's a positive thing. So in other words, you could be omitting. You don't have to do something. You could just not do something. And that could be sin. All unrighteousness is sin. 2 John 5.17, James 2.17 brings out this, the brother of Jesus Christ, brings out this aspect of it. He said, Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Sometimes you will be, How are you doing the commandments? I'm keeping most of them. Most of them? Well, I'm keeping 9 out of 10. That's a passing grade, isn't it? 90 out of 100, 90 percent passing grade? No, it's not a passing grade. You keep the whole law, and you offend at one, and you're a sinner. You're a law breaker. Don't tell me I'm a 9 tenths law. I'm a 1 tenths law breaker. No, you're a law breaker. Whosoever shall offend in one point is guilty of all. Don't tell me you're not a law breaker. So James 2.10 says, If you do one, break one, you're guilty of all.

You become a law breaker. So let's take a look and see the reasons why, now that we understand that sin is breaking God's law. It's going counter to it.

It's walking against it. And let me remind you that during the days of unleavened bread, you'll be putting unleavened bread in, which is depicting the law of God in your mouth. As you keep leavened products out, you're pushing out that which represents sin, but you're putting in that which represents righteousness.

And by the way, the students brought some samples of all those goodies that you'll see on the list. They will be in the cafeteria, I believe, or in the area where you're going to be eating. So you could taste samples of everything we're going to have. And you know, while unleavened bread should be the bread of affliction, and it still is, we just sugarcoat the affliction a little bit. And we did get a special deal from Manus Shevitz, so that the unleavened bread that's dark chocolate, as well as milk chocolate, as well as kosher marshmallows that you can't get anywhere here, kosher marshmallows, the toasted ones.

And they also have some macaroons that are apparently triple dipped. I haven't tried those. So, hey, I'm wetting your appetite, and it is feast time, so you can use second tithe, just a little hint. If you, heck, save enough to go to the Feast of Tabernacles, you can use second tithe to buy a tune.

It will help a worthy cause, the Zimbabwe Education Fund. And the students work really hard. They will be baking some of them. They'll be gluten-free and sugar-free cookies, as well, unleavened. So if you don't want to do a lot of baking yourself, there's an opportunity to get some. Okay. So let's go to talk about the reasons why sin is so deceitful. Reason number one is sin is appealing. Sin is appealing to most people, the natural person. Romans 8, verses 5 to 7. We also know these scriptures well. Romans 8, verses 5 to 7. We read this from the pen of the Apostle Paul.

So it's easy, it's natural to want to go the way of the flesh. And what does the flesh do? Why? Because the carnal mind leads you against the law of God. The carnal mind leads you to walk against it and go against it and resist it. But the spiritually minded is life and peace. Verse 7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God. Notice this next phrase. For it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

Why is sin so deceitful? Because, hey, I'm just doing what's natural. And if you do what's natural, you will sin. You will walk against God's law. If you do, what's natural? Romans 8.7. The carnal mind is enmity against God. It's not subject to the law of God. Neither indeed can be.

It's so appealing. Why? Because it's you and it's me. It's natural you and it's natural me. So naturally, the way I can do naturally, the way I can become and go down a normal path, a natural path, that's a sinful path. It is appealing. It's our way. Proverbs 14.12 even tells us, we think it's okay. Proverbs 14.12.

This is why sin is deceitful because it is appealing to you. It's natural. Romans 14.12. There is a way which seems right to a man. But the end thereof are the ways of death. What is the wages of sin? Death. Why is the person going to go the way of death? Because he's going the way that seems right to him. I submit to you that most people don't do what they think is wrong. Most people say, well, you know, if I steal a few of these little things, I mean, everybody's stealing. They think it's right.

No, if I lie a little bit, it's better to lie than to hurt that person by telling the truth. A little lie is okay. They think they're doing okay. They don't say, I know it's wrong to lie, but I'm going to stand here and tell a bold-faced lie. Many people do not do that. Most people do what they think is right. Why is sin so appealing? Because they think it's right. There's a way that seems right to a person the ends thereof, the ways of death.

1 John 2, 16. It appeals to our lusts. 1 John 2, verse 16. Sin is appealing because, hey, it appeals to our lusts. 1 John 2, 16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but of the world. It is appealing to you. Sin is so appealing that you can be deceived by it. And add to that, Ecclesiastes 8, when people do sin, they don't often get sapped.

Bolts of lightning don't come out of the sky and vaporize them the moment they sin. Ecclesiastes 8, verse 11. It's appealing. It's like, hey, I did wrong and nothing bad happened to me. Ecclesiastes 8, 11. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

Why, I did wrong and I got away with it. I did wrong and I got away with it. I'm okay. Must not have mattered to God. Yes, it did. He knew. He noticed. Verse 12. Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his days be prolonged. He's sinning. He looks like he's blessed. He's sinning. He looks like nothing's happened bad that's happened to him. Yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, which fear before him.

In the end, it's not right now. It's not immediate. That's why sin is so appealing. Because you can do it and get away with it seemingly. But verse 13. But it shall not be well with the wicked. Not in the end. Neither shall he prolong his days, which are as a shadow, because he does not fear before God.

So sin is appealing. Another way sin is so deceitful is sin can actually be pleasurable. How can something bad feel good? I taught my class about my experience with vanilla. The vanilla flavoring. My mom would cook and she would use vanilla flavoring, and she would open that jar. Oh, that smells so good! Mom, can I have some of that? There's a little taste. Gary, you won't like it. So I put it over. Next time she did it. Mom, that has to taste good. It smells so good.

It's got to taste good. So one time she gave me a little spoonful of vanilla extract. Do you ever try it? Yuck. Yuck. So sin is pleasurable. But it will whack you. Vanilla extract smells pleasurable, but taste it and see what happens. I don't recommend it. Hebrews 11 and verse 25. Hebrews 11 and verse 25 we find here the situation of Moses and what he had to turn away from. Sin can be pleasurable. Another reason it's so deceitful. Hebrews 11 and verse 25. It talks about Moses. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. That's verse 24. Verse 25. Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.

Sin can be pleasurable. You buy something or you steal something and you have it? That seemed to be pleasurable. Nobody caught you. When I stole these little plums from off this green grocer's truck and rode down the street on my little tricycle I was only like five or six, five maybe, rode down the street and I quickly went into a vacant lot, hid behind a rock and I had these two beautiful looking plums that I stole.

My little heart was beating as that truck came slowly up the street I kept wondering if he's going to notice he missed them. They're missing and come looking for me. And he drove by. But when I ate them, they were delicious. Stolen goods can still feel good. But it's a sin. It's a sin. I would never do that again. What I went through before I ate them was enough. Pleasures of sin for a season. Sin can be pleasurable. Proverbs 9 verses 17 and 18 really tells us what the story that I just gave to you of a personal note.

Proverbs 9 verses 17 and 18. Proverbs 9 verse 17 says, Stolen waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret. Why would you eat bread in secret? Because you stole it.

You got it somehow in a negative way. It's pleasant. But he knows not that the dead are there and that her guests are in the depths of hell. He doesn't realize by going down that path, he set it for death. Just like anyone else of his partners, anybody else in his gang, is going the same direction. Romans 1 verse 32. Romans 1 verse 32. This second aspect of why sin is so deceitful. Because it's pleasurable. If something's bad and evil, why is it so good?

Why can't it feel so good, taste so good, seemingly be so good? Cheat on your income tax. You didn't pay as much taxes. You have more money in the bank. You cheated. You weren't caught. Seems good. Who knows you cheated? Not the government. God. Who gave the commandments? Not the government. God. You don't fool God.

I don't fool God. Nobody can fool God. He sees what we are. He knows what we're about. You can't pull the wool over his eyes. You can't pretend and play a game. So just because it seems good, or even tastes good, is it going to be good? It's not going to be good in the long run if it's done deceitfully and sinfully.

Romans 1 verse 32. Talking about all these things which people are backbiters, haters of God, spiteful, proud boasters, etc. It said, without understanding, Romans 1-32, coming up to, without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do it. Even though they know this is going to end up in death, they still imbibe of those particular activities, and they also, as individuals, have pleasure when they see others doing it. Sin can be pleasurable. 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 11 and 12.

That's why it's so deceitful. Evil doesn't always feel bad. 2 Thessalonians 2 verses 11 and 12. And for this cause, God sent them strong delusion that they should believe a lie, that they might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. They had pleasure in unrighteousness. They won't do the truth, but they had a great time doing wrong, a great time doing evil. That's why sin can be so deceitful, because sin can be pleasurable. The third area that sin can be so deceitful is that you think if you tell just one sin, you'll get out of this.

But sin can be multiplying. Sin can be progressive. Take a look. 1 Corinthians 5 verse 6. Here's the principle. 1 Corinthians 5 and 6. We read this. Your glorying is not good. Don't you know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? And during the days of unleavened bread, leaven pictures hypocrisy, which is sin, and a little bit of it can cause this whole lump to be leavened. That tells me that sin can spread. And sometimes one sin will lead to another. Take, for example, Cain.

Let's look at it. Genesis 4. So in this third area, why sin is so deceitful? Because sin is appealing, sin is pleasurable, and sin becomes progressive. It becomes progressive. You almost have to go from one to another in order to try to cover the first one. Over in Genesis chapter 4, we see the example of Cain. Why is it so deceitful?

Because sin can be progressive. You do one, you go, okay, I'll just do this one. I'll just tell this little white lie. Then you may have to tell a black lie to cover the white lie, and maybe then a multicolored lie to cover the black one. But Genesis chapter 4, and we read in verse 3, Cain was very upset when his countenance fell. So first of all, Cain doesn't offer the type of offering that God must have taught him to give.

God would have no reason for rejecting his offering unless God had taught him what kind of an offering to give. If you come to church on the Holy Day and you give one penny as an offering, nobody can say you're bad. Nobody tells you how much you have to give. But if there was a $50 minimum and you gave $49, you would not be measuring up. Right? Why was God upset at him? Because he didn't offer an offering that God undoubtedly instructed him to do. So now he's mad. God likes Abel, but he doesn't like me. Now he's mad. He didn't give the right offering in the first place.

Verse 6, The Lord said to Cain, Why are you so upset? Why are you so mad? Why has your countenance fallen? You're going to see it all over his face, written all over his face. If you do well, shall you not be accepted? And if you don't do well, sin lies at the door. And to you shall be its desire, and you shall rule over it. You must master sin, or it will rule over you. So, didn't give the right offering, gets mad about it, gets mad at his brother. Verse 8, And Cain talked with Abel, his brother. Doesn't tell us what he said.

He may have said to him, What are you trying to do? Show me up, younger brother? You know, you made me look bad in God's eyes. Why'd you have to do that? You gave him your first thing, and I only gave him a little bit of fruit. Why'd you have to do that? And it got into an argument. Well, God told us to do it. Now, if you didn't have to do it, maybe, you just did it to make me look bad. Oh, Mr. Goody Two-Shoes, why'd you do this?

And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that now, not only has Cain's countenance fallen, not only has he not given the right offering, not only is he jawing with his brother, now he kills him. Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. Now, that doesn't end it. That ended Abel, didn't end Cain's progressive slide into sin. And the Lord said to Cain, Where's Abel, your brother? And he said, I don't know.

A lie. A lie. He just killed him. And he said, Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. Now you're cursed. So sin can be multiplying. Sin can be progressive. That's another part of the deceitfulness. I'll just tell this one little lie, and I'll get out of this. I'll tell this one, just steal this one little thing, and I'll get out of this. I'll just punch this guy one time and kill him.

And some people have done. I forget. Is it in Cincinnati or where it is of this guy? This lady was fighting this guy or trying to punch him or whatever. She either was going slow in traffic. They got out and they had a tussle or something, and she actually attacked him first, and he punched her. She fell down and knocked her out. I went into a coma. I don't know if she's dead yet.

I think she hit her head against the snow. You get into something. You start doing something. You could end up hurting people going beyond that. Your little punch could end up killing somebody. A little drink could end up killing somebody, or more than one little drink. Sin is progressive. That's why it's so deceitful. You think you'd get away with just one, then you have to keep on. David, you know the case.

We already mentioned that. He saw beautiful Bathsheba. He could have turned away. He said, there's a lady down there bathing. Oh, she's beautiful. Hey, whoa, she didn't have any clothes on. Whoa! David, go back in your room. Get off your rooftop. Quit looking at her. She's bathing. Typically, they bathe on the rooftops. David's rooftop was higher, so he's out there watching this lady. He was so enthralled with her, he lusted for her. Who is this?

Oh, that's Bathsheba. That's Uriah's wife. Oh, well, have her come up. We'll have some tea. He wanted more than tea. She came up, and he had sex. And he got her pregnant. So, looking and lusting. Then he brings her up and commits adultery.

Then he's got to figure out a way now to cover his adultery. So, he has her husband Uriah who's one of his generals. A famous military man brought in from the field. And he said, tell me how it's going in the army. All on a ruse, right? Tell me how things are going. Tell me how the fighting is going. Okay, well, thank you so much. Now, I'm sure you want to go home and see Bathsheba, your wife. I'm sure you want to go home and spend some time with her.

You've been away for a while in battle. You'd probably like to go spend some time with her. And David thinks he's got his problem solved. He'll go back there. He'll have sex with his wife. And he'll think the baby is his. Only the guy is so faithful to David and to the rest of his military buddies.

He refuses to go home. He just sleeps out there. You know, like he's been sleeping out in the camp on the ground anyway. He just sleeps there in David's courtyard. David goes, What? He didn't go home last night, David. Okay, well, come on up, Uriah. Tell me more about the battle, by the way, while we're having this talk. Let's have a little bit of booze. So they start pouring the drinks and giving him more. Giving him more. You two and me one. You two and me one.

You two and me one. And he says, Now that I've got him liquored up, I'll just point him in the direction of his home. And he'll head on home and not really be knowing too much what he's doing. And he'll have sex with his wife, and I'll be covered again. Didn't work. So now David has to take more extreme measures. One sin led to another until David had him carry his own death warrant back to the military.

Give it to the general. Have him put him in the front of the line and say, Let's attack! And then call the rest of the guys to withdraw. And that first line of men, including Uriah, are killed. Sin can be so deceitful because it is progressive. You do one. You try to cover one. It leads to another. You try to cover one. It leads to another. That's why it's so deceitful. Let's talk about the difficulty with sin. The difficulty with sin in any of our lives is that it's not easy to change. We all like that which is comfortable.

We all like that which is... Don't you have certain things that you like that are comfortable? Do you like certain cup... You know, certain coffee cups. I'll go to the cupboard and we have lots of coffee cups. I don't like that one. That one's the one I like. I like the feel of it. I like the way my fingers fit into the lip so I can hold it. I like the way the shape of it is. I like the design of it. That's my cup. That's kind of like my favorite cup. I have a few favorite cups.

But that just feels so good. Why is that? And then you start using it and it becomes what you like to do. We like to keep on doing that which comes natural. We like to fall into a certain pattern. It's not easy to change. It's not easy to adapt and people get into a sinful pattern.

It's not easy to stop it. In fact, Proverbs 28, verse 13 says, many people like to cover over. It's not easy to change. Proverbs 28 and verse 13, here's the difficulty that any of us has was sin, which is so deceitful. Proverbs 28, verse 13, we read this, he that covers his sins shall not prosper. But you see, the tendency is to cover them.

Let's see if I could cover this up. I don't want to have to change. Remember, the carnal mind is enmity against God. Not easy to change. 1 Corinthians 2.14.

1 Corinthians 2.14. In fact, it's even hard to see a person's sins. 1 Corinthians 2.14. The natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. Say, you know what? You should be doing this. Okay? Keep the Sabbath. Don't keep Sunday, keep Sabbath. Why? What's different about those 24 hours from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset from Saturday sunset to Sunday sunset? 24 hours, right? Can you see any difference? Just humanly looking at it? Is there any difference? Or Thursday night to Friday night?

Let's keep the Muslim Friday. If you look at it, just what's the difference? The natural man cannot see the things of the Spirit of God. And God's law is spiritual. It takes the Spirit of God to help us keep it. And it takes the Spirit of God to help us see it. He says, the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him.

Neither can he know them. He can't see. What's wrong? I don't see anything wrong with this. I don't see anything wrong lying a little bit, cheating a little bit, stealing a little bit, not working any time I want to work. I don't see anything wrong with that. Because they are spiritually discerned. They can't see. That's why it's so hard to get rid of. Psalm 90, verse 8, tells us sometimes, we've kept our sins so secret that we don't even see them anymore. Psalm 90, verse 8, talks about secret sins.

Psalm 90, verse 8, You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your countenance. Our secret sins. Do you have secret sins? You have sins maybe you don't even know you have. That's why in love and bread you take a look. Take a look in your closets as you clean, get rid of your leavening.

Take a look in places where you haven't looked before. You might be surprised. I think one time I found in one of my jackets that I seldom wear, I put, I don't know, it was a granola bar or whatever type of bar that had leavening in it. Apparently planning to eat it, whatever, and I never hung the jacket up.

I was never going to be in this jacket. For some reason, during unleavened bread, I pull it out. To put it on, I reach in my pocket. Here's, after we had cleaned all the leavening out, here's this leavened item. It was secret to me. I didn't know it was even there. Do you have secret sins? Do you have sins that maybe you made secret? You kept secret. And because you kept them so secret, you don't even know what they are now. You don't even recognize them.

Adam and Eve blamed each other. They couldn't see their sins. Well, this woman, she gave it to me. Well, that man you gave, he'd better lead her. Well, it was Satan. He did it. You know, brethren, we blame Satan for a lot of things, and Satan is the God of this world, and he's a terrible enemy of every one of us.

But I never yet have asked anybody to say when they're baptized, that he's baptized Satan, because he's the one that did the sins. You're the one that does the sins. Satan influences. The world influences. The old self influences, but you're the one that's baptized because you're sins. It's important that we not blame and push it on to someone else. Job, he couldn't see his sins. Not me. I'm okay. By integrity, I maintain. I'm a good guy. He couldn't see his attitude. King Saul, he blamed the people. Samuel said, what is this I hear? I thought you were supposed to destroy all these animals. I thought you're... Well, the people. The people wanted them. They said, but you were supposed to obey God.

I know, but the people wanted a nice big sacrifice. So we kept some of the animals, we kept some of the leaders to make fun of them. Isn't that good? He couldn't see. And when he was pointed out to him, he blamed somebody else for his shortcomings. Another difficulty with sin is Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2. Sin saps your strength. Sin in our life, in our lives saps our strength.

Do you really have the strength to fight anymore? Isaiah 59, verses 1 and 2. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is heavy that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God. Your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear you.

You can't get strength. You can't have the help and strength that you need to overcome. Because of sin in your life that saps that strength, that energy that needs to come from God Almighty in heaven above. But brethren, despite the fact that sin is so deceitful, that sin is deceitful by being appealing and pleasurable and progressive and difficult to root out, we can overcome sin. And not only can we, we must overcome sin. For that's the meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread, is putting sin out of our lives. It is making progress on this insidious evil that is so deceitful.

James 1, verses 13 to 15. James 1, verses 13 to 15. We have the Spirit of God working with and in us, with us if we're not baptized, in us if we are. And that gives us strength, extra strength to see. It lets us see beyond what normal human beings can see, because God's Spirit helps you understand the spiritual context of issues. James 1, verse 13. Let no man say when he is tempted of God, that when he is tempted, that he is tempted of God. For God is not tempted with evil, neither does he tempt any man. God doesn't tempt you. God doesn't put traps in front of you. God allows trials. God does not tempt you. Verse 14, But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. And when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin. When sin is finished, it brings forth death. Now how do you stop this? Not so easy, but it can be done. You see, to get to lust, you already had thought. Jesus Christ was tempted in all points, like as we are. He was tempted with thought. But he was never tempted with lust. That's why Paul said, bring every thought into captivity. 2 Corinthians 10.5. So you must stop the thought. Thought enters your ear. Uh-uh, bad thought. Get out of here. If you entertain the thought and let it become lust, you've already assumed. Right? Coveting lusting. Now you take that lust and you translate it into action, which becomes active sin. Then you're headed for death. Stop it when it comes in, as a thought. Don't conceive it and dwell on it. Don't let it dominate you. Don't let it brew. Stop it there. Recognize. And how do you... Can you recognize it? Do you know the Word of God? Do you know thoughts that are contrary to the Word of God? Like lying, stealing, lusting? If you know that, that kind of thing comes in. What do you do? You know what? That's no good. It's not a right thought. Get out of here. You kick it out. You might even quote a scripture. Remember Satan the devil told Jesus, I'll just jump off this building as the Bible says you'll do this. And Jesus said, don't tempt the Lord your God. Quoted scripture right back. He kicked out that thought. He must have had the thought because he heard it. But he didn't let the thought conceive. So once again, we can overcome. We must overcome. You've got to stop it at its core. The thought. Hebrews 4, 15 and 16. And God Almighty will be there to help you, James. Hebrews 4 verses 15 and 16. Because he knows how to stop thoughts and he can give you the strength to do it. We have not a high priest, which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmity, but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. The temptation of James begins with lust. Normal temptation begins with the thought. If you stop the thought from becoming lust, you have not sinned.

That's why it says in 2 Corinthians 10.5, bring every thought into captivity. Take a look at it. Wait a minute. But you had a holding cell for a minute and take a look before I let it go any further. Ah, you know what? This is not a good thought. Kick it out. Put it in a holding cell. Bring it into captivity. He says he was tempted in all points like as we are yet with thoughts, and he never let it go to the lust stage. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find help, grace, to help in time of need. So we can overcome. We must overcome because we can have the strength and help of God. The Apostle Paul said, you know, being a Christian is no picnic. It's not easy. 1 Corinthians 9, 20, 7. He says, But I keep under my body. I keep under my body. I keep it in subjection. Bring it into subjection, lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. He said, I've got to work on myself. I've got to say no to my lust of the eyes and my lust of the flesh. I've got to say no. That's what the Apostle Paul said. And so do we. We've got to keep ourselves in check. It's called taking a grip of yourself. You're not doing that. Christians don't do that, Gar. I have to say that to myself sometimes. I've got, what's the guy doing up there? What is he trying to do?

Christians don't do that. Calm down.

Take a grip of yourself. Don't let it go beyond. Hebrews 12.4. How much of you resisted sin? Do you pull out every stop to make sure you resist sin as much as you possibly can? I like this verse. Hebrews 12.4. The Apostle Paul writes, he says, You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. Have any of you been bloodied up because you've been trying to fight and resist sin? Have you sweated blood because you've been resisting sin? Probably not.

He says, you have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. But we must strive against it. We must be willing with God's help and His strength, the effort that God can give us and help us to look at ourselves and put sin out of our lives. So let's bring this to a conclusion.

What do we need to do about this deceitfulness of sin? One, we need to recognize sin. We need to have a thorough knowledge of God's Word, God's law, and God's way. It's called having the law written in your heart and mind. I don't have to pull out. I remember one minister said, he pulls out his wallet and in there he's got the Ten Commandments. Why do I need to read the Ten Commandments if I've learned them and known them for years and tried to practice them? I know if I'm going to go against one of the commandments. I know what it says. I know what it's about. Your law better not be written in your wallet. It better be written in your heart. The wallet might be next to the heart. I don't have mine in my pocket here. But it might be. Not next to it. It should be in it. It should be part of you. And so when something comes as contrary to that which is right and good and decent and law abiding and lawful, you kick it out. So recognize sin. That's number one. Knowledge of God's Word and God's law. Number two. Hate sin. Hate sin. What has sin done to people? The devastating effects that sin has had on all kinds of people all over the world. The greed of dictators who load their bank accounts with billions of dollars while their people suffer from starvation and hunger. To those who are so greedy that they want to take over somebody else's property. To those who will lie to get ahead, who will condemn you, who will make up stories and accuse so that they can get ahead. You know. Do you hate sin? I hate it. I hate what it does to people.

I hate the illicit sex. I hate the broken marriages. I hate the people cheating on their husbands or their wives. Not the people. I hate what they do. I hate it. Because I see the effects afterwards in their children. And how they long to have a decent family. Do you hate it? Do you hate sin when it's abuse? Do you hate what it does to young people for the rest of their lives? Hate it. Hate it. Then you won't want it to run. If you don't hate sin, you'll just... Come on, let's have a... We're just having a little visit here with sin. You're not going to do anything to me, is he? Hate it. Keep sin away. Keep it out of your life. Think about what it does to humankind. Number three. Overcome sin. Overcome sin. God is ready to forgive. God is willing to forgive. And God will. If you're willing to say, I'm sorry. And if you're willing to do something about it and resist it and put it out of your life. Philippians 4.13. I know you can do it. I know you can do it. I know I can do it. Philippians 4.13. Here's Paul in prison. Amazing. The Apostle Paul said, I can do all things. He's in prison. I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me. We have a power available to us that's not natural. It's quite supernatural. To give us the strength, once we recognize the sin, once we hate the sin, to put it out of our lives and make a dramatic change. God can do it. You're more than a miracle because you know what? You could talk about miracles, but the greatest miracle I've ever seen is a change of a person's mind. A change from a sinful way of life to a godly way of life. How awesome is that? Who did it? God. The God who says greater works will you do than I after I'm gone? What are those greater works? Because the Holy Spirit comes to give us strength to change. We can overcome. We can change. God's ready to forgive. He's willing to forgive. He just has to hear our words, see our commitment to change. Revelation 3.21, by next to the last scripture. Revelation 3.21. I say that so you can breathe a sigh of relief. He's almost done. Mr. Raymond McNair in England used to do this. Just one more scripture. He went on for about a half an hour like that. Oh, just one more scripture. Just one more scripture. I'm getting tired here. We're going through the gun laps so many times.

I'm about exhausted. So anyway, I do have only one more scripture after this. Revelation 3.21. To him that overcomes, God wants us to be overcomers, will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. Jesus Christ did not overcome sin, but Jesus Christ did overcome the temptations that He had, the thought that came to Him. He put it out. He had to subject His human nature to the God nature that He had, the Spirit of God, of which He had from the time of His conception. You and I can, too. We've got God's help. We've got God's strength. We can be overcomers to the end.

And we can be like David when we do look at our sins and when we recognize the deceitfulness of sins, we can be like David and we can say, I have sinned. Remember 2 Samuel 12.13? When Samuel had to give him this story.

David said, who is that man that took that little lamb and took it to himself? Who was that man? He deserves to die.

Samuel said, it's you, King David. It's you.

When David saw his sin, David recognized what he did. David said, I have sinned.

You and I need to be searching our lives during the days of Unleavened Bread that are coming up. And in the days prior to that time, we need to be saying, what sins do I need to be working on and overcoming? What's in my life that I don't see that's deceiving me? Because it might be appealing or pleasurable?

Because it might be something that is progressive? And you say, what can I do to get this out of my life?

I can recognize it. I can hate it. And with the help of God, I can overcome it. So let's emphasize putting sin out of our lives as we approach these days of Unleavened Bread and through them.