Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.
C.S. Lewis
Romans 1:21-25 NLT
21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused.
22 Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools.
23 And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
24 So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies.
25 They traded the truth about God for a lie…
The Five Lies
In order for
Genesis 3:1-7 NIV
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.
5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
Step 1: The devil gets us to
God’s
1 Thessalonians 2:13 NIV
13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.
“If your god never disagrees with you, you might be worshiping an idealized version of yourself.”
Step 2: The devil
That
Proverbs 14:12 NIV
12 There is a way that appears to be right,
but in the end it leads to death.
Passions need
Step 3: The devil
Righteousness is
Sin is
Psalm 16:11 NKJV
11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
The most
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NIV
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
Giving up something
Step 5: The devil uses
It’s
Psalm 34:5 NLT
5 Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy;
no shadow of shame will darken their faces.
Luke 22:44 NIV
42 “…not my will, but yours be done.”
Romans 8:1-2 NLT
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
2 Corinthians 7:10 NIV
10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.