MID-WEEK MANNA FROM PASTOR NAT’S DESK:
February 28, 2024
Satan’s Deceptions
Part 10
THE MEANINGS AND DEADLY VARIANTS OF DECEPTION (No. 2)
English is the accepted universal language. Thus, let us familiarize ourselves with its different definitions and its shades of meaning and provide a few examples of each from the KJV Bible.
From Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Fifth Edition, 1942 (emphasis mine):
DECEPTION. Act of deceiving; fact or state of being deceived. That which deceives or is meant to deceive; CHEAT; FRAUD.
DECEIT. An attempt or disposition to deceive; a TRICK; fraud. SYN. Deceitfulness, DUPLICITY, GUILE, CHICANERY.
Here are the differences: Deception is the act of deceiving. Deceit always implies design; deception may be unintentional.
Deceitfulness implies a disposition or tendency to deceive.
Duplicity is intentional too, and (often) SUSTAINED DOUBLE-DEALING.
Guile implies especially CRAFT and INSIDIOUS ARTIFICE.
Chicanery (or chicane) implies SUBTERFUGE, SOPHISTRY, and TRICKERY.
Deceitful (adj.) full of of marked by; deceptive; MISLEADING; INSINCERE; FALLACIOUS.
Deceive. To CATCH; to DELUDE; CHEAT; to BEGUILE, DUPE; FOOL; HOAX.
None of these words and descriptions can ever be applied to Jesus Christ the incarnated Creator, Lamb of God, the one-and-only “way, truth, and life” and thus the Savior, Pattern Man and Example for all fallen, sinful mankind. Indeed, “Behold the Man!” Verily, “Look, and live!”
All who lovingly and faithfully follow Christ’s blood-stained “footsteps” of His life-example of self-denial and self-sacrifice by willingly taking up his “own cross” of self-denial and self-sacrifice, daily,” one day at a time, will, like the Master he has chosen to serve, strive to please Him by imaging the example of His Lord and Savior.
Thus his deeds, words, works, and life itself will come to reflect the character-image of the yet-invisible Christ. By pleasing Him thus, His law is magnified and He, not any finite mortal is glorified “in the flesh.”
To be continued, God willing. Bless all, NMF.