The Heart of Man is Exceedingly Deceitful
A Jonathan Edwards Sermon Summary
We deceive God, others, and ourselves (Jeremiah 17:9, Hebrews 3:13).
We flatter God and lie to Him (Psalm 78:36). We say we’re sinners while thinking we’re good, believing that God should answer our prayers, bless us, and reward our work.
We ask God to protect us from sin, but we don’t watch over ourselves carefully. When Satan temps us, we yield easily.
We say God is infinitely powerful and merciful, providing all things, yet we excessively worry and pursue earthly things.
We say that God is most important, yet we don’t keep His commandments, nor the promises we made to Him in distress (Psalm 78:56-57, Hosea 7:16). Sometimes we live like God doesn’t even exist.
Not only deceiving God, we deceive others also (Matthew 23:5). We are friendly to their faces but backstab them (Psalm 28:3, 12:2, 55:21; Jeremiah 9:4, 8; Proverbs 20:6). We judge their pride while we remain arrogant (Romans 2:1).
Furthermore, we deceive ourselves. We distort God’s rules to justify ourselves. We covet others’ wealth and frame it as prudence.
We are ignorant (Job 11:12), thinking we know something when we don’t (1 Corinthians 8:2), or we are something when we aren’t (Galatians 6:3). We don’t see our wickedness (Matthew 3:7, Psalm 58:4). We don’t know the power of sin.
We are prone to errors, yet we’re stubborn. We ignore God’s guidance (Psalm 25:4-5) and neglect others’ opinions (Proverbs 26:16).
We think God is not so far above us. When we don’t understand the Bible, we leave Him (John 6:50-66, Psalm 73:22).
Don’t be too self-confident or trustful of our hearts or wisdom. Be suspicious of yourselves (Proverbs 28:26). Beware your blindness (John 9:39, 1 Corinthians 3:19).
Ask God to help us see ourselves.
Examine ourselves with His words (James 3:17, John 1:47, Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 Corinthians 9:27). Have we kept our promises? Are our prayers just a show?
Trust His words (Proverbs 3:5). Seek others’ advice. Accept your mistakes.
Earnestly seek His grace as if you don’t have it (Philippians 3:8-11).
Summary of a sermon by Jonathan Edwards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOe0RKYwXwo
We flatter God and lie to Him (Psalm 78:36). We say we’re sinners while thinking we’re good, believing that God should answer our prayers, bless us, and reward our work.
We ask God to protect us from sin, but we don’t watch over ourselves carefully. When Satan temps us, we yield easily.
We say God is infinitely powerful and merciful, providing all things, yet we excessively worry and pursue earthly things.
We say that God is most important, yet we don’t keep His commandments, nor the promises we made to Him in distress (Psalm 78:56-57, Hosea 7:16). Sometimes we live like God doesn’t even exist.
Not only deceiving God, we deceive others also (Matthew 23:5). We are friendly to their faces but backstab them (Psalm 28:3, 12:2, 55:21; Jeremiah 9:4, 8; Proverbs 20:6). We judge their pride while we remain arrogant (Romans 2:1).
Furthermore, we deceive ourselves. We distort God’s rules to justify ourselves. We covet others’ wealth and frame it as prudence.
We are ignorant (Job 11:12), thinking we know something when we don’t (1 Corinthians 8:2), or we are something when we aren’t (Galatians 6:3). We don’t see our wickedness (Matthew 3:7, Psalm 58:4). We don’t know the power of sin.
We are prone to errors, yet we’re stubborn. We ignore God’s guidance (Psalm 25:4-5) and neglect others’ opinions (Proverbs 26:16).
We think God is not so far above us. When we don’t understand the Bible, we leave Him (John 6:50-66, Psalm 73:22).
Don’t be too self-confident or trustful of our hearts or wisdom. Be suspicious of yourselves (Proverbs 28:26). Beware your blindness (John 9:39, 1 Corinthians 3:19).
Ask God to help us see ourselves.
Examine ourselves with His words (James 3:17, John 1:47, Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 1:12, 1 Corinthians 9:27). Have we kept our promises? Are our prayers just a show?
Trust His words (Proverbs 3:5). Seek others’ advice. Accept your mistakes.
Earnestly seek His grace as if you don’t have it (Philippians 3:8-11).
Summary of a sermon by Jonathan Edwards:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOe0RKYwXwo