The Simplicity in Christ

I. This study examines various means by which Satan frustrates the word of God, particularly in believers.

II. Definitions. A. corruption: The perversion of anything from an original state of purity. B. simplicity: The state or quality of being simple in form, structure, etc.; absence of compositeness, complexity, or intricacy. C. simple: Free from duplicity, dissimulation, or guile; innocent and harmless; undesigning, honest, open, straightforward. D. beguile: trans. To entangle or over-reach wit...

Update to point IV.E.2 from last week: a. The Fall began as a marital tug-of-war: Satan pulling Eve away from Adam’s headship, and she was not even a silly woman, per 2TI 3:6. b. John warns the elect lady to not entertain a deceiver. 2JO 1:10. c. Eve gave heed (careful attention, care, observation, regard) to a seducing spirit. c/w 1TI 4:1. d. There is wisdom in shutting the door to contradiction. PRO 19:27.

V. All Scripture is profitable (2TI 3:16) but the New Testament given through Christ’s apos...

M. Effective communication requires a clear conveyance of message from giver to receiver. 1. Consider very small children who are unable to process spoken language. a. Parents can successfully convey a message of love to them by tender care and supply of their needs, touch, smiles and positive vocal tones. b. Parents can successfully convey messages about boundaries by measured physical pain combined with a simple verbal “No.” c/w PRO 29:15. c. Do not wait for a child to develop oral language skills to b...

B. Satan can wedge himself in between God’s words and your mind by playing word-games like the cults do in repurposing Biblical terms and concepts. 1. The Trinity of a Christian Scientist is not the “God in Three Persons” of 1JO 5:7 but rather Life, Truth, Love. 2. The Jesus Christ of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is not the Incarnate Deity of JOH 1:14; 1TI 3:16 but a created god who is really Michael the Archangel, and he did not rise and ascend bodily into heaven. 3. To the Mormon, Jesus Christ is the son of...

G. Satan can corrupt your mind from the words of God by cares and pleasures of life and the deceitfulness of riches. MAT 13:22; LUK 8:14. 1. Under this delusion of success, only the words of Scripture that appeal to the natural man will be heeded. ROM 8:5. 2. The lust-driven will look for other teachers with sweeter stories. 2TI 4:3-4. 3. Ambition for worldly increase and worldly success can blind one to the excellency of blessed prosperity, not blasted prosperity: the difference between Abraham and Lot....