Death by a Thousand Deceits

Passage: Ephesians 4.20-24

Date: February 5, 2023

We are often misled to think that Christian life is centrally about momentous events or circumstances. The truth, however, is that both our victories and failures are influenced more by the little moments that we typically overlook. This is partly what Paul has in mind when he says that our old way of living has been corrupt (or destroyed) by our deceitful desires. These desires might seem innocent, but they have the power to ruin our lives so they are doubly dangerous. In fact, all the topics that Paul mentions between Ephesians 4.17-5.21 are examples of the desires that have the power to deceive and destroy. 

This week, we will apply the framework of the death, resurrection, and life of Christ to deceitful desires. The death of Christ means that our deceitful desires have been forgiven so we will not be inflicted by the wrath of God; the resurrection of Christ means that we have been blessed by the permanent dwelling of his Spirit who will conform us to the life of Christ so that we can overcome these desires. In one sense, all these things have already taken place in Christ; in another sense, they have not yet been fully realized. We live in a tension where we suffer and need to take baby steps to grow gradually.

From a practical standpoint, this means that for every deceitful desire, we need to identify the idol (grow in our heart), identify the lie (grow in our mind), and practice discipline (grow in our actions). The sermon will explain all this by going through some of the more prevalent examples of deceitful desires: video games, Netflix/YouTube, social media, isolation, and Christian activities.