Delusion is commonly defined as a fixed false belief and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false, fanciful or derived from deception; an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality or rational argument. It is distinctly different from a belief based on false or incomplete information (deception) or certain effects of perception which would more properly be termed an apperception or illusion.
Delusion is caused by or derives from deception, distortion, fear, dread, pride, poor concept of God, poor concept of yourself as it relates to God.
What if God is not Real... What if God does not heal me... What if God does not save me... or better yet... What if the prophecy doesn't come true... What if I was wrong... What if that wasn't God... What if, What if, What if???
We use the word “fear” to describe a feeling of dread for the future, and some people claim that this kind of fear is what drives us to practice religion. But humanity’s need for God cannot be so simply explained.
The Bible uses the word “fear” in many ways that we do not. Biblical fear is not just a dread of the future, especially not the fear of God-which is more like a feeling of worship or awed respect. The simpler kind of fear appears in the Bible as well: we are told that “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31, RSV), and Jesus taught that we should fear God because he has the power to punish sin and destroy sinners (Luke 12:4-5). Fear can help people to realize that they need God’s forgiveness. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve hide fearfully from God after disobeying him. Fear is a natural consequence of sin (Genesis 3:10; 4:13-14; Proverbs 28:1), and the Bible shows a great many people who are plagued with deep anxiety (e.g., Cain, Saul, Ahaz, and Pilate). Anxious fear seizes the wicked (Job 15:24), surprises the hypocrite (Isaiah 33:14), and consumes evildoers (Psalm 73:19), whose faithless lives are full of fear (Revelation 21:8). Pharaoh’s mighty army was paralyzed by fear as God moved against them (Exodus 15:16), and Job’s friend Bildad spoke of people being driven to their knees by the judgments of God (Job 18:11).
Fear often does one of two things: it freezes people up, making them unable to act, or it seriously affects their behavior. Saul’s fear of the people caused him to sin against the commandment of God (1 Samuel 15:24). The parents whose blind son was miraculously healed by Jesus were afraid to support Christ because they feared the Jews (John 9:22). In the parable of the talents Jesus told of a man whose fear prevented him from doing his duty (Matthew 25:25).
Jesus Christ, by his death, resurrection, and heavenly intercession for believers, delivers us from fear. The apostle Paul encouraged the Romans (Romans 8:15) by telling them that in their conversion to Christ they received the Holy Spirit, not a spirit of fear and bondage, but a spirit of adoption, through which they could address God as “Abba” (“Daddy”). This is the word Jesus used when talking to his heavenly Father and which Christians may also use in speaking to God (Galatians 4:6). If we have received God’s love, our anxieties and fears can be cast out (1 John 4:18).
Unnecessary fear can harm the people of God. Jeremiah was warned by God not to fear his opponents (Jeremiah 1:8). God gives similar warnings to Ezekiel and to a great many others (Joshua 1:7-9; Ezekiel 2:6). Even godly people are tempted to fear and may be temporarily overwhelmed by it (Psalm 55:5). Therefore, God repeatedly counsels his people not to give in to the temptation of fear (Isaiah 8:12; John 14:1, 27). He tells them to cast their anxieties upon God, whose care for his sheep is infinite (1 Peter 5:7). Faith, then, is the only way to fearlessness, as Isaiah tells us: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee” (Isaiah 26:3, KJV). The psalmists repeatedly mention the need for faith to conquer fear (Psalms 37:1; 46:2; 112:7).
Genuine faith is expressed in, and full of, an awe and reverence for God, and this is the basic meaning of the biblical idea of “fearing God.” Unless we personally realize the awesome and majestic power of God, it is impossible to have meaningful faith in one’s heart (Psalms 5:7; 89:7). Though Christians should be free from the fear of humans (Hebrews 13:6), death (2:15), and life in general (2 Timothy 1:6-7), they must never lose their sense of the awe of God. Such awareness not only leads to true wisdom (Psalm 111:10) but also provides direction for the child of God throughout life (Ephesians 5:21; Philippians 2:12). Those who love God learn about this kind of fear by searching the Scriptures (Proverbs 2:3-5), the Word of God. In Acts 10:2 Cornelius and his family were called “God-fearers” because of their high respect for the God of Israel and because they stood in awe of him. True reverence for God must be expressed in good works and holy living (2 Corinthians 7:1). This holy fear actually brings joy (Psalm 2:11) and a “fountain of life” (Proverbs 14:27). The fear of the Lord is more valuable than riches (15:16) because the Lord takes pleasure in those who hold him in such high regard (Psalm 147:11).
It leads to Compromise,
To compromise God’s truth or God’s ways or God’s Word or our Christian life is to negotiate away that which is holy. The test of acceptable compromise is simple: Do both sides ultimately win through compromise? Unacceptable compro9mise is giving up too much for what you get. To give up godliness for anything is a bad bargain. You lose and Satan wins.
Jeremiah 3:24 From childhood we have watched as everything our ancestors worked for–their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters–was squandered on a delusion.
Isaiah 66:4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not.
COMPROMISE CAN DULL OUR SENSITIVITY TO SIN.
Exodus 34:12 . . . Be very careful never to make treaties with the people in the land where you are going. If you do, you soon will be following their evil ways.
2 John 1:9-11 . . . If you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God.
Revelation 2:14 . . . I have a few complaints against you. You tolerate some among you who are like Balaam who showed Balak how to trip up the people of Israel. He taught them to worship idols by . . . committing sexual sin.
A little sin is just as bad as a lot of sin. Sin is sin, and sin is wrong.
HOW DO WE LIVE IN TODAY’S CULTURE WITHOUT COMPROMISING OUR CONVICTIONS?
Daniel 1:8-16 . . . Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food . . . He asked . . . permission to eat other things instead . . . and [suggested] ten days on a diet of vegetables and water . . . the attendant finally agreed to Daniel’s suggestion.
We must stand up for what is right and true, but in a respectful manner. Sometimes, as in Daniel’s case, we are respected for our beliefs; other times we are not.
LEARN TO RECOGNIZE THE AREAS IN WHICH YOU ARE MOST LIKELY TO COMPROMISE.
Judges 16:15-17 . . . “How can you say you love me when you don’t confide in me?”. . . day after day she nagged him until . . . Samson told her his secret.
We are most likely to compromise in areas where we are spiritually weak.
PLEASURE IS NOT ALWAYS WORTH THE COMPROMISE.
Judges 16:1 . . . One day Samson went to the Philistine city of Gaza and spent the night with a prostitute.
Trading morals, national leadership, and allegiance to one’s people for a night of pleasure is a bad compromise. It is giving up too much to get too little. Trading the best of life for a moment of pleasure is a foolish choice.
WHEN I AM NEGOTIATING FOR A COMPROMISE, HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M ABOUT TO MAKE A BAD BARGAIN?
1 Samuel 8:19-20 . . . The people refused to listen to Samuel’s warning. “Even so, we still want a king,” they said, “We want to be like the nations around us. Our king will govern us and lead us into battle.”
The people were willing to lose personal and religious freedoms to win military might. Compromise is a bad deal when you trade eternal loyalties for temporal ones.
IS BAD COMPROMISE ALWAYS TRADING AWAY SOMETHING GOOD?
2 Kings 15:3-4 . . . [Uzziah] did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, just as his father, Amaziah, had done. But he did not destroy the pagan shrines, where the people offered sacrifices and burned incense.
Bad compromise is not always just a bad trade; sometimes it is failing to take the action that you and God know is right. Doing nothing when you know God wants you to do something is another form of bad compromise.
THERE ARE RELATIONSHIPS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND ALLIANCES THAT CAN QUICKLY LEAD US TO COMPROMISE.
2 Corinthians 6:14-15 . . . Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can goodness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness? What harmony can there be between Christ and the Devil? How can a believer be a partner with an unbeliever?
2 Chronicles 18:1 . . . Now Jehoshaphat enjoyed great riches and high esteem, and he arranged for his son to marry the daughter of King Ahab of Israel.
Ezra 4:1-2 . . . The enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were rebuilding a Temple to the Lord . . . They said, “Let us build with you, for we worship your God.”
Romans 12:2 . . . Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person.
Partnership, in business or marriage, is teaming up with another to act as one. God warns against a partnership in which one loves God and the other doesn’t, for how can these two different belief systems act as one?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COMPROMISING AND NEGOTIATING?
Daniel 1:8 . . . Daniel made up his mind not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief official for permission to eat other things instead.
Compromising and negotiating both have the same end goal-the greater good for all parties involved. Daniel was able to negotiate a settlement without compromising his convictions-both the king and Daniel got what they wanted. Whenever you negotiate, never give up your Christian convictions.
WHEN IS COMPROMISE INAPPROPRIATE?
Romans 6:12 . . . Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires.
Compromise is inappropriate when it involves sin of any kind.
1 Samuel 15:24 . . . Saul finally admitted, “Yes, I have sinned. I have disobeyed your instructions and the Lord’s command, for I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded.”
Exodus 23:2 . . . Do not join a crowd that intends to do evil.
3 John 1:11 . . . Dear friend, don’t let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good.
When compromise is motivated by people pleasing or following the bad example of others, it is inappropriate.
WHAT IS A DANGER OF INAPPROPRIATE COMPROMISE?
Proverbs 25:26 . . . If the godly compromise with the wicked, it is like polluting a fountain or muddying a spring.
Exodus 34:12 . . . Be very careful never to make treaties with the people in the land where you are going. If you do, you soon will be following their evil ways.
Compromising with evil causes us to sin.
WHEN IS COMPROMISE APPROPRIATE AND HOW DO WE EFFECTIVELY COMPROMISE?
Ezra 10:3-4 . . . We will follow the advice given by you and by the others who respect the commands of our God. We will obey the law of God. Take courage, for it is your duty to tell us how to proceed in setting things straight, and we will cooperate fully.
Within the will of God and the commands he has given us in scripture, it is healthy to mutually give up something for the common good. But we must never give in if it means disobeying the Bible.
Matthew 5:24 . . . Leave your sacrifice there beside the altar. Go and be reconciled to that person. Then come and offer your sacrifice to God.
Seeking God’s approval first requires reconciliation with God’s people. Reconciliation means giving up lesser things to gain greater things.
Romans 14:15 . . . If another Christian is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died.
A Christian must be willing to avoid those things that offend others in order to maintain unity in the body of Christ. This may require compromising personal preferences, but never Christian convictions.
Romans 15:1 . . . We may know that these things make no difference, but we cannot just go ahead and do them to please ourselves. We must be considerate of the doubts and fears of those who think these things are wrong.
We must be willing to compromise what pleases us for the sake of others’ doubts and fears.
Philippians 2:2 . . . Make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.
Agreement may mean giving up something “I” want for the sake of what “we” want.
HOW DO I RESPOND APPROPRIATELY WHEN I AM TEMPTED TO COMPROMISE GOD’S WAYS?
1 Chronicles 22:13 . . . If you carefully obey the laws and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses, you will be successful. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!
1 Corinthians 10:13 . . . Remember that the temptations that come into your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.
1 Corinthians 16:13 . . . Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong.
Ephesians 6:11 . . . Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil.
It is never appropriate to compromise your Christian convictions.
PROMISES FROM GOD:
1 Chronicles 22:13 . . . If you carefully obey the laws and regulations that the Lord gave to Israel through Moses, you will be successful. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid or lose heart!
1 Corinthians 10:13 . . . God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.