Peace and Discernment in an Age of Delusion

Peace and discernment in an age of delusion, that is a topic we discussed today.

Right here on the Christian worldview radio program. The mission is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and to share the good news of Jesus Christ. I'm David. We host the Christian worldview is a nonprofit radio ministry. Thank you to you, our listeners, for your encouragement and support, and also to our national sponsor Samaritan ministries who are a community of Christians paying one another's radical bills and find out more@ourwebsitethechristianworldview.org before getting to the preview for today just a couple announcements transcripts are now available of the Christian worldview radio program.

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If you have trusted in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and believe God's word to be what it claims to be the basis for truth.

Do you feel sometimes like you're living in an alternate universe right now where assertions made by politicians, government agencies, the media scientists or doctors and even friends and family are really the exact opposite of reality when he examples are endless. We been talking about covert recently on the program year this one cove.

It is a dire threat to humanity when 99.98%.

I believe it around to be a people who get covert survive. It and then not only that, but early treatment medications for covert are suppressed and not made known or you hear this, we need to follow the science when the evidence shows that the covert virus passes right through a cloth amassed and that children wearing mass to school is a very little to actually negative benefits on them, or we must mandate the so-called vaccine when it's not a vaccine that doesn't keep you from contracting or spreading covert in their untold adverse reactions, including death that occurred from this, this injection. This is what the Bible calls a delusion. In other words, believing what is false and covert, is the only example of delusion, by the way, I just listed out a few things here that we hear so frequently now that perhaps we don't even notice as much as we should. You can change your gender were told today or biological males who claim to be females should be able to compete in sports against females or read books about transgender is him to little children in public libraries. Here's another one. The police should be defunded and dismantled or white people are racist. Whether they admit it or not is another delusion.

America was founded on white supremacy and is systemically racist or a homosexual can't change in conversion therapy should be a crime or a baby in the womb for this one is just just up, group of cells or tissues, not a human being or marriages whatever arrangement you wanted to be. After all, love is love or the universe is one of the biggest lies of all time is the result of spontaneous combustion.

Nothing somehow became something and exploded into everything okay talk about delusion government or socialism or the right global leader is going to solve our problem solve man's problems then will have peace and unity in the world. One final one that is a little bit humorous. If it wasn't so ridiculous. Cattle farmers are contributing to the destruction of the earth's climate through their cows emitting gas that is delusional and all the things I listed up there are delusional. It's believing what is false. These delusional assertions are repeated endlessly even by highly educated people.

There is no correlation between intelligence and wisdom in education and then if you as a biblical Christian dear state the truth in response to these delusional assertions will you be fired from work will be removed from social media. You will be will be the outcast your you're the one that's on the wrong side of history. So in this age of mass delusion.

How can one have peace of mind and discern truth from error or guested in the program is Greg Hauser he's an associate pastor at High Point Baptist Church in Clarksville Pennsylvania were going to examine how early Christians were struggling with similar kinds of delusion taking place in their day and age, and what the apostle Paul told them about why delusion actually exists. What the future holds for us today and how believing in the gospel is the basis for comfort and strengthens our heart.

So let's get straight to the interview with Pastor Greg Hauser, Greg, thank you for coming on the Christian worldview today. This is your first time on the program so I often asked first time guest us to tell us about your background and how you became a follower of Christ and what you do now.

I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa in the Roman Catholic religion and went through parochial school first grade through 12th grade and the nut went off to college to so my roots. If you will, and bump the age of 30, 32, I had one broken relationship after the next, the question it was going through my mind is due to do I even have staff capacity to love another person got started putting Christian people in my life and growing up in Des Moines.

These Christian people started inviting me to a a men's business meeting is called cross trainers while I was founded interesting that people found great comfort in reading the Bible and there were times when I read the Bible and read and just push the Bible away from me because I had no clue what was being said it made no sense to me and I didn't understand why anybody would find comfort in the Bible because it was so meaningless. But on April 19 of 2000 Wednesday morning around 730. It was the end of the time we had a guest speaker that day in the guest speaker came and started talking about Old Testament prophecy fulfilled in Jesus Christ and specifically was talking about Daniel, the 70 weeks prophecy and how you met prophecy.

Came down to the exact day of Christ's entry into Jerusalem and I was really convicted about the truths that he was was saying I did growing up Catholic, we would only study the catechism and we wouldn't talk about the Bible and prophecy. I've never heard these things, and I was convinced that the Bible was different. How could something hundreds of years before it happened be so specific and exact in its fulfillment. But he also went on to talk about well dispersed, perfect person who came Jesus the Messiah. He came to live a perfect life to die a death he didn't deserve to take the punishment that we do on the cross and you not come to learn that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. So when Jesus Christ died on the cross, he shed his blood for those who repent and trust in him. He died but he didn't stay in the grave.

He rose 3 days later and ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the father so we talked about the repentance necessary for your salvation, and so I was convinced by those Old Testament prophecies. I was convicted of my sin and recognize that that was my need. I was in my stead and my sin and I needed Christ for forgiveness of sins, and it was about 730, April 19, 2000 when I bowed the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ and have been falling since then. What's interesting is after that point in time there was a couple times where I was reading the Bible and and push the Bible away from me not not in unbelief but the lease because I knew what it was saying and one of them was in first Corinthians chapter 3 where it talks about Moses coming down from the mountain and he was radiating the glory of God and it says that so so too it is to this day.

Until that you received Christ you have available over your heart and you can't have understanding. Until that Rick Vale is removed and that veil is removed because of Christ's. I'm very thankful for God saving me out of my religion of human achievement and adopting the into his family through repentance and trust in Christ and all glory goes to him.

Thank you for sharing that Greg Hauser has us today on the Christian worldview radio program were going to talk about having peace and discernment in an age of delusion. You were in a state of delusion really before you came to saving faith in Christ.

Everyone is who who's a nonbeliever they they don't have the spirit of God within them. They can't understand the times and so there is some darkness groping around and that's why Christians need to be very clear about how how people can be savings were going to get into that today, but I want to read a passage from Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians that the church in Thessalonica and in this letter was reading the preview to this this book of the Bible. This letter in the study Bible. The preview said that this there three things going on in this letter that Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. When he was actually in Corinth so there's number one. There's there is pressure and there was persecution that had increased on the believers in that particular church. Number two that there were false doctrines, particularly about the day of the Lord.

In other words, they are facing.

This persecution is pressure and Paula told them previously that they they were going to go through this time of judgment with the day of the Lord within they are starting to doubt.

Like Wolf, forgetting all this pressure persecution.

Maybe we are going through it. So Paul wrote this letter to correct that and number three. The third thing he intended. In this letter. According to this preview to this letter from the study Bible that believers were not living sanctified life. You know there's a there's a call to be holy.

They were not being obedient to the commands of Scripture. And so Paul wrote this letter to them and he says in chapter 2, Skinner read this passage. The first 11 verses in them to ask you questions about various aspects of this chapter because there are lots of things I think are relevant to what Christians and what the world is going through today via the type of deception.

The type of delusion going on the world and also deals with what's coming in the future with the end time since oh and ask you to explain some of these things as we go through this passage does want to give overview the passive first let me just read second Thessalonians chapter 2 verses one through 11, Paul writes now we request you brother, and with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to him that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter, as if from us to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.

Verse three. Let no one in any way deceive you for it. The day of the Lord will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God will get into that. That's a reference to the antichrist of the beast. Verse five second Thessalonians 2.

Do you not remember that while I was with you I was telling you these things Paul writes.

And you know what restrains him now the antichrist, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Verse eight then the lawless one again. The antichrist will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of his coming here is the day of the Lord. That is the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.

Verse 11.

Here comes the delusion part of it. For this reason because they didn't receive love the truth to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a diluting influence.

Some versions write a strong delusion so that they will believe what is false is the definition of a delusion believing what is false in order that they all may be judged did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness, the Christian worldview. David Wheaton returns in just a moment at Samaritan ministry is our members are passionate about lien part of a Christian community that shares one another's medical means without the use of insurance Samaritan members Tony and Ginger Malik that passion to share health with others.

Life was my wife's dream come back to the farm wanted to be able to do is daintily raising vegetables and people where the food comes from. We want to try to provide healthy as possible for our neighbors and friends and handing the people that we are able to catch in their lives and ministries is a perfect fit for us like we can actually partner with other Christian and other people to help them provide for their medical Tony and Ginger Malik and we are Samaritan ministry member for more information, visit us@samaritan.org/DW David Wheaton here to tell you about a special offer on my boy Ben Ben was a yellow lab and inseparable companion back when I was competing in the Pro tennis tour. I invite you to enter the story in its tapestry of relationships with Ben and my aging parents with a childhood friend I would eventually marry and ultimately with God whose gospel and grace caused all things, even the hard things to work together for good order assigned and personalized copy for yourself or for a friend who loves dogs or someone you know who needs to hear about God's grace in the gospel. My boy Ben is owned by the Christian worldview. It is 264 pages, hardcover, and retails for 1899+ shipping for a limited time we are offering it for a donation of any amount to the Christian worldview go to the Christian worldview.org or call 1888 646-2233 that the Christian worldview.org welcome back to the Christian worldview. Be sure to visit our website the Christian.org we can subscribe to a free weekly email an annual print newsletter resources for adults and children and support the ministry. Now back to today's program with host David Wheaton before we do some specifics from that passage you could give a brief overview of the three main eschatological end times views. There is the premillennial veal view. There's the millennial view. There's the post-millennial view and why the premillennial view was was what we hold to that we understand Scripture to teacher the Christian really. You know you do as well.

Why you believe that particular view is most faithful to Scripture when he is think about the millennium word is that even come from. And of course that comes from the book of rev. Revelation and it's really taking a thousand years and is saying that the promises that God made to Israel with regards to the Davidic kingdom that they would have an eternal ruler and eternal kingdom meditate paternal surrounds and an eternal house and it never occurred during the time of the kingdom of Israel and so we would hold to that there's going to be a point in time when God regenerates Israel there be a point in time, will they will repent and trust into their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ will rule and reign for a thousand years in a literal physical earthly rule and reign.

And when you look at acts chapter 1 verse. I believe it's six before Jesus's ascension, the disciples came together and were asking Lord is at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel. Jesus didn't correct their thinking.

He didn't say no it's not gonna be a literal physical earthly kingdom. He said it is not for you know the times or the cat box which the Father has fixed by his own authority and that's when he gives them but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses both in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria, even to the remotest parts of the earth, so Jesus had an opportunity to correct their thinking that it wasn't a literal physical earthly kingdom. It was a figurative, spiritual, heavenly millennial kingdom.

So premillennial viewpoints would say that Jesus Christ will return before the thousand years so premillennial I don't need to keep saying this again but I want to stress it is a literal physical earthly rule and reign.

The other ones millennialism and post-millennialism millennialism that is a bit deceptive in terminology because what it in the Greek form in front of a word is a negation, so it doesn't necessarily mean that there is no millennium, but what they are saying is that the events that are occurring today are the millennial aspects between Christ's first and second coming, then from a post-millennial standpoint they do something very similar to that supposed being and millennium the Jesus Christ will return at the end of the millennium they arguing that once again we are living in that time right now and the millennium. Right now the Christian way and system of beliefs will continue to expand and grow similar to the parable of the mustard seed to the point where it could become like a golden age of Christendom and that were living in this golden age right now and will Christ will return. So those are very brief summaries and in others more ins and outs than that I think that the simplest things is that millennialism and post-millennialism takes the literal, physical earthly promises and turns them into figurative, spiritual and heavenly fulfillments.

When you take a use a literal grammatical historical hermeneutic. How you interpret Scripture. The basic interpretation of Scripture would be premillennialism. Why is it important to to get this right to accurately handle the word of truth.

Basically, on this issue. The book of Revelation is the one book that says specifically states, Blessed is the man who reads here's and he's the words of this book. When you think about the Bible. The Bible is is God's wonderful story and we know the ending the end of it is God returns to rule and reign for millennium and then the menu creation of the heavens and the earth.

I think it's important because it is most faithful to following the promises that God made to the Old Testament covenants and when I look at those different covenants.

You know I would. I would hold that to the Nowak Abraham Eric Mosaic, the priestly Davidic and new covenant, so those are the six main covenants that that I would hold to and when you look at the promises that are being made only one of those covenants. The Mosaic covenant is revocable. All the other ones are in your revocable and unilateral. The Mosaic was conditional and revocable in Deuteronomy chapter 28, for instance, it will say if you do this then. So with obedience comes blessing with disobedience comes cursing and you look at the curses that were being made to Mosaic Israel is covenant unfaithful right now and part of the.

The curse of covenant disobedience is exile, but God also promised in the new covenant that he would bring back his people in the new covenant. Yes, we are partakers of that from the New Testament perspective. As Christians, but also is going to reconstitute the nation of Israel, and I think that premillennialism is the most faithful and accurately exegete in or explaining what those passages mean and being faithful to God's promises and I think that when you move away from a literal physical earthly standpoint and I just blatantly say I think you're making God out to be a liar and I think that's why it's so important to hold so premillennial viewpoints Greg Hauser with us today on the Christian worldview. The associate pastor of High Point Baptist Church that's located in the larks via Pennsylvania. Let's go back to one more aspect of this premillennial view has to do with the rapture of the church that does the rapture the church is not the return of Christ. Premillennial view holds that the rapture of the church takes place the beginning of the seven years of tribulation on the world. There is a three and half years of tribulation and then 3 1/2 years of great tribulation before the Lord Jesus Christ returns as you are just talking about to judge and reign over the the earth for 1000 literal years, but this this rapture occurs in Christ comes in the cloud and he snatches away all believers who are living during the church age and who have died during the church age K. Let's go down to the next part of this this passage how this relates to today and Paul writes that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter, as if from us to the effect of the day of the Lord has come. In other words, they were disturbed. There's a lot of persecution going on, they thought, oh, but maybe Paul was wrong. We are looking to live through this, this time of tribulation in his day of the Lord this time of judgment. How do you see that happening today with with believers, just with everything going on in the world. There's been a lot of unrest in this country and in a broad-based, specifically will talk about the United States with with coded with racial unrest with others in the election. Other things going on. Do you think there's a correlation between what did the believers in Thessalonica were experiencing 222. What believers in America are there are feeling and experiencing today blow-by application.

I think there is some truth to that Christian church here in the United States has been blessed by a piece of paper that we call our Constitution and in it gave us freedom of religion, freedom of speech that no other nation is ever experienced. Like what we have before. So when you think about the type of persecution that was going on during that time. From Thessalonica were your reader reading that book yet people were receiving persecution, though there's no doubt about it and there is definitely persecution that is occurring now in the United States and in Canada. Work answers are getting thrown in jail. So I do think that there's a major correlation between that, but I also think it's important when you start thinking about diluting spirits and lies and apostasy. Words that come from what's the origin of these lies. What is the first question asked in the Bible and the first question asked in the Bible is Genesis chapter 3 verse one did God really say and that question by the serpent was calling into question God's goodness is integrity and basically all the attributes of God and Satan was calling that out and calling all of that into question.

So when Jesus makes a description. For instance, in John chapter 8 verse 44 were where he is interacting with the Jewish people and he says Satan is your father if you're an unbeliever. Satan is your father and your living in the domain of darkness, and Satan is the father of all lies.

There's no doubt that people are following lies because you're following in your father's footsteps and it's easy to fall into these things because they're following after these lies, and what's interesting is in first Thessalonians 4 going into chapter 5. One of the things that it talks about after the rapture of the church people. People will be looking at and calling out and stand there thinking that piece. What are we hearing from governments from all around the world. You get peace and safety.

By following our protocols.

You get peace and safety by by following these different things and so the level of fear that's being instilled in people either fear the Lord, or you fear whatever gas fear, the outcomes, whatever. If you're not fearing the Lord interfering something because all of us are image bearers of God and all of us are made to worship. What's the chief end of man to glorify God and enjoy him forever were all meant to worship God. And when you're fearing something in following lies. You have misplaced worship, rather than worshiping the one true living God. Your following answer the lies of Satan, and he's the father of light is the father of all lies and he's deception and people easily follow that because the following in their father's footsteps. Greg Hauser with us today in the Christian really the associate pastor of High Point Baptist Church in Pennsylvania were talking about having peace and exercising discernment in this age of delusion. Some of the things we touched on earlier in that passage in second Thessalonians about the man of lawlessness. This is the antichrist, the beast two arises during the tribulation and in in the demands worship of himself and in the temple in Jerusalem. We won't get into that right now and how people long for that. There's a mark of the beast. We talk about the market. The vaccine last week in the program how people willingly want to get this quote unquote so-called vaccine, which is really nothing more than a shot and there's gonna be a "vaccine passport or a gift of a pass card to be able to travel or buy and sell and do these these things and that that this is a prelude to to what will happen in a much more global and in serious level.

In this time of the tribulation.

There also talk with the mystery of lawlessness going on.

This lawlessness is going on. It's always been going on but it's going to increase in these end times and it gets into the Lord's return, but I want to focus it moved down to verse 11 where it says for this reason because there is a rejection of God is you just talk to I read a rejection of God for the purpose for which each one of us have been created to to know God to worship him to obey him to glorify him. For this reason God will send upon them, and this is those who reject him a diluting influence or a strong delusion so that they will believe what is false in order that they all may be judged to do not did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness. What is a diluting influence Greg and how do you see that at at work today in in our society that diluting influence is just following and believing all that water spot what is false like it says there in that passage when you are reading that the thought process that went to my mind was Paul's letter to the Romans in chapter 1 starting in verse 18 where it talks about that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, because men are suppressing the truth in unrighteousness and then it goes on to. There's like a three step process that that gets followed in three times. In verses 24 to 28 it says God gives them over, God gives them over, God gives them over. That's the exact same point that Paul is making here in second Thessalonians, as he did in Romans chapter 1 verses 18 through 28 that people are following after lies there suppressing the truth in unrighteousness there calling good evil and evil good and and the last one in Romans says that they're getting hearty approval to these things and you look at the trajectory of what's going on in in United States and around the world. Hearty approval given to sinfulness is is seen every day in people that help hold to a biblical Christian worldview are getting ostracized and being belittled for our archaic way of thinking, when in reality were trying to express the truth as believers in Jesus Christ. Rather than trying to suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

It talks about how before becoming Christ in Romans that says that your your mind is at enmity with God, and that's that's what's going on here you have a diluting influence because your mind is at enmity with God. But when you become a believer. It gives a description in first Corinthians that you have the mind of Christ, so diluting influences get exchanged for biblical truth rather than following.

Asked after the father of lies. Your following after Jesus Christ who is the way the truth and the life rather than following lies. The truth sets you certainly does well well said Christian worldview David Wheaton returns in just a moment.

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Now back to today's program with host David Wheaton great house with us today on the Christian worldview that passage is so strong there in second Thessalonians 2 with what's coming before the return of the Lord and the antichrist and the strong delusion, but then the portion I didn't read was the rest of the chapter, verses 13 through 17 which is the that piece in the comfort in the hope for those who have put their faith in Christ in all this read that as we conclude our conversation today, but we should always give thanks to God for you brother and fellow believers beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Holy Spirit and faith in the truth it was for this he called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, them brother and stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. He finishes this in verse 16 may now now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our father who has loved us and gives us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort, and strengthen your hearts in every good work in word and the contrast between those last four verses there in that in that chapter in the first 11 versus 1112 verses where theirs is very ominous know what's ahead here. This is a terrible that the man of lawlessness, the mystery of lawlessness.

The strong delusion, the antichrist and then there is this hope for believers this piece that believers can have because of because of God's offer of the gospel and to be saved so what is the antidote using a word antidote is encoded. What is the antidote to this delusion and judgment coming for the world today. Great to answer that question. I want to focus on just a brief part of that which is salvation through sanctification by the spirit and faith in the truth. That's the antidote. There is a term called justification where there's a point in time where you repent of your sin and and recognize that Jesus Christ is your only way of salvation your declared righteous that is on a minor gestic Llano being one is a act of God, that your declared righteous based upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Then there's a term called glorification glorification is we will receive glorified bodies. Some will receive glorified bodies for eternal life in heaven with God forever. Some will receive bodies fit for hell and be eternally punished because there were active rebellion against God. So those two things or acts of God, so being declared righteous, you are freed from the penalty of sin, glorification your freed from the presence of sin and sanctification what is sanctification. It is the process of becoming more and more like Christ. So sanctification is the process of being freed from the power of sin and acts done by spirit and in truth. And if you look at Colossians chapter chapter 1 verses 28 and �29 Paul's summation if you will of his philosophy of ministry that we proclaim him, him being the Lord Jesus Christ admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ, so that aim of his ministry was to present every man complete in Christ. That's the power of God sanctifying in the process of becoming like Christ. For this purpose I labor, striving according to his power, which mightily works in me.

So being filled with and walking in the spirit is allowing the words of Christ dwell in you richly, it is a synergistic work to become like Christ. Sanctification the process of becoming like Christ is synergistic meaning. I am working with the words of Christ to dwell richly in me. I'm allowing the illuminating power of the Holy Spirit to give me proper interpretation and understanding to change me to make me complete in Christ, and God uses prayer in his word in Ephesians chapter 4 he talks about how Paul talks about how Jesus gave gifts to the church with pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints. I think the church's response to what's happened over the last year and half is been diminished because of the pragmatic seeker sensitive nature of church the health, wealth and prosperity.

Now we have the world church. All of these things are not biblical Christianity which are allowing the words of Christ to dwell in you richly to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to become like Christ � the that's the antidote that it begins with the command repent and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation.

We think Greg Hauser for coming on the program today and he's exactly right there. The antidote to delusion is coming to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

When you repent of your sin.

As he was just saying you turn from it. You confess it to God and you ask God to help you go on a whole new direction and change your desires away from desiring what is sinful and of the flesh, and desiring the things of the Lord.

Holiness and righteousness, then you put your faith, your trust in Jesus Christ truly is that the son of God, the perfect son of God who came to earth and lived a sinless life and offered himself on the cross as the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for your sin satisfying God's wrath and justice over your sin when you believe in his work in the cross, his righteousness on your behalf. God looks at you and forgives you because your sin is been paid for by Jesus Christ. So if you haven't done that. I would encourage you to make that most important decision that commitment of your will. Today, to repent and believe in Jesus Christ.

Okay, just some follow-up points to this topic today on delusion, delusion and deception are rampant delusion applies to nonbelievers is believing what is false in a talk about why that is. In the second deception applies more to believers.

Believers can be deceived but true believers should never be characterized by delusion, disbelieving what is false, and so again, the examples are endless. Of this, this, even with the covert crisis now covert is the biggest dire threat to our country. Yet the same time somehow were allowing illegal immigrants to pour over the the border, many of whom have covert and in are very concerned about vapid mandates and shutdowns are all being considered everywhere else across the country. It's delusional, or the more recent one that happened right here in the Twin Cities George Floyd's death. The black man that was killed in Minneapolis in 2020. By a police officer was due to racism by that police officer and just shows how systemically racist America is yet never mind that not one word in the trial of Derek shelving. The police officer had anything to do with when nothing was brought up about racial animus by him in the way he dealt with George Floyd in the arrest that day so delusion is the mark of a nonbeliever. Paul wrote to the Corinthians in first Corinthians 2 verse 14 but a natural manner, an unsaved man does not accept the things of the spirit of God of the Holy Spirit, for they are foolishness to him and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually appraised or spiritually discerned. You can even expect and we shouldn't even expect the unbelieving, the nonbelieving world. The world that rejects God and his word and rejects the revelation of of Jesus Christ and who he is. We shouldn't expect anything more than delusion from nonbelievers verse 15 first Corinthians 2.

But here's the converse. He who is spiritual or is a believer appraises or discerns all things has applies.

God's wisdom at wisdom's is seeing and thinking in living life as God intends her as God understands it is thinking like God and living the way he wants us to live. That's wisdom. That's discernment. Verse 16 for who has known the mind of the Lord that he will instruct him or instruct God but we he's Acma believers. Here we have the mind of Christ we just think about that for a second, believers can have the mind of Christ, not the perfect sinless all infinite wise mind of Christ. But in that process of sanctification that synergistic reality that Greg was talking about her inner interview today that it is God who works in you both to will and to work his good pleasure. The only remedy by the way to this delusion of the unbelieving world of the nonbeliever. The only remedy is for them to be safe must repent and believe in the gospel.

Just like Saul. In acts nine. The scales literally. He was a religious man, he thought he was pleasing God in all things. He was on his way to Damascus to do what he felt were righteous deeds and persecute those Christians and he meets the risen Christ on the way and he comes to saving faith. He believes in who Jesus Christ is in the scales it says a couple days after he gets to Damascus. He's very blind scales come off his eyes and it's it's this rich representative of the blindness that he had before coming to saving faith. It's it's like he came alive spiritually. Ephesians 2 you were dead in your trespasses and sins.

What dead people can't know and can't discern anything there dead they need to be regenerated made alive born again. Converted so that's what has to happen for the world or for nonbelievers to to get away from the delusion. Otherwise, they're just going to be deluded and we probably shouldn't be too surprised about it. The other aspect is deception and this applies more to believers and this is what all the letters of the New Testament contain some sort of polemic element to them other words, a pushing back and exposing at a warning against false teaching and false teachers because believers were proved fallible we can be deceived through false teaching and false teachers. So how do you improve discernment.

Discernment starts with having the conviction that God and his word are the, the source of truth that they are infallible, that they don't fail their inerrant, there is there without air there inspired they come directly from God. And when you have that conviction. Even though the world may sound convincing, there's elements of truth and with the world and nonbelievers have to say, the final authority as the word of God.

So when you have that and you know the word of God that starts to grow your discernment and then, conversely, knowing the world or understands the world including the so-called experts in the so-called highly educated people that they really are opposed to God they speak.

Maybe some partial truths. But what you're getting from them, no matter how convincing and how charismatic they are, or how forcefully they say something or how much they're on television, or how many books there right or what particular academic institution they work for Harvard, Yale, Princeton, whatever it is they are telling you something that is not truthful. That is going to be full of lies. If they have not come to saving faith if their minds not being renewing the word of God there just working on their own human reasoning. The next thing is to improve discernment is to minimize your exposure to ungodly media and entertainment me if you're constantly watching news sources and television and enter Hollywood stuff that's constantly feeding you delusional lies what you think your minds going to be become like us.

Just like eating when you eat healthy food your body operates better when you take in good spiritual food. Your mind is going operate better, and vice versa. If you taken a lot of junk spiritual food. You can't help no one is above being impacted by that sort of delusional garbage.

Next thing to improve discernment is to be influenced or discipled by sound teachers or preachers and be part of a biblical local church. This is the way God designed it to be. He didn't design is to be some Lone Ranger Christian. He knows and that community of believers of a sound biblical church and by the way that's that's a big if a sound biblical church that there can be growth in a growing of discernment in that kind of environment and finally just one more thing in this list is an exhaustive at all, but to be in the word on a regular basis to daily basis to to pray for wisdom, ask God for wisdom without doubting to spend time with other discerning believers and to be like that the Marines comparing everything that's coming your way back to Scripture as the Marines did in the in the book of acts. That is a way to improve discernment, so I want to thank you for listening to the Christian worldview today. You can hear past programs and get transcription order resources for adults and children. We still have our summer clearance sale going on with up to 50% off on store items. Also, my boy Ben is still available for a donation of any amount take advantage of that and get assigned a personalized copy for yourself or a friend incentive for a weekly email and support the ministry become a monthly partner by going to our website the Christian worldview.org or by calling us at our toll-free number 1888 646-2233 thank you to so many of you who write such kind and encouraging letters. We wish we could respond to all of you. We struggle to find the time to do that we are a fairly small ministry, mostly volunteer I'm a volunteer but do please know that we do read and appreciate all the things you send to us. And of course, thank you for your support of this listener supported ministry as well. Thank you to our national sponsor Samaritan as well. If you have any need for an alternate to the healthcare insurance system you're in right now, we would strongly recommend you look into Samaritan the we have switched over to them. Many years ago and couldn't be more pleased. You can click on the banner of Samaritan minutes in our website the Christian.org so just know this. As we close believers can have peace and we can have discernment in this agent delusion because Jesus Christ and his word are the same yesterday and today and forever until next time think biblically live accordingly and stand firm. The mission of the Christian worldview is to sharpen the biblical worldview of Christians and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. We hope today's broadcast encouraged for that and here replay today's program or to sign up for the weekly email to find out what must I do to be saved@ourwebsitethechristian.org or call us toll-free at 1-888-646-2233 Christian worldview as a listener supported ministry and furnished by the overcoming foundation, a nonprofit organization can find out more order resources make a donation become a monthly partner and contact us by visiting the Christian worldview.org bowling toll-free 188-864-6233 writing to Box 41, Excelsior, MN 55331 box 41 seltzer, MN 55331. Thanks for listening to the Christian worldview. Until next time think biblically and live accordingly