How to Destroy a Church: Deceit (1 Peter 2:1b)

"So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander" (1 Peter 2:1).

It's full of tears and rips. It has oil and food stains all over it. It doesn't fit you anymore. Do you have a shirt like that? I know I do. And where should that shirt be? In the garbage. That’s what you do with old clothes—you take them off and put them in the garbage. That’s what Peter says to do with the sins listed in the verse above—to renounce them, to put them away from you, to stop wearing them, to be rid of them all together.

We've seen already that these sins are those that affect relationships with people, namely people in the church. These are not in random order, but he lists these here because they are sins that will harm our fellowship with other Christians. And renouncing these sins are absolutely essential to our sanctification—because sanctification cannot be done alone. 

The first in this list is malice, which we've seen already.

The second in this list is deceit.

Deceit is speaking or acting with a motive for deception. It is lying or living in a manner that is deceptive. We cannot live our lives together lying to one another, and we cannot live lives that are deceptive and untruthful. We must tell the truth in love, no matter how much it hurts. We must keep our word with other Christians. We are to be those who present God’s truth to each other and to the unsaved, both by our words and actions—we are to be lovers of truth, not deceitful. We must renounce and put away deceit far from us.

"No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes" (Psalm 101:7).

Do you have an issue with deceit? Do you live a truthful life? Are you honest with others when you mess up? Do you know a brother or sister in Christ that has a problem with deceit? Confront them in love and grace, but always examine yourself first. Pray that God would create in you a clean heart.

Seeking Christ,

Bro. Brandon G. B.

Bro. Brandon is the Associate Pastor

of Ohio Valley Baptist Church. His 

sermons, podcasts, book reviews, 

and other free ministry resources

can be found on Brandon's Desk.