Deceitful Heart
(Sermon Notes)
By Warren Zehrung – September 22, 2007

Brethren, is your heart Deceitful?

You would say. “I certainly don’t want my heart to be deceitful!”

Our heart - refers to our mind, the center of our lives, and the source of thought, motivation, sentiment, heart’s desire, character, and affection.

Proverbs 4

God says that our heart is something to be protected from evil influences.

Proverbs 4:23  “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”  [Protect your thoughts, reputation and motivations]

We were supposed to grow up into the image of God – but we have not.

God does not have a deceitful heart.  Are we like Him?

Mankind has not “kept his heart with all diligence,” but has allowed his heart to become desperately wicked.  We wish to think otherwise – but it is true.

We will review sufficient Scriptures to show clearly and without question that mankind has not heeded that good advice.

We will see that "The heart of man became deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.

Jeremiah 17:9  The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Did God create mankind with a desperately wicked and Deceitful Heart?

No!   He did not!!!

God did not create the sinful carnal nature that we possess.

However, God did create mankind with choice.

Genesis 1:26  And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:

Genesis 1:31  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good.  [That especially includes man.  Man was created in a very good state – to become like unto God]

Man’s heart – at that point – was not desperately wicked and Deceitful.

very good  = God had already created mankind – so clearly man was not created with a deceitful and wicked heart.

Two questions:

How then, did man’s heart Become desperately wicked and Deceitful?

And more importantly – how will man’s heart become wonderfully good and Truthful?  [It will one day – believe it.]

Genesis 3

Our mother, Eve, fell when Satan deceived her by presenting her with a short-cut to becoming God. – or so He said.  We know – there is no shortcut to the Kingdom of God.

Genesis 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Genesis 3:4  And [Satan] the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Satan deceives men saying – “You will not die.”  He was telling Adam and Eve that God had lied to them.

Genesis 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Satan said that is was God who was unfair because God didn’t want man to in the God-Family.

Satan convinced Eve that he was looking out for her best interests.

Keep our Bible marker here – we will be back

Adam and Eve were supposed to take of the Tree of Life – and ultimately be born into the Family of God. – being like God.

Adam and Eve were supposed to take on the very character of God,

Satan is still doing the exact same evil work today.  Make no mistake about it.

Jesus Christ taught us to pray daily:

Luke 11:4  … And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from the evil one.

Brethren, we need protection from Satan – the wicked one.

Matthew 13:19  When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understands it not, then cometh the wicked One, and catches away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

Galatians 1

Brethren we are behind enemy lines – pray for protection!

Galatians 1:3  Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ,

Galatians 1:4  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

Leviticus 23

Atonement is a Feast Day filled with deep meaning.

It is not an exercise in hunger and thirst.

Leviticus 23:27  “On the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls [that is fasting without food and drink], and offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.”

Atonement pictures Jesus Christ, raised in glory by His Father, offering His life’s blood at the eternal mercy seat in heaven at the very throne of God the Father.

Leviticus 17:11 Says:  For the life of the flesh is in the blood:

The life of the flesh is in the blood.

Jesus poured His life’s blood out for our atonement – reconciliation with God

So we see that God did not create mankind with a “deceitful heart.”

Adam and Eve could have believed their Creator and chosen the Tree of Life

Adam and Eve had the choice of what kind of heart they would have:

Believe God and have a heart that would become wonderfully good and Truthful?    They could have believed God.

Or follow Satan and develop a heart that is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?"

The choice was theirs:

Would they choose to act in a Truthful way and live their lives accordingly?

Or, would they enter the world of lying, intrigue and deceit – not only for themselves – but for their entire household – and their children after them.

Because children raised in homes of lying, intrigue and deceit cannot rise above it.  They will be plunged into the same mind-set as their parents – and inherit their Deceitful Hearts –as well.

Adam and Eve chose poorly – their hearts became deceitful --  they took of the tree of which God said:

Genesis 2:17 for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

How are we saved from that death?

Romans 5:9  Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

We are saved from the wrath and death to come.

Romans 5:10  For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

We are saved by the Life of Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:11  And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

**We have been justified – that means that our past sin and guilt having been removed by Jesus Christ’s shed blood.

And,

We have been reconciled to God by Jesus Christ imparting His righteousness to us - so that we are able to appear before God the Father as righteous.

We are not righteous – and we cannot procure our own righteousness – we are worthy of death because of our sins.

But Jesus Christ, who is Righteousness, has imbued us with His righteousness.

Romans 5:12  Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Mankind was cut off from God because of sin.  Isaiah 59:2

Romans 5:17  For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.

No man can come to God the Father –until – Atonement has been made.

Mankind must be cleaned – purged – covered – atoned for - made right in the sight of God

Romans 8

God’s people have been atoned for:

Romans 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

We fell under the law of sin and death because, as the children of Adam, we too have sinned.

That law of sin and death is still on all who retain their Deceitful Hearts.

Back to Genesis 3

Satan became the god of Adam and Eve, -- and their children after them would come into that evil world created by their parents.

Adam and Eve chose to follow Satan - and take on his evil character.

**That is the origin of evil human nature.  God did not create it.

As children of Adam and Eve, we too, became servants of Satan – taking on his evil nature because that is who we obeyed – not God – but we walked according to the course of this world.

Paul explains it so well:

**Romans 6:16  Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

Adam and Eve obeyed Satan - his servants ye are to whom ye obey.

Speaking to the New Testament saints who had been delivered from Satan’s bondage, Paul wrote:

Ephesians 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: [Satan]

Paul goes on to say that none of us are excluded and that verse: 2 applies to every one of us.

Ephesians 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conduct in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; [Deceitful Hearts] and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.  [At one time, we were certainly not the children of God].

There it is Brethren – straight out of your Bibles!

Here we see the origin of Human Nature – We are by nature the children of wrath – because we walked according to the prince of the power of the air [Satan], the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: [Satan].

2 Corinthians

The lusts and desires of the mind refer to our deceitful heart.

2 Corinthians 11:3  “I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent [Satan] beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”

Brethren, we live in an insane world.

2 Corinthians 4

God is calling many…. However, it is only a very few respond and obey God – they believe the Gospel.   Many are called –few are chosen.

2 Corinthians 4:3  But if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to them that are lost:

This applies today:

2 Corinthians 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Men obey Satan.

Satan is the god of this present evil world – men obey Satan- that is why the True God says

"Their hearts are deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?"

God did not create Deceitful Hearts.

God planted the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden – IF man would follow God with a  wonderfully good and Truthful Heart.

The Deceitful Heart is not worthy of the Garden of Eden.

The Deceitful Heart produces its own bitter fruit.

The first fruit of a Deceitful Heart is …more deceitful hearts.  Your children will kill and war against one another bringing much sorrow.

Genesis 3:16  Unto the woman he [God] said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children [not only childbirth – but war among brothers]; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Genesis 3:17  And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the [wrong] tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

A tremendous change took place at that time.  Their character was changed.

Man, following the desires of his deceitful heart, fights against the good things of God.

“The carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.”  (Romans 8:7)

Matthew 15

Brethren, we want to believe that our hearts are naturally good.

We want to be able to follow the dictates of our heart.  Why can’t we just be true to ourselves and do what comes naturally?  The answer has to do with our human nature – our deceptive hearts.

The Holy Scriptures show over and over that the heart of man is contaminated – it has become a deceitful heart.

Live by God’s Word – and do not trust your deceitful heart.

Matthew 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.

Matthew 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Matthew 15:20  These are the things which defile a man.

This is the result of the sin of Adam and Eve:

Genesis 6:5  “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

Even after the flood – man’s heart remained deceitful.

Deuteronomy 5

Who can we trust?  Can we even trust ourselves?

God’s desire is that mankind would have pure hearts – but they do not:

Deuteronomy 5:29  O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!

Jeremiah 16

We are looking a Scriptures that show that we do have deceitful hearts – because we naturally want to think well of ourselves.

The actuality is that we have selfish hearts, however:

Jeremiah 16:11  Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the LORD, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;

** Jeremiah 16:12  And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:

Jeremiah 16:13  Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.

Jeremiah 16:14  Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be said, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

We still say that every Passover – don’t we?

Here is what we will say in the world tomorrow.

Jeremiah 16:15  But, The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.  [The millennium]

Jeremiah 17:5  Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.  [Do not trust in the strength of deceitful men.]

We are going to see in a little while how Satan will be taken away when all transgressions and sins are put upon Satan’s head – represented by the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:

Jeremiah 17:6  For he shall be like the heath [ dry cactus] in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

[People who follow Satan can’t see the goodness of God’s way – the hope of the Gospel.]

Jeremiah 17:7  Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

A picture of Holy Spirit here:  Water and Life

Jeremiah 17:8  For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreads out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful [worried] in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Jeremiah. 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it?"  [Incurably]

Atonement pictures the healing of the incurable heart that wars against God.

Ephesians 6

Our war is against Satan and his agents – not the men who have been deceived by him.

Ephesians 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Men’s hearts can never be right – as long as Satan is on the prowl,

Satan is Dangerous!

Ephesians 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day [we are still there], and having done all, to stand, then stand!

Ephesians 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked One [Satan].

1 Peter 5:8  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walks about, seeking whom he may devour:

Lions always get their prey.  Do not let Satan pull us down.

2 Timothy 2:26  And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

Satan takes us by way of deceitful hearts.

The reconciliation of all mankind to our Father has been made possible through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus’ blood.

And at the same time, Atonement pictures the binding of Satan who is primarily responsible for all sin and every root of evil and bitterness.

At Passover Jesus delivered His saints from the bondage of Satan.

That is the beginning of God’s Holy Day Plan.

All Israel – 4000 years of the tribes of Israel – still await their release from the bondage of Satan that they have been held by.

Atonement pictures the binding of Satan – making possible the release of the hostages.

God will restore all Israel - and ultimately the entire world from the bondage of Satan.

Make no mistake – we bear our own sins – we have sinned.

This does not mean that we humans are not guilty of sinning – we are.  We bear our own iniquity.  Satan sinned, true enough, but we have also sinned.

Joel 2

Fasting on Atonement helps us realize how weak and temporal our physical existence is.

Therefore, fasting helps us to draw near to God.

Joel 2:12  “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:[and heartfelt longing that all men will know the Lord and be spared]

We are not acting with the outward show of ashes and torn garments:

Joel 2:13  And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repents him of the evil.”

It is Satan who has exposed mankind to a sinful nature.

God did not create us with a sinful nature.

What this world believes and practices, is not the word of God, but the philosophy of Satan.

God will therefore hold Satan accountable for his sin at the fulfillment Day of Atonement after Christ’s return.

The Holy Day of Atonement pictures Satan being put away – AND all the guilt will be placed upon his head.  [We will see the Leviticus 16:21   Scripture in a minute]

Those citizens of the millennial world will not have to contend with Satan for a thousand years.

At that time it will be like the Garden of Eden again – not with men of deceitful hearts – but men who will choose their loving creator God.

Satan agitates this present evil world by the attitudes and desires of man’s sinful nature.

That is what we saw in Ephesians 2 where the Scripture said that we all walked according to the course of this world, according to the power of Satan.

James 4:8

**As Christians we have learned that we can not trust nor follow the dictates of our deceitful hearts.

They will cost us our salvation if we follow them.

James 4:8  “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Our deceitful hearts need to be purified.

Adam and Eve sought to have it both ways – they were double minded.

Jeremiah 24

Right now, the world does not have a heart to know God.

Atonement portends the yet future time when the problem with man’s heart is repaired and directed to God.

Jeremiah 24:7  “I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.”

Joel 2:12 reads: “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye [even] to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning...

And ye shall seek me, and find [me], when ye shall search for me with all your heart., Jeremiah 29:13

Atonement is the most solemn day of the entire year – a day of holy convocation in which No work is to be done.

It is a day of fasting from sunset at the end of the 9th day until sunset of the 10th day.

Atonement pictures Jesus dispatching – doing away with Satan so that Satan cannot deceive those in the millennium – or even the Great White throne Judgment period either – so that people can know their God.

Atonement pictures the world being reconciled with God the Father.

Man does not have a nature to Revere God and Obey His rules.

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

The human heart, or the mind of man exposed to the spirit of Satan, is indeed deceitful above all things.  And desperately wicked.

This is part of the old man - the man that is supposed to be put to death upon baptism.

Ephesians 4:22  "That ye put off concerning the former conduct  the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts."

There is an admission that we too were sinners of the world before being called to repentance by God.

King David [who was converted – with God’s Holy Spirit] asked God to deliver him from such people.

Psalm 43:1  "Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation: O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man."

We pray, “Please God to grant them repentance also.”

Deceit is misrepresenting something as something that it is not. It is a lie.

Deceit is designed to mislead and trick a person.

Our human hearts tend to be this way. It is the work of Satan to put deceit in our lives -- and to cause people to live the way of the adversary.

Consider the perfect and Godly way, and nature of God.

1 John 1:5  "This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all."

God is the exact opposite of deceit.  In Him is nothing but truth.

God does not ever seek to mislead us.  That would be against His Nature.

He is pure and good.  As His children, we should seek to be as He

is -- pure and righteous.

Be the children of light.  Not the children of darkness and deceit.

Hebrews 10

**There are two outcomes to this life of ours– we are either saved or lost.

1. Salvation is the result – our repented sins are covered Atonement means covered] and washed away.  We are saved.

2. We find the other result in:

Hebrews 10:26  For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins,

If we sin willfully, there remains nothing:

Hebrews 10:27  But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

This second category is what we see with the Azazel goat of Leviticus 16:

Leviticus 16 – do not be confused.

The slain goat of Leviticus 16 represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ in our place.

Jesus took upon Himself the death penaltythat we have earned by our sins.

The live goat of Leviticus 16: shows that Satan the devil will ultimately bear the iniquity of man’s sins. 

Leviticus 16:22  “The [Azazel] goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited.” 

Leviticus 16 shows us that God’s placing of guilt and responsibility for mankind’s sins squarely on Satan’s head is also an integral part of the Atonement process – allowing for salvation to come unhindered to all mankind.

There was a special day to enter the Holy of Holies.  God said – do not change up this ceremony.

Leviticus 16:2  And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the veil before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not:

Aaron lost two sons who did not follow this command of God.

Leviticus 10:1  And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not.

Leviticus 10:2  And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

God said, “Only on Atonement !!!”

Leviticus 16:5  And he shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.

Leviticus 16:6  And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself

Leviticus 16:9  And Aaron shall bring the [1st] goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him [sacrifice him] for a sin offering.

This is representative of Jesus Christ’s offering.

Leviticus 16:10  But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, [Azazel] shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat [Azazel] into the wilderness.

Wait a minute, Wasn’t Jesus’ Atonement sufficient?

What need is there for further Atonement if Jesus’ sacrifice paid for our sins?

Leviticus 16:20  And when he hath made an end of reconciling the holy place, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar, he shall bring the live goat:

Leviticus 16:21  And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit  [stronger] man into the wilderness:

Leviticus 16:22  And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

All the sins of mankind are symbolically put upon the head of the goat – Satan, where they rightly belong.

The goat was turned loose in the wilderness – notice how Jude explains where Satan is cast:

Jude :13  Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. [the ultimate wilderness]

The guilt and sins of Satan are laid squarely on the head of Satan – he is responsible and guilty.

Revelation 20

Satan is bound away during the millennium where he cannot deceive those in the millennium.  Satan must be restrained so that the world, humbled by the tribulation and brought to the point of repentance, can finally be reconciled to God.

In the same way that leaven – grows and grows…

Satan keeps coming back – over and over – to bring deception …He needs to be put in bondage.

**Satan is responsible for sin – he must be dispatched – sent away – gotten rid of -- so that he can no longer deceive the hearts of men.

This is why the live goat is a part of the Atonement process.

Revelation 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit [abyss] and a great chain in his hand.

Revelation 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.  [This is throughout the millennium – so that the people will not live in fear.]

Men will be able to choose God, choose the Tree of Life, God’s Holy Spirit – because they will not have “human nature” any more – no deceived hearts – but will be like Adam and Eve before they sinned and were put forth out of the Garden of Eden.

Joel 2:3  … the land is as the garden of Eden before them…

Revelation 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, [the abyss] and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more [Satan is bound], till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. [So that they all may be tested for a little season to prove their faith and character.]

Romans 7

The Apostle Paul spoke of our deceitful hearts and human nature when he said:

Romans 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. [that’s human nature]

Romans 7:21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.  [again, that’s human nature]

That's true not only for Christians; it's for every human being.

So often we are like Job:

Job 30:26 When I looked for good, then evil came unto me [again, that’s human nature]: and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

Thankfully God, who is not a respecter of persons, has a Plan of Salvation whereby He will call all human beings, each man/woman in his/her own order as He so wills.

Or as the Apostle Peter wrote:

1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar [very special] people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

Brethren, we are not deceived as this world is.

Luke 10:18  [Jesus] said, unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.  [Satan underestimated God and was cast back down to this earth – he is somewhat restrained now – but will be released during the tribulation.]

Please turn to: Luke 4

Luke 4:1  And Jesus being full of the Holy Spirit returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

Luke 4:2  Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

Luke 4:3  And the devil said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.

Luke 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

Luke 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

Luke 4:6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.

Luke 4:7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.

Jesus did not yield to Satan – He did not obey Satan – Jesus resisted Satan’s power completely.

Luke 4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Luke 4:9  And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:

Jesus knew that He would not receive power over the nations from Satan – but from His Father.

Luke 4:10  For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:

Luke 4:11  And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Luke 4:12  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Luke 4:13  And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

For a season  because Jesus will yet deal with Satan when the Day of Atonement is fully come.

Until then, Satan will continue his war of destruction, deception and bondage on God’s people, until he himself shall be bound by Jesus – represented by Atonement, which comes 10 days after the Feast of Trumpets.

Jesus has overcome Satan.

**Notice carefully that these next Scriptures are directly connected to the encounter that Jesus just had with Satan.

Luke 4:14  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region round about.

Luke 4:15  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

Luke 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

Luke 4:17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah.  And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

Luke 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, [that is us too – we are in bondage to sin Romans 6] and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

Luke 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Luke 4:20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.  And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.

What Jesus said and read was not lost on that assembly.

Luke 4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. [“In Me,” Jesus said.]

Isaiah 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Jesus had inspired Isaiah to write the words – it was about Satan being bound.

Isaiah 61:2  To proclaim [to the captives] the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

The acceptable year of the LORD has to do with the Jubilee year – notice in Leviticus 25.

Leviticus 25:9  Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

Even the Garden of Eden will be restored – and spread throughout the earth.

Leviticus 25:10  And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

Those who had sold themselves as indentured servants – became free men.  We who had given ourselves over to Satan – will be free men.

And man’s heart, that was stolen away from him in the beginning, will be restored to him as God had intended from the creation.

Atonement pictures our release from Bondage.

Do we realize just how much bondage there is on man?

The Feast of Atonement is rich with Meaning and Symbolism

Fasting reminds us of our total reliance and need for God.

Jesus has made it possible by reconciling us to God.

We are weak, carnal, prideful, self-centered…

We need the power of God’s Holy Spirit to replace our deceitful heart, weakness and vanity.

Ezekiel 11

Because we are called of God we are able to begin to avail ourselves of the atonement – the reconciliation with God the Father – even now.

Later all Israel – then the balance of the Gentile world will begin to avail themselves of the atonement – the reconciliation with God the Father – not yet – but that day is coming.

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: [a soft, loving Godly heart]

Ezekiel 11:20  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 11:21  But as for them whose heart walks after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations [deceitful hearts], I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 18

It is possible to have a New Heart – this world will be different.

Ezekiel 18:31  Cast away from you all your transgressions [repent], whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

New Spirit – that is a new nature – not this evil Human Nature.

Ezekiel 36

God says it three times – right here:

Ezekiel 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Mankind has a deceitful heart – we are flawed because of sin.

Ezekiel 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Ezekiel 36:28  And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Let’s close in Jeremiah 31.

Modern Israel today – are not God’s people.

Jeremiah 31:33  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts [right now there is a deceitful heart there], and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Jeremiah 31:34  And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

For mankind to be At One with God – Satan has to be gotten rid of for that to take place.

Man’s human nature will be restored to a Godly nature – no more will we have deceitful hearts.

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Sermon:  "Deceitful Heart"

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