I completed D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones’ “Studies in the Sermon on the Mount” a few nights ago and there are so many things I could talk about. The book is full of great expository teaching and careful handling of the Word. I highly recommend this volume to anyone who may be taking a season to study the Sermon on the Mount; it’s an excellent resource for living the theology that our Lord taught.
I wish to focus on a specific section, which I think may benefit us, especially with the piqued interest previously when discussing the doctrine of assurance. The three chapters are aptly titled “False Peace,” “Unconscious Hypocrisy” and “The Signs of Self-Deception.” In these three chapters, Lloyd-Jones deals with Matthew 7:21-23, one of the most terrifying things that I’ve read in the Gospels.
What is most terrifying about the passage is that the unsaved sinners are those who have prophesied, driven out demons and performed miracles, all in His name, and yet they are not in fact saved. We can profess orthodox beliefs, handle the Word with accuracy and even act Christian, and yet may in fact be turned away at the gates of the kingdom. I’m not going to go into a discussion of what Lloyd-Jones says about the doctrine of assurance in-depth, but I’ve listed below some of the causes and signs of ‘self-deception’ that he lists. I’ve found them searching and very humbling and commend them to you for thoughtful perusal.
Causes of self-deception:
1. False doctrine of assurance. Tendency to base our assurance only upon certain statements that we ourselves make.
2. Refusal to examine oneself. We are ready to say certain things, even orthodox things, but are not ready to examine our lives in the light of the commandments and scriptural teaching.
3. Living on one’s activities. We must not be so busy “doing the work of the kingdom” that we forget our own spiritual life.
4. Balancing our lives by putting one thing against another. Our conscience condemns us because of certain sins we are entertaining, but we waive it aside because of the good work we are also doing.
5. Failure to heed the plain teachings of Scripture. We try to wiggle out of certain teachings and try to argue with them.
6. Failure to realize what matters is our relationship to Christ. Importance is not in our activities or their results, but our relationship to Christ.
7. Failure to submit ourselves. God does not want our zeal, fervour, works or anything else. What he wants is our submission, he wants us.
Signs of self-deception
1. Our main interest is in our activities (church, small groups, etc.) not Christ
2. Undue interest in phenomena
3. Undue interest in organizations, denominations, particular churches, movements or fellowships
4. Interest in social and general rather than personal aspects of Christianity
5. Our main interest is in apologetics instead of true relationship with Christ
6. Purely academic and theoretical interest in theology
7. Reading the Bible intellectually rather than in a spiritual manner
8. Listening to sermons while interested in just the letter of the Word preached
9. Playing grace against and law and only being interested in grace
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Posted by Kendrick 
Posted by Kendrick 
