November 13, 2001
A few weeks ago, our top government officials were asked by the opposition to produce an original document and thereby prove that the copy they publicly displayed was not a forgery. These opposition members of parliament demanded truth. My parents told me “don’t lie” and “truth may hurt.” They said I should never make up stories to protect myself from truth, yet for some, truth is not that important.
I’ve met people who can lie as easily as they breathe. At first, they sound sincere, but after getting to know them, contradictions appear and my confidence in them begins to slip. I’ve learned that telling the truth involves more than giving other people an accurate description of the facts. Being a truthful person is also an ideal, a desirable quality. People of truth never intentionally deceive others and are never artificial or false.
Truth is sometimes relative though. For instance, if I say “the sky is blue” then it looks blue to me. However, an astronaut in outer space or a color-blind person might see something else. For each person, what they see is true for them. In other words, the color of the sky is relative. It depends on who is looking at it and the conditions of the time.
Truth may also be objective. That is, something is true all the time, for all people. It never changes and cannot be made relative to any person’s opinion or perspective. For instance, “all living people were once babies” is an objective truth. “All will die” is also an objective truth.
A sign outside a church says, “Fight truth decay — study the Bible daily.” What kind of truth is this sign referring to? Is it relative or objective?
If it were relative, the sign would be correct in linking it with decay because relative truth often changes or fades away. The color of the sky is not the same today as it was yesterday. Not only that, those who hold to relative truths often strongly defend or fight for their opinion. Is the Bible relative truth? Those who think so say things like, “it may be true for you but not for me” but with that, they dismiss Scripture as having no importance for their lives.
What if the Bible is objective truth? If it is, then the sign on the church is wrong: objective truth cannot decay. The real victim of deterioration is our attitude toward the Bible and towards the truth in it. Here’s a few examples of objective statements from Scripture. However unpopular they may be, the rules of grammar do not allow them to be made relative. They are either true and apply to everyone, or they are false.
“There is none righteous, no not one. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All and none are inclusive words. God is not saying “some” or “a few” people sin and fall short; He says everyone does. If this is not true, then this statement must be false.
“I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness.” God cannot say His love is everlasting but only love us for a limited time. This statement is also either true or false.
Jesus Christ said, “I am the way, the truth and the light, no one comes to the Father but by me.” Jesus did not say He is “a way” or “a truth.” He also said “no one” can come to God apart from Him. The statement cannot be partly true or true just for some people. His language does not allow us to say “this is not for me.”
Actually, relativism tosses the Bible entirely. Even though they hope their neighbors will live by the Golden Rule and the Ten Commandments, they say Scripture is not for them.
Those who study Scripture find that the Bible is not like other books. God speaks through it. He points at sin but also repeats His declaration of love and offers the Way to overcome that universal sin problem. He tells the truth, and while it often hurts, it also always heals and gives hope.
Showing posts with label lies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lies. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2018
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Combating deception .......... Parables 550
March 18, 1997
Imagine going to your bank to make a night deposit and later discovering someone built a replica of it and attached it to the side of the bank. Now they have your money. In effect, that is the latest scam on the computer communication system known as the World Wide Web.
This electronic con game is called “Web Spoofing.” Users connect to what appears to be the home page of their bank, enter information such as password or card numbers, and disconnect. They never realize they were not connected to their bank but an electronic replica of their bank’s homepage. Security experts may already have solved this problem, but this is one reason many people continue banking in person. Who needs another deception to watch out for?
Deceptions abound and along with them, an increase in human capacity to be deceived. Not that this is a new thing. The first book of the Bible tells how God made both man and woman: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
God placed them in a perfect garden with only one command: they were not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Along came a serpent and said to Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
“The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”’
“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Get that? He suggested God may not have given the command, but Eve knew better. That trick didn’t work, but the serpent had another one more subtle. He suggested she was not like God, a remark much like saying to someone, “You would be good looking if you dyed your hair.”
Eve fell for it. She was already created in God’s image, but assumed she needed more. In taking the bait, what she hoped for did not happen. Instead, she became less like God. His image in her was now marred by sin.
In the New Testament book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes to a church that had fallen for a lie about their salvation. They had started thinking they had to keep it, if not earn it, by keeping the Old Testament law. Paul said, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” He warned them and us that many try to deceive us about how a person can have eternal life.
In 1 John and other places, the Bible warns us to “test the spirits” for many would also try and deceive us about the identity of Jesus Christ. He is uniquely God the Son, fully man and fully God. A lesser being is powerless to save, yet some trust an imitation Christ — to their eternal peril.
How can a person avoid spiritual deception? We have only one source of information that gives truth in a black and white format: the Bible. Acts 17:11 gives us a good example of what to do with any spiritual claims we hear: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
The Apostle Paul stood the test because what he said matched the rest of Scripture. The same will not be true about the deceptions of spiritual spoofers.
Imagine going to your bank to make a night deposit and later discovering someone built a replica of it and attached it to the side of the bank. Now they have your money. In effect, that is the latest scam on the computer communication system known as the World Wide Web.
This electronic con game is called “Web Spoofing.” Users connect to what appears to be the home page of their bank, enter information such as password or card numbers, and disconnect. They never realize they were not connected to their bank but an electronic replica of their bank’s homepage. Security experts may already have solved this problem, but this is one reason many people continue banking in person. Who needs another deception to watch out for?
Deceptions abound and along with them, an increase in human capacity to be deceived. Not that this is a new thing. The first book of the Bible tells how God made both man and woman: “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
God placed them in a perfect garden with only one command: they were not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Along came a serpent and said to Eve, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
“The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, “You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.”’
“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Get that? He suggested God may not have given the command, but Eve knew better. That trick didn’t work, but the serpent had another one more subtle. He suggested she was not like God, a remark much like saying to someone, “You would be good looking if you dyed your hair.”
Eve fell for it. She was already created in God’s image, but assumed she needed more. In taking the bait, what she hoped for did not happen. Instead, she became less like God. His image in her was now marred by sin.
In the New Testament book of Galatians, the Apostle Paul writes to a church that had fallen for a lie about their salvation. They had started thinking they had to keep it, if not earn it, by keeping the Old Testament law. Paul said, “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” He warned them and us that many try to deceive us about how a person can have eternal life.
In 1 John and other places, the Bible warns us to “test the spirits” for many would also try and deceive us about the identity of Jesus Christ. He is uniquely God the Son, fully man and fully God. A lesser being is powerless to save, yet some trust an imitation Christ — to their eternal peril.
How can a person avoid spiritual deception? We have only one source of information that gives truth in a black and white format: the Bible. Acts 17:11 gives us a good example of what to do with any spiritual claims we hear: “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
The Apostle Paul stood the test because what he said matched the rest of Scripture. The same will not be true about the deceptions of spiritual spoofers.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
The Power of a Well Told (Lie) Truth .......... Parables 451
December 13, 1994
In a MacLean’s article about unifying Canada, a movie director said, “The power to change what people think no longer derives from telling people the truth but from being able to tell your lies... If the hype gets strong enough, people will believe it.”
Experiments prove that peer pressure determines opinions, even on issues that can be objectively evaluated. For instance, an entire classroom except for one student is told to vote that the second shortest line is really the shortest. The one student who was not filled in on the deception will invariably change his correct vote to an incorrect one after he sees that he alone holds up his hand for the right answer.
Children and students are not the only ones affected by peer pressure and strong “hype.” Advertising is aimed largely toward adult consumers. Some of it borders on deception. For instance, how can a dozen stores that sell the same things all claim to have the lowest prices?
Determining what is true and what is a lie is easy when it involves measurements and dollars. What about discerning true religion? Literally thousands of spiritual claims, denominations, sects, and cults all declare they have the truth. Deciding which is valid is obviously much more difficult than deciding the shortest line on a classroom blackboard.
Try thinking of God as the person who draws those lines, even as the One who made the tape measure. Because He is truth, He knows what is genuine and what is not. He measures everything but also authored the criteria by which He wants us to measure all things. While His Word does not include everything there is to know about everything, it does tell us about Him and ourselves and about spiritual matters.
If truth comes from God, where then do lies regarding God and spirituality come from? Do people just make up things? Sometimes. However, the Bible reveals that the original lie occurred in Eden. God placed the first man and woman there and told them they could enjoy their home and eat whatever they wanted. However, one tree and its fruit was forbidden to them.
Satan came along. By skillfully twisting the truth, he tried to make Eve doubt that God had commanded anything, then convinced her that what God did say was not an expression of His love. God was only trying to keep them from becoming like Him.
Interesting line! She and Adam may have needed to mature in their expression of godliness (something they could not do by disobedience), but God had already made them in His likeness. According to Satan’s lie, they had absolutely nothing to gain by eating the forbidden fruit, but eat it, they did. Their disobedience plunged the world into self-centered sin.
That same lie, in various versions, continues to cast doubt on God. As long as we do not believe or obey Him, we cannot reflect Godlikeness as we were created to do. Instead, we sin, lie and get ourselves and others into situations of hatred and rejection.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” Truth is the way to God. He will not accept lies. They keep us separated from Him.
If lies separate and cause hatred, what can truth do? According to Jesus, it has tremendous power. He said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
Current thinking aside, real freedom is never found in believing hype. It is only found in knowing and believing truth.
In a MacLean’s article about unifying Canada, a movie director said, “The power to change what people think no longer derives from telling people the truth but from being able to tell your lies... If the hype gets strong enough, people will believe it.”
Experiments prove that peer pressure determines opinions, even on issues that can be objectively evaluated. For instance, an entire classroom except for one student is told to vote that the second shortest line is really the shortest. The one student who was not filled in on the deception will invariably change his correct vote to an incorrect one after he sees that he alone holds up his hand for the right answer.
Children and students are not the only ones affected by peer pressure and strong “hype.” Advertising is aimed largely toward adult consumers. Some of it borders on deception. For instance, how can a dozen stores that sell the same things all claim to have the lowest prices?
Determining what is true and what is a lie is easy when it involves measurements and dollars. What about discerning true religion? Literally thousands of spiritual claims, denominations, sects, and cults all declare they have the truth. Deciding which is valid is obviously much more difficult than deciding the shortest line on a classroom blackboard.
Try thinking of God as the person who draws those lines, even as the One who made the tape measure. Because He is truth, He knows what is genuine and what is not. He measures everything but also authored the criteria by which He wants us to measure all things. While His Word does not include everything there is to know about everything, it does tell us about Him and ourselves and about spiritual matters.
If truth comes from God, where then do lies regarding God and spirituality come from? Do people just make up things? Sometimes. However, the Bible reveals that the original lie occurred in Eden. God placed the first man and woman there and told them they could enjoy their home and eat whatever they wanted. However, one tree and its fruit was forbidden to them.
Satan came along. By skillfully twisting the truth, he tried to make Eve doubt that God had commanded anything, then convinced her that what God did say was not an expression of His love. God was only trying to keep them from becoming like Him.
Interesting line! She and Adam may have needed to mature in their expression of godliness (something they could not do by disobedience), but God had already made them in His likeness. According to Satan’s lie, they had absolutely nothing to gain by eating the forbidden fruit, but eat it, they did. Their disobedience plunged the world into self-centered sin.
That same lie, in various versions, continues to cast doubt on God. As long as we do not believe or obey Him, we cannot reflect Godlikeness as we were created to do. Instead, we sin, lie and get ourselves and others into situations of hatred and rejection.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” Truth is the way to God. He will not accept lies. They keep us separated from Him.
If lies separate and cause hatred, what can truth do? According to Jesus, it has tremendous power. He said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free.”
Current thinking aside, real freedom is never found in believing hype. It is only found in knowing and believing truth.
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
What about suicide? .............. Parables 291
October 29, 1991
Statistics say one third of 7th grade northern natives have thought of committing suicide. The national average is supposed to be 23%. My kids tell me “everyone” thinks about suicide.
One author says taking your own life is the ultimate “God-playing.” In other words, he thinks there is no greater way to usurp the authority of God over our lives than to determine the time and method of our death.
I can’t count the times I’ve struggled with thinking dying would be better than living. I’ve even thought of ways to accomplish it. Thank God, He supplied some thoughts that convinced me otherwise.
In those suicidal wars of the mind, God helped by reminding me of the source of those ideas, my spiritual enemy who, according to Jesus, “... is a murderer from the beginning... a thief who comes to steal, to kill, to destroy.” This enemy promotes suicide because it suits his purposes.
Another help was a fuller understanding of God’s purposes. Jesus says of Himself, “I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.” Clearly, the suggestion of suicide is against Christ’s purposes and is not part of God’s plan for me.
When I’ve thought about suicide, I was always when under great stress; my problems were overwhelming. God may promise to unravel the mess, but under severe burdens, suicide can seem easier. Thoughts like: “Following God’s way will only make me more miserable,” and “Death would be a release from the pain of trying to live an impossibly restricted life” are no encouragement.
Satan (remember, he seeks to deceive and destroy) told Adam’s wife Eve that God didn’t want the best for her and she believed that lie. Notice, it is the same one he uses on me and on you too. Without firmly knowing the richness of God’s love and forgiveness, this lie will draw us away from God and maybe even into committing suicide.
Suicide involves several lies. Satan wants us to think that death is just the end of life, a wonderful release from our trials, the end of our misery. He wants the truth about death hidden and mysterious so we can be duped into taking both it and life into our own hands. He knows if we understand death and eternity, we just might turn to God, something he does not want anyone to do.
God puts a window in that black and mysterious doorway called death. Through His window, we get glimpses of eternity, not much but enough to discover that death’s door is entered but once. Judgment is next. We also see that for some, eternity is more black and darker than death, a place of “weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.” This side of eternity is Satan’s destination, prepared for him and his demons, out of the presence of God.
Through the window, we also see the other side of eternity, the side where the glory cannot begin to be described, where Jesus Christ shines so brightly the sun and moon are no longer necessary. He calls it heaven.
God’s window makes the issue of suicide plain too. We are never encouraged to take our own life but to put our life in His hands and allow the promise of eternal glory and the power of God’s Spirit to give us endurance for our temporary trials here. God’s rival, the liar and deceiver, knows what we could have if we trust God for living, and for dying, so he covers the window and substitutes his version of both.
Suicide is not an escape from life but robs people of the best that life can be. With God, no problem is unsolvable, no trial more than He can handle. But we have to trust Him and do it His way, not take matters into our own hands and discover we have handed ourselves over to the enemy.
Statistics say one third of 7th grade northern natives have thought of committing suicide. The national average is supposed to be 23%. My kids tell me “everyone” thinks about suicide.
One author says taking your own life is the ultimate “God-playing.” In other words, he thinks there is no greater way to usurp the authority of God over our lives than to determine the time and method of our death.
I can’t count the times I’ve struggled with thinking dying would be better than living. I’ve even thought of ways to accomplish it. Thank God, He supplied some thoughts that convinced me otherwise.
In those suicidal wars of the mind, God helped by reminding me of the source of those ideas, my spiritual enemy who, according to Jesus, “... is a murderer from the beginning... a thief who comes to steal, to kill, to destroy.” This enemy promotes suicide because it suits his purposes.
Another help was a fuller understanding of God’s purposes. Jesus says of Himself, “I have come that you may have life, and that you may have it more abundantly.” Clearly, the suggestion of suicide is against Christ’s purposes and is not part of God’s plan for me.
When I’ve thought about suicide, I was always when under great stress; my problems were overwhelming. God may promise to unravel the mess, but under severe burdens, suicide can seem easier. Thoughts like: “Following God’s way will only make me more miserable,” and “Death would be a release from the pain of trying to live an impossibly restricted life” are no encouragement.
Satan (remember, he seeks to deceive and destroy) told Adam’s wife Eve that God didn’t want the best for her and she believed that lie. Notice, it is the same one he uses on me and on you too. Without firmly knowing the richness of God’s love and forgiveness, this lie will draw us away from God and maybe even into committing suicide.
Suicide involves several lies. Satan wants us to think that death is just the end of life, a wonderful release from our trials, the end of our misery. He wants the truth about death hidden and mysterious so we can be duped into taking both it and life into our own hands. He knows if we understand death and eternity, we just might turn to God, something he does not want anyone to do.
God puts a window in that black and mysterious doorway called death. Through His window, we get glimpses of eternity, not much but enough to discover that death’s door is entered but once. Judgment is next. We also see that for some, eternity is more black and darker than death, a place of “weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.” This side of eternity is Satan’s destination, prepared for him and his demons, out of the presence of God.
Through the window, we also see the other side of eternity, the side where the glory cannot begin to be described, where Jesus Christ shines so brightly the sun and moon are no longer necessary. He calls it heaven.
God’s window makes the issue of suicide plain too. We are never encouraged to take our own life but to put our life in His hands and allow the promise of eternal glory and the power of God’s Spirit to give us endurance for our temporary trials here. God’s rival, the liar and deceiver, knows what we could have if we trust God for living, and for dying, so he covers the window and substitutes his version of both.
Suicide is not an escape from life but robs people of the best that life can be. With God, no problem is unsolvable, no trial more than He can handle. But we have to trust Him and do it His way, not take matters into our own hands and discover we have handed ourselves over to the enemy.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Who is on God’s bandwagon? ............ Parables 150
Two preachers were on their way to a prayer meeting. They encountered a young woman who suddenly turned around and began following them, shouting loudly, “These men are servants of the most High God. They are telling you the way to be saved.”
For many days, she followed them everywhere, shouting her message. Sounds like just the sort of PA system the church needs, doesn’t it! She was right on in her assessment of the men and right on in her assessment of their work. She even pegged God correctly.
But the two preachers were troubled in spirit about this woman and sensed something others missed; she wasn’t really on their bandwagon. It turned out, “she had a spirit by which she predicted the future and earned a great deal of money for her owner’s by fortune-telling.”
Paul, one of the preachers, finally turned around and said to the evil spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her.”
Of course it did and the woman lost her power. Her owners, upset at seeing their hopes of getting rich vanish, managed to have Paul and Silas thrown into jail. Later, God rescued His true servants, but this woman, a walking publicity stunt, was not working for God.
Divination is the “art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...” It is strictly forbidden by God. It is not that the predictions are always totally false (although they usually are); the issue is their source. Whether a liar, a false prophet, or one possessed by an evil spirit, the diviner is not from God. The way to tell? Watch for bait and a hook.
A recent advertisement for a “Psychic Fair” in Fort Saskatchewan called divination “spellbinding entertainment” baiting with the hook with, “Gaze into the future...what does 1989 hold for you?” This is similar to the line the serpent fed Eve: “Eat...and be like God...know the future!”
The forbidden fruit looked good to Eve, even pleasant. It was right in the catagory of “spellbinding entertainment.” But that fruit quickly resulted in bondage. The hook was set and her deceived heart was thoroughly exploited.
Ever since then, the temptation to be like God entices people. That serpent wants us to take control over our own destiny. However, we can’t accurately see what lies ahead. To our limited vision, “There is a way that seems right to a man but (God says) the end of our way is death.” He wants us to trust Him because ONLY HE truly knows the end from the beginning.
No wonder God said to the people of Israel: “Do not let diviners who are in your midst deceive you... for they prophesy falsely... l have not sent them... For the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort you in vain... You are afflicted because there are no shepherds.” (Jeremiah 29 and Zechariah 10)
The same warning holds true for us today, with one change. There is a Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. He promises to forgive our sins, save us from God’s wrath, give us eternal life, and lead and guide us in this life. He gives His nature, His righteousness, and His mighty power to anyone who believes in Him. He guides His own on a clear path through life.
Crystal balls, tarot cards, psychic readings, dream interpretation, numerology, and the like are bait. Hidden from view (sometimes even to those sitting behind the table in the booth) is a hook. Taking the bait could cost far more than a few dollars of “entertainment” money.
Jesus taught His followers to be fishers of men, but never to use bait, hooks, or deceit. The future He wants us to know is the certainty that we will spend eternity with Him. It is found in the gospel message, not hidden in some cards, or a hunk of glass. This future hope is plainly revealed to all who will trust Him, and plainly taught by those who do. Best of all, it is free!
“Let his who is thirsty come and drink of the water of life freely...”
For many days, she followed them everywhere, shouting her message. Sounds like just the sort of PA system the church needs, doesn’t it! She was right on in her assessment of the men and right on in her assessment of their work. She even pegged God correctly.
But the two preachers were troubled in spirit about this woman and sensed something others missed; she wasn’t really on their bandwagon. It turned out, “she had a spirit by which she predicted the future and earned a great deal of money for her owner’s by fortune-telling.”
Paul, one of the preachers, finally turned around and said to the evil spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her.”
Of course it did and the woman lost her power. Her owners, upset at seeing their hopes of getting rich vanish, managed to have Paul and Silas thrown into jail. Later, God rescued His true servants, but this woman, a walking publicity stunt, was not working for God.
Divination is the “art or practice that seeks to foresee or foretell future events or discover hidden knowledge...” It is strictly forbidden by God. It is not that the predictions are always totally false (although they usually are); the issue is their source. Whether a liar, a false prophet, or one possessed by an evil spirit, the diviner is not from God. The way to tell? Watch for bait and a hook.
A recent advertisement for a “Psychic Fair” in Fort Saskatchewan called divination “spellbinding entertainment” baiting with the hook with, “Gaze into the future...what does 1989 hold for you?” This is similar to the line the serpent fed Eve: “Eat...and be like God...know the future!”
The forbidden fruit looked good to Eve, even pleasant. It was right in the catagory of “spellbinding entertainment.” But that fruit quickly resulted in bondage. The hook was set and her deceived heart was thoroughly exploited.
Ever since then, the temptation to be like God entices people. That serpent wants us to take control over our own destiny. However, we can’t accurately see what lies ahead. To our limited vision, “There is a way that seems right to a man but (God says) the end of our way is death.” He wants us to trust Him because ONLY HE truly knows the end from the beginning.
No wonder God said to the people of Israel: “Do not let diviners who are in your midst deceive you... for they prophesy falsely... l have not sent them... For the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort you in vain... You are afflicted because there are no shepherds.” (Jeremiah 29 and Zechariah 10)
The same warning holds true for us today, with one change. There is a Shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ. He promises to forgive our sins, save us from God’s wrath, give us eternal life, and lead and guide us in this life. He gives His nature, His righteousness, and His mighty power to anyone who believes in Him. He guides His own on a clear path through life.
Crystal balls, tarot cards, psychic readings, dream interpretation, numerology, and the like are bait. Hidden from view (sometimes even to those sitting behind the table in the booth) is a hook. Taking the bait could cost far more than a few dollars of “entertainment” money.
Jesus taught His followers to be fishers of men, but never to use bait, hooks, or deceit. The future He wants us to know is the certainty that we will spend eternity with Him. It is found in the gospel message, not hidden in some cards, or a hunk of glass. This future hope is plainly revealed to all who will trust Him, and plainly taught by those who do. Best of all, it is free!
“Let his who is thirsty come and drink of the water of life freely...”
Friday, April 25, 2014
Fight lies... or surrender ......................... Parables 110
A couple of weeks ago my editor titled this column “Christians
Fight the Father of Lies.” When I looked at it, this thought ran through my
mind... yes, and everyone else surrenders...
Jesus called Satan “the father of lies and a liar from
the beginning.” He instructs His people to know the tactics of this enemy, to
resist him, and to use the truth of scripture to do it. He guarantees our
ultimate victory but nonetheless, it is a difficult battle, one from which we
sometimes retreat.
At one time, in our unbelief, we too waved the white
flag of surrender. Ephesians 2 explains how we used to “live according to the
lies” perpetrated by this foe. But now he “works in the children of
disobedience: and believers are to obediently persevere by resisting him, in
faith. The Lord even gives us spiritual armor to defend ourselves against his
lies. (Ephesians 6)
This deceiver began his work in the Garden of Eden
when he came to Eve, disguised as a serpent. (Satan generally disguises
himself.) He said, “Did God really say that you could not eat from every tree
in the garden?”
Eve affirmed God’s command and added if they ate it,
God told them they would die. The serpent sneered, “You will not surely die.
For God knows that in the day you eat it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil.” He put out the bait; Eve fell for it.
Notice his strategy. he first cast doubt with a
question about the fact of God’s commandment. Next he suggested that God lies.
Thirdly, he slandered the provision of God, telling Eve she was being short‑changed.
His tactics are still the same. This liar convinces
people that the Word of God is to be doubted, that God is not behind the
scriptures; they are authored by mere men and have no authority and are not
binding. Or he convinces people that the Bible is not true, or that it has
somehow been adulterated and is full of contradictions. And if none of those
lies work, he is expertly able to convince many that God doesn’t exist at all,
so it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks He is like.
If he cannot get those lies believed, then he points
an accusing finger at God, that HE is the liar... that sin has no consequences,
it is fine for anyone to do whatever they want, believe whatever they want,
that truth is relative not absolute ‑ like God.
This liar continually slanders God’s character, making
Him some sort of kill‑joy who is not interested in anyone’s well‑being. Or he
portrays Him as a sin‑excusing God who looks the other way when people break
His laws. The liar convinces people that God does not love anyone or that He is
so loving that He will never punish anyone. Or he will cast God as an
indifferent, vague creature; a non‑person or only a “force” or a friendly
grandfather‑type; or someone with a big club just waiting to hit the
unsuspecting with tragedies of all sorts.
God the Son, Jesus Christ, said, “If you know the
truth, the truth shall set you free.” The truth is found in the person of Christ
and in the gospel, but “if our gospel is hid, it is hid to those who are lost:
those whom the god of this world (the liar) has blinded their minds.”
Sadly, when truth is ignored, the only alternative is
surrender to lies. Then there is no battle. The enemy wins without so much as a
struggle.
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