Believing Lies
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! – Isaiah 5:20 NKJV.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. – Romans 1:18-19 NKJV.
You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. – John 8:44 NKJV.
In Wading River, New York two employees of a liquor store have been cited for illegal possession of an animal. They claim they were only taking care of the three-foot long alligator for a fellow employee, and they had been told that it was not an alligator, but a monitor lizard. Looking at a photo of the alligator, it would be apparent to most people that this particular animal is not a lizard, but an alligator. There is power in suggestion and suggesting to her fellow employees that her lizard was an alligator may have been enough to make them believe that what she said was true.
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are in a continual battle against those who love evil. Our enemies have no qualms about telling a lie; if it will advance their cause or help them obtain something that they want. Our enemies have no problem with calling “evil good, and good evil.” We see this with the terrorists who lie about their religion being peaceful while killing those who do not believe as they do. In 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 we are told about this, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.”
We need to understand, that just because a sincere sounding person is able to tell a lie with a straight face, does not mean that what they are saying is true. In the political arena, we have been overwhelmed with lie after lie. If they were sworn in before a court of law to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth on penalty of perjury perhaps it would reduce the number of lies; although I am sure that some would continue to lie anyway. We must be aware that there are those all around us who will lie, cheat, steal, and even murder; if it will advance their cause or enlarge their bank account.
One of the greatest spiritual lies now being told is that there are multiple ways to Heaven. To say this is to call Jesus a liar, because Jesus says in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Another spiritual lie that is prevalent today is that it does not matter what you believe, because everyone is going to Heaven. Again, to say this is true is to call Jesus a liar, because He says in Matthew 7:21a, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven….” Jesus also says in John 3:17-18, “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
Beware of those who seek to deceive you and “Test all things; hold fast what is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).” “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1).”
(Our enemies have no problem with calling “evil good, and good evil.”)