Believing A Lie

            Lying or believing a lie is condemned.  Ephesians 4:25 instructs us to put away lying.  Proverbs 23:23 advises all to buy the truth and sell it not.  We are to consider it something precious and of great value.  On the other hand, we are damned if we believe a lie (2 Thess. 2:11, 12).  And if one partakes in the lie and spreads it, know this, liars have a place in Hell (Rev. 21:8).  To believe a lie is a failure to find truth, or to reject the truth.  God expects all to seek truth out and find Him.  The evidence is all about us that God exists so we have no excuse to not seek His truth out (Rom. 1:20).  God’s word is the truth that sanctifies us (John 17:17).  Man’s doctrine is false teaching and religious error, not truth.  Anything that is not scriptural is vain worship and abhorred by God (Matt. 15:9).  There is NO liberty when it comes to doctrine.

            It is a popular view of the world that religious liberty gives us choice in what we believe.  Of course, they don’t feel that something alien to God’s word, or something they can’t find scripture for, is a lie.  They feel that if you honestly believe something, God will accept it.  We know that most all who profess to live Godly, honestly believe they will be saved.  But Christ reminds us that some will find out differently in the end. Some who profess to live a so-called life for Christ, can honestly profess Him and do great works in His name but still be rejected, because they believed a lie instead of His truth (Matthew 7:22, 23).  Cornelius honestly believed, but he wasn’t saved yet (Acts 10:1, 2).  Saul also believed on the road to Damascus but he wasn’t saved until Annanias came to him and told him what he needed to do to be saved, and then he had to do it.  It is clearly not enough to just truly believe something, we must do what God’s word tells us.

            Sadly, a lie can have the same effect on man as the truth does.  When truth is heard, it is often believed.  And when it is obeyed, it results in a feeling of security.  In a like manner, when a lie is heard, it is often believed too and results in a feeling of security, though false.  Eve heard the lie of Satan, believed it and felt secure enough to disobey God (Gen. 3:6).  Jacob was lied to by his sons regarding their brother Joseph, and Jacob believed it.  You see it produced the same effect in Jacob as if the lie were true and he wept (Gen. 37:34).  Today, many hear, believe and obey false doctrine and rejoice, though deceived.   Christ reminds us in Matthew 15:13 that every plant that the heavenly Father hath not planted will be uprooted.  The Father’s plants only come from His word, the truth.  Every plant that is not found in His word, is of man and a lie.  We must have a love for the truth with scripture and verse (truth) for everything we do or we take part in a lie (2 Thess. 2:10, 11).

Marc Hopkins