October is turning into November – a beautiful, but busy time so I’m sharing a blog-piece from Fall 2017. The Word is fresh for today even when recycled. Comes at a perfect time, when we’re in the book of Timothy in our weekly Bible study – the critical context of false teaching. Also, in our women’s class on Sunday morning we’re in the book of Philippians – how to clean up a mind weighed down with negative and lies. There is always a need to be reminded of what’s true and right . . . from what just looks like it.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians
The best way to tell if something is false is simply to know the truth. Sounds logical I know, however lies contain a certain amount of truth – that’s why it’s easy to be deceived. And that’s been true from the beginning of time. Take Eve, she seems to come to mind when we think of the lure of crafty persuasion. The first time a lie was spoken was from the father of lies. The slick-tongued enemy slithered into her safe Eden spot with some fine-sounding words — told her she could be her own god and do what she wanted with no consequences attached.
And she falls . . . right for it.
We’re still listening to the same old line and falling for his best trick yet – the one that says he doesn’t really exist.
Satan always tries to make evil appear attractive even entertaining, but behind it all is to misrepresent God’s character. So nothing has changed.
But the world, that’s changed. So what can we do in a changing world that dresses up in tolerance to misrepresent a holy God of yesterday, today and forever? We can only discern counterfeit from the gold by holding it next to the true Word – no matter how many centuries pass.
A lie doesn’t become truth just because everybody believes it.
We live in an age of twisted grace – a different gospel than what Paul was teaching to unmask his opponent in 2 Corinthians 11:2-4; But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning way, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive another spirit from the one you received, or if you accept another gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge and in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.
Often we hear deception and naiveté linked to women. If it were a female trait, we wouldn’t have the story of a gullible Samson who woke up with a haircut.
The Bible is filled with stories of victory and defeat – we’re not alone. Then and now, as followers of Christ, we need to be alert and study the truth of scripture so that we can know the difference when those desirable and deceptive words lie down alongside of truth.
It avoids trickery.
Verna
Amen, Verna. Oh, how very, very true. We see Satan’s deception every day in the news. Spiritual warfare is increasing. We need to be on guard and study Biblical truths. Thank-you for your insight.
Thank you for your faithful visits, Lynda — grateful for holy weapons and the Word!