Deception does not require an intent to deceive, to tell something that you know is false as if it were true. It only requires that something be not true. Passing on false information is deception, even if the teller thinks it is true. The truthful person says, "I am telling the truth." The liar says, "I am telling the truth." It is up to the listener to know the difference. We need to be experts on truth. It helps for us also to be an expert on the Liar. "And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes" (2 Cor. 2:10-11).
Deceiving and being deceived is the normal order of business in the non-Christian world. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:12-13).
Lies from the Deceiver can be grouped into two areas: theology (who God is) and morality (God's requirements).
The Deceiver wants to deceive people, and people want to be deceived. We see this in Romans 1:21-23: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." That was theological deception. The results were immoral.
"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another" (Rom. 1:24). Again there was a theological lie... "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen" (Rom. 1:25).
...leading to increased immorality: "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion" (Rom. 1:26-27).
Followed by more bad theology: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done" (Rom. 1:28).
And even more immorality: "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless" (Rom. 1:29-31). The lie is about God, and the result is immorality.
It is not necessary to know you are telling a lie in order to deceive others. You have been deceived, and by passing on what is untrue, you become a deceiver.
"Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist" (2 John 7). This includes all of the Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Animists, Muslims, Mormons, JWs, atheists, liberal Christians, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many evangelicals who are not saved.
If it is untrue, and they are teaching it, they are deceivers. If it is true, and they reject it, they are also deceivers. It may seem unkind to say this, but if it is true, do we care that these deceived and deceivers are lost?
Deceiving and being deceived is the normal order of business in the non-Christian world. "In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:12-13).
Lies from the Deceiver can be grouped into two areas: theology (who God is) and morality (God's requirements).
The Deceiver wants to deceive people, and people want to be deceived. We see this in Romans 1:21-23: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." That was theological deception. The results were immoral.
"Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another" (Rom. 1:24). Again there was a theological lie... "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen" (Rom. 1:25).
...leading to increased immorality: "Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion" (Rom. 1:26-27).
Followed by more bad theology: "Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done" (Rom. 1:28).
And even more immorality: "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless" (Rom. 1:29-31). The lie is about God, and the result is immorality.
It is not necessary to know you are telling a lie in order to deceive others. You have been deceived, and by passing on what is untrue, you become a deceiver.
"Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist" (2 John 7). This includes all of the Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Animists, Muslims, Mormons, JWs, atheists, liberal Christians, Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and many evangelicals who are not saved.
If it is untrue, and they are teaching it, they are deceivers. If it is true, and they reject it, they are also deceivers. It may seem unkind to say this, but if it is true, do we care that these deceived and deceivers are lost?
The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him. (John 3:35-36)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)
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