Deception has one primary purpose: to keep us from the life Jesus offers.
If lies didn’t sound like truth, they wouldn’t be any good. Lies deceive precisely because they sound or feel so very true. And most lies contain a grain of truth.
Lies can sound intellectually sophisticated, socially tolerant, and/or culturally acceptable. Intellectually sophisticated thoughts, socially tolerant attitudes, cultural norms sometimes reflect truth. Sometimes they deceive. But if we use these things as our only barometer of truth, we are probably deceived.
Common lies:
Lie: God is whoever you conceive him/her to be.
Truth: God is who He is (Exodus 3:14). He is not sculpted by our beliefs. But, if we allow Him to, He can shape our beliefs.
Beliefs can contradict reality. We see this with schizophrenics all the time. I can believe that I can drive into oncoming traffic and be fine. But I will wake up to a far different reality if I try.
Lie: Jesus is one of many.
Truth: Jesus is one and only.
Not only did Jesus claim that He was the only way to God (John 14:6), but He asked God before His death if there was any other way (Matthew 26:39). If there was another way for humanity to be reconciled to God, Jesus would not have voluntarily submitted to a painful and humiliating death by crucifixion. Jesus’ claim to be the only way was reiterated by His close followers (Acts 4:12).
Many other lies permeate our culture and define our experience. Education does not necessarily drive them out. Some lies are reinforced by education. Some lies are transmitted by Christians, and reinforced by well-meaning sermons.
Quite often, a speaker can tell the truth, but a listener hears a lie.
In response to deception, Jesus offers Himself as the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). He makes it clear that the truth will set us free (John 8:32).
Photo credit: Adapted from a photo by Courtney Carmody, Flickr, Creative Commons License
