Bible Ballistics: Vol. 17 No. 16  Liars Lie???  Really???

 

Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it?  Yet, the ‘father of lies’ is still using the same tricks he used on Adam and Eve, and we just trot after him like naïve babes.  I would like us to spend some time today perusing God’s Word and hopefully enlightening ourselves to be prepared, as Paul said to the Ephesian believers: “that you may be able to withstand in the evil day”.  And my dear ones, we are there. (See Ephesians 6:13)

“Jesus said unto them,

If God were your Father,

ye would love me:

for I proceeded forth

and came from God;

neither came I of myself,

but he sent me.

43 Why do ye not understand my speech?

even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil,

and the lusts of your father

ye will do.

He was a murderer

from the beginning,

and abode not in the truth,

 because there is no truth in him.

When he speaketh a lie,

he speaketh of his own:

for he is a liar,

and the father of it.

45 And because I tell you the truth,

ye believe me not.”  John 8:42-45

Jesus was, if nothing else (although HE was, is, and ever shall be the very Son of God), a plain-spoken man (the God-Man-Savior), who confronted those who stood against HIM with the truth of who they were, who they were following, and why they wouldn’t receive or believe HIM.  Jesus clearly stated who HE was, where HE was from and WHO sent Him!  He was, is and ever shall be “from God”, and He went on to call the religious hypocrites of HIS day just what they were, children of the devil!  And some of you thought I was blunt!  Jesus identified Satan as a liar, and the one who not only “speaketh a lie” but is “a liar, and the father of it”!  We can go back to the beginning to see his tactics, and while he decorates them a bit differently now, they are the same basic preponderances of untruth, deceit, and fallacy as they have always been.

“Now the serpent was more subtil

than any beast of the field

which the LORD God had made.

And he said unto the woman,

Yea, hath God said,

Ye shall not eat of every tree

of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent,

We may eat of the fruit

of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit

of the tree which is in the midst

of the garden,

God hath said,

Ye shall not eat of it,

neither shall ye touch it,

lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman,

Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know

that in the day ye eat thereof,

then your eyes shall be opened,                                and ye shall be as gods,

knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw

that the tree was good

for food,

and that it was pleasant

to the eyes,

and a tree to be desired

to make one wise,

she took of the fruit thereof,

and did eat,

and gave also unto her husband with her;

and he did eat.”  Genesis 3:1-6

If we go back to Genesis 2, we find out what God really said, and yet Satan deceived Eve into doubting God, twisting what HE said, and not believing in God’s total pure goodness, and the veracity of what HE says!  Let’s take a walk through what he did, and his methods, which have not changed from then until now.  We are just plain ignorant of his tactics and so often fail to put on the “armor of God” to resist him and be able to “withstand in the evil day”!

Satan beguiled Eve and caused her to:

Question what God really said—it’s why we must know

 The Word—

 Did God REALLY SAY……?

Misquoting God’s commands—she added to The Word—

God is ever true to HIS WORD….!

He plainly contradicted God—We must know

God’s Word—

He twisted God’s Word—When we know God’s Word—

We will recognize lies—

He caused Eve to reconsider what she knew about God-

HIS goodness—

HIS veracity—

 His clear instructions—

And decided to rely upon

Her own ‘wisdom’—

What do we do today?  The very same thing, just as in their sin, Adam and Eve caused all mankind to fall and become the children of the devil.

“And you hath he quickened,

who were dead in trespasses and sins;

2 Wherein in time past ye walked

according to the course of this world,

according to the prince

of the power of the air,

the spirit that now worketh

in the children of disobedience:

3 Among whom also

we all had our conversation

in times past

in the lusts of our flesh,

fulfilling the desires

of the flesh

and of the mind;  

and were by nature

the children of wrath,

even as others.

4 But God,

who is rich in mercy,

for his great love wherewith he loved us.

5 Even when we were dead in sins,

hath quickened us together

with Christ,

(by grace ye are saved😉

6 And hath raised us up together,

and made us sit together

in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”  Ephesians 2:1-6

Today, Satan does put a little spin on this tactic today in that instead of promising that we will “be wise” and “be like God”, he has convinced modern man that he/she is already wise in his own right and IS God!  And the man/woman who never sees his sin as sin, has no need for a redeemer!  It’s why Jesus came, to deliver us from our sin.

“And she shall bring forth a son,

and thou shalt call his name JESUS:

for he shall save his people

from their sins.”  Matthew 1:21

“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith,

Behold the Lamb of God,

which taketh away the sin of the world.”  John 1:29

“And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith,

Behold the Lamb of God!”  John 1:36

Even Jesus himself told Nicodemus that self-righteousness was not sufficient nor was religion, or titles or position!  Only one thing can give eternal life.

“Jesus answered and said unto him,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born again,

he cannot see the kingdom of God.

4 Nicodemus saith unto him,

How can a man be born when he is old?

can he enter the second time

into his mother’s womb, and be born?

5 Jesus answered,

Verily, verily, I say unto thee,

Except a man be born

of water

and of the Spirit,

he cannot enter into

the kingdom of God.

6 That which is born of the flesh

is flesh;

and that which is born of the Spirit

is spirit.

7 Marvel not that I said unto thee,

Ye must be born again.”  John 3:3-7

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent

in the wilderness,

even so must the Son of man

be lifted up:

15 That whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have eternal life.

16 For God so loved the world,

that he gave his only begotten Son,

that whosoever believeth in him

should not perish,

but have everlasting life.”   John 3:14-16

While the world says there are many ‘gods’ and many ways to ‘gods’, Jesus said that there was only one way to GOD and HE, Jesus, would purchase that “way” with His own blood.

“And from Jesus Christ,

who is the faithful witness,

and the first begotten of the dead,

and the prince of the kings of the earth.

Unto him that loved us,

and washed us from our sins

in his own blood…

….9 And they sung a new song, saying,

Thou art worthy to take the book,

and to open the seals thereof:

for thou wast slain,

and hast redeemed us

to God

by thy blood

out of every kindred,

and tongue,

and people,

and nation;

10 And hast made us unto our God

kings and priests:

and we shall reign on the earth.”   Revelation 1:5 & 9-10

When we come to Jesus, He, through the power and presence of HIS Holy Spirit, enables us to walk in truth.

“For I rejoiced greatly,

when the brethren came

and testified of the truth that is in thee,

even as thou walkest in the truth.

4 I have no greater joy

than to hear that my children

walk in truth.”  3 John 1:3-4

And the bedrock of truth is that Jesus is The redeemer and savior—HE paid for my sin and yours on Calvary and forgives sin—all sin—for those who come to HIM in repentance and faith!

“Giving thanks unto the Father,

which hath made us meet

to be partakers of the inheritance

of the saints in light:

13 Who hath delivered us

from the power of darkness,

and hath translated us

into the kingdom of his dear Son:

14 In whom we have redemption

through his blood,

even the forgiveness of sins:”  Colossians 1:12-14

In closing I want to remind each of us of the words of our Lord, that it’s not just “saying so” but being right with our God through the blood of Jesus and doing HIS righteous work!

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God,

and his righteousness;

and all these things

shall be added unto you.”   Matthew 6:33

“Enter ye in at the strait gate:

for wide is the gate,

and broad is the way,

that leadeth to destruction,

and many there be

which go in thereat:

14 Because strait is the gate,

and narrow is the way,

which leadeth unto life,

 and few there be

that find it…

…. Wherefore by their fruits

ye shall know them.

21 Not every one that saith unto me,

Lord, Lord,

shall enter into the kingdom of heaven;

but he that doeth

the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22 Many will say to me in that day,

Lord, Lord,

have we not prophesied in thy name?

and in thy name have cast out devils?

and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23 And then will I profess unto them,

I never knew you:

depart from me,

ye that work iniquity.”   Portions of Matthew 7:13-23

Have you entered in through the “strait gate”?  Or are you allowing the enemy of your soul to lie to you and lead you wrongly, for “broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat”!  The majority is seldom right!  May you seek to discern the truth from the lies of the enemy.  It’s the difference between eternal life and eternal destruction!  The choice is yours, but choose wisely, there is a test!

Amen and Amen!!!