My other blogs are:
To lie... just what is a lie? Most people think of lies as a harmless way to protect oneself, such as a white lie. Others think a lie is harmless fun, or perfectly justified given a right scenario. These lies, I include in this article because there is an underlying morphology to all lies, that is, they have a root purpose in all languages. It's simply another way of saying that all people lie for the same basic reason: to hide.
-
Scamps. Deceivers. Manipulators. The greedy. And naturally, liars are often perpetual liars since one lie usually requires more lies to cover up past lies. But what is a lie anyway? In this article, I will explain the lie as the Ultimate Sin, akin to pride and disobedience, where because God stands for Truth and Justice, lies stand for Satan and sin. Even a small lie is a double edged sword, and we all know that double edged swords often hurt the person wielding one.
-
I began to realize not long ago just how liars have affected my life in devastating ways. Where small lies uttered by alleged friends made me seem like a liar myself when I spoke the truth. Amazing power, these lies, where they can make the truth muddled. Therefore, a lie is a powerful weapon meant only to kill and to destroy, and more aptly, it is the weapon of choice for Satan. The very first sin ever committed was a lie, when Satan believed in his own corrupted wisdom that he was rightful heir to God's throne. A lie, then, corrupts truth! And the second sin was a direct lie to Eve in the Garden of Eden, which was so devastating that it condemned the entire human race to sad life we know it to be today. Such a small lie it was too:
-
-
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
-
-
Most of the Apostles were killed terribly; some by stoning, others by crucifixion, and many other Christians were martyred for their faith in Christ. Which of these martyrs told a lie to escape their death? If Christ or the Apostles were here today, how would they accept a lie? The Apostles actually wanted to die for their faith. They were of the mindset that no Christian should ever suffer death at the hands of old age. They were zealous for the passion of Christ like none of us have ever seen and emulated Christ so precisely that they even chose to die for him. At the Columbine shootings, there was a girl at who was asked by the neo-Nazis if she was ready to die, to which she responded, "Instant death, instant heaven." She stood fearlessly even at gunpoint, setting an example for all Christians. This is because being alive isn't about surviving or being happy or being ok or having a career or a great family or friends. It's about faith in Christ, and Jesus says plainly that all Christians will live a hard, sad life, since they are held to a standard of Holiness no humans have ever been held up to. Jesus.
-
Therefore, a lie serves only one purpose...
To hide.
Death or suffering should not be a means to validate sin.
Did the Apostles hide the truth? No. They died for it.
Did the timid Columbine girl fear telling the truth?
No. She was fearless.
Christians do not hide...
-
-
22 “He [(Jesus)] committed no sin,
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly [(God the Father)].
-
-
In which of these lines does it say Jesus lied to escape his approaching death? Bingo. No where. So is it right for us to lie and escape our deaths? No, not even in the face of Death- Satan's greatest power- does it ever say it is okay to lie. We will be forgiven, yes, but there will be no reaped glory! Humans miss out on the glorious victories in Christ when they lie. We are, in fact, told the opposite, where we are not condoned for our lies but shunned, but to wield truth fearlessly we are greatly blessed, just as we are greatly blessed for our suffering in Christ's name and blessed even more than that for dying in Christ's name. There is no greater honor than to die for Christ! To die for God is the greatest glory.
-
-
For it says:
John 21:19. 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!” Philippians 3:88 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.
-
-
It is a sign of true faith, and faith is the only reason why we are here. Without faith, we could never love God, so first we are tasked with maintaining our faith, and to love all our neighbors as our own, even when they harm us. Jesus was executed, and he never once retaliated. He even forgave his executioners:
-
-
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
-
-
We are called to go out into the world to minister the love and the Word of God, whether it's to your couple friends at college or a few neighbors or to the whole world like Paul. It's your job to tell other people about Jesus, where some people simply tell other people that Christ loves them and gives them a Bible, while others just invite friends and family and other people they meet to Church. Still others, like me, greatly desire to travel around like a layman with a Bible preaching to everyone, everywhere. But there are no lies that can be spoken that are justifiable to the Lord, for a lie is faithlessness; every lie is a statement demonstrating that you believe you need to solve your own problems, and that God cannot help you along your path of integrity. The way off the narrow path is much shorter than many of us realize. A lie is a lack of faith. A white lie is not something to be proud of, no matter what people tell you. God will get you through everything, I promise (and He promises!) People who lie constantly might have a very poor relationship with God and should be helped immediately. Lies are Satan's tools. Satan is the Father of Lies... The Accuser....The Destroyer. All sins are literal powers of Satan. Most people do not realize this, but all those superheroes we love so much and their own power, well Satan has his own unique superpowers, where his ability to lie and deceive are so powerful and believable that the only way not to believe his lies is to be a Christian. That's some serious power of manipulation.
-
But fear not, for a Christian's weapon is far stronger than the weapons of Satan... for we wield the mighty Rod and Staff of the Lord, and a mighty Scepter, weapons of discipline and courage, valor, justice, and fearlessness, for nothing of the devil can be justified in the eyes of our mighty Lord. We also wield the Bright Morning Star-- the mighty Jesus Christ, conqueror of Death and destroyer of sin. Christ is the Bright Morning Star and Lord of Hosts (armies). He rules the armies of kings.
-
Let no weapon you wield ever become greater than these!
Psalm 23:4-6 (Rod and Staff)
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
-
-
Numbers 24:17-19 (Mighty Sceptor of God)
17 “I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near.
A star will come out of Jacob;
a scepter will rise out of Israel. He will crush the foreheads of Moab,
the skulls[b] of[c] all the people of Sheth.[d]
18 Edom will be conquered;
Seir, his enemy, will be conquered, but Israel will grow strong.
19 A ruler will come out of Jacob
and destroy the survivors of the city.”
-
-
This is not a very happy passage, but it shows that God never lets any sin go unpunished, except for us Christians, where to a certain degree sins are wiped away from God's literal memory. As long as we do not intentionally sin knowing that we'll be forgiven then most people believe that sins are forgiven for years or decades of repetition. Deliberate sinners abuse Christ's forgiveness, so a line will be drawn with those who are not honestly trying to serve Christ. And here you see the result of sin and faithlessness, where the mighty Lord God of Israel was filled with great wrath for all the pretenders and liars and those who lust and murder. The Scepter of the Lord is truly a mighty weapon fully capable of toppling entire empires, for this scepter of God is actually Christ himself, as promised in this and other prophecies, that he'd be born of the line of Jacob and rise out of Israel to redeem the world, and crush those who reject him.
-
-
Revelation 22:16
"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
-
-
Just as in the verses prior to this indicate, Jesus was referred to as a scepter, which is a kingly weapon, signifying Christ's right to the throne. So if Christ was destined for the throne of God, to become the Lord of Hosts (king's armies), then why should we ever fear? If all armies of the universe are under his heel, why fear? Or rather, to put this into better words, in which line does it say that the Lord's rod and staff will not be a comfort? Where does it say, "your rod and your staff are comforting to me so long as I do not need to squirm my way out of a difficult situation?" Nowhere, obviously. Instead it says the rod and staff of the Lord comfort the believers of God and leaves it as that. The statement is not temporal in any way, that is to say, there is no time reference nor any "what if" scenario; this passage is uninhibited by time or place or any singular scenario or distinction apart from what it says!... and the Bible is very clear whenever there are exceptions to rules or ideas. Be sure that if there was a scenario for this passage, the Bible would have listed it. Instead, however, it simply states that the rod and staff are comforting, where "are" is an "active" verb, therefore we must face every situation in life as a test of our character.
-
And do not be fooled-- all lies are weapons whose soles purposes are to destroy or hide, where a lie can attack but without coming out of hiding, which makes it a formidable weapon. Only truth is fearless enough to attack what is not true, and it attacks where all can see, exposing the dark lies which scuttle into darkness and obscurity. Only light can make shadows fade away, and truth (Christ) is that light. Wield Christ as he was meant to be wielded, he is a mighty weapon of forgivenss and death, where his purpose is to kill those who do evil, but to save those who love him. But with liars there is a catch, since it is easy for a weak mind to believe a lie. But believing that some lies are not evil is a lie as well since all truth stands opposed to all sin, and our entire world is drenched in sin, which makes being a strong Christian quite a difficult task. This task cannot be won without Christ, who is our weapon against the darkness, a weapon that saves us from death, a weapon that, when combined with the Armor of the Lord, an armor of light.
-
-
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)
"...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
-
-
Therefore, lies serve no other use other than to hide truth and destroy from the shadows, and as followers of Christ we are tasked with spreading Truth! Equip the armor of the Lord and stand firm in truth and love and faith. Your mortal body cannot hold you down, for you are a child of Christ, and even if you die you are promised a place next to God. If you believe this, then you will realize that life is not worth holding on to, and you can be fearless in Christ. Being human is a test of faith, so the less you waiver, the greater your reward in heaven. Be courageous in the Lord, act as human beings backed by a God with a mighty scepter that crumples nations and obliterates darkness. Do not lie to yourself, do not lie, and do not let a lie escape into the shadows. Uncover the lies of this world and spread the truth!
And do not be fooled-- all lies are weapons whose soles purposes are to destroy or hide, where a lie can attack but without coming out of hiding, which makes it a formidable weapon. Only truth is fearless enough to attack what is not true, and it attacks where all can see, exposing the dark lies which scuttle into darkness and obscurity. Only light can make shadows fade away, and truth (Christ) is that light. Wield Christ as he was meant to be wielded, he is a mighty weapon of forgivenss and death, where his purpose is to kill those who do evil, but to save those who love him. But with liars there is a catch, since it is easy for a weak mind to believe a lie. But believing that some lies are not evil is a lie as well since all truth stands opposed to all sin, and our entire world is drenched in sin, which makes being a strong Christian quite a difficult task. This task cannot be won without Christ, who is our weapon against the darkness, a weapon that saves us from death, a weapon that, when combined with the Armor of the Lord, an armor of light.
-
-
Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV)
"...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
-
-
Therefore, lies serve no other use other than to hide truth and destroy from the shadows, and as followers of Christ we are tasked with spreading Truth! Equip the armor of the Lord and stand firm in truth and love and faith. Your mortal body cannot hold you down, for you are a child of Christ, and even if you die you are promised a place next to God. If you believe this, then you will realize that life is not worth holding on to, and you can be fearless in Christ. Being human is a test of faith, so the less you waiver, the greater your reward in heaven. Be courageous in the Lord, act as human beings backed by a God with a mighty scepter that crumples nations and obliterates darkness. Do not lie to yourself, do not lie, and do not let a lie escape into the shadows. Uncover the lies of this world and spread the truth!
Never deny Christ. Never be afraid of Death. Stand always for Truth and never lie.
-
-
-
-
22 Who is the liar? It is whoever denies that Jesus is the Christ. Such a person is the antichrist—denying the Father and the Son.
God Bless!
