February 1, 2004

THE TRUTH vs. THE LIE

Romans 1:21-25

   They "suppressed the truth in unrighteousness" and brought God's wrath. They "changed the truth into the lie, and worshiped and served the creation more that the Creator, Who is blessed forever..." because of which "God gave them up..." (Romans 1:18, 25,26).

   The Lord told His adversaries, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you desire to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks from himself, for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not" (John 8:44-45).

   Satan had sent letters falsely purporting to be from Paul to confuse believers at Thessalonica. Paul wrote them to "be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled...by letter, as from us, telling that the day of the Lord is at hand. Let no man deceive you..." The revelation of the man of sin cannot happen while the church, the body of Christ is still here. This "man of sin...opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God sits in the Temple of God showing himself that he is God." The mystery of lawlessness is already at work but is restrained for the present. But when "that wicked [one]" is revealed, "the Lord shall consume [him] with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy [him] with the brightness of His coming, even him whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders...and with every form of deceit of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe the lie, that they all might be judged who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. 2:2-12).

   This battle will end when all enemies are subdued by Christ and God is "all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28) and "the devil...is cast into the lake of fire...tormented day and night forever." We know and believe the truth, we speak the truth, and do the truth. The truth is everything!

Ivan L. Burgener