Podcast 5-17-19
Why Would God Send A Lie For People To Believe Since God Condemns Lying ?
IS THIS ISSUE A BIBLE CONTRADICTION?
We need to clearly focus on the issue that some perceive as problematic. The answer will become clearer when the issue is clearly in focus. We know that God condemns liars. They will not be allowed in God's everlasting kingdom. Note the final verdict in scripture:
Revelation 21:7-8 NKJV 7 "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
Some believe they have found an inconsistency in the Bible. How can God send strong delusions or lies when he will not allow a liar to live eternally in his kingdom. Yet it is clear that the Bible says God will allow a lie to prosper in the end of this age. Note what Paul writes about the coming of the Beast and False Prophet.
2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 NKJV 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
God is not working at cross purposes as some might think. He is ultimately teaching the value of truthfulness to rebellious mankind. Our further understanding of these issues should help true believers to appreciate our calling and the value of truth in a world of lies. The worldly people had pleasure in unrighteousness including lies and mass deception. This is wrong!
GOD IS ALLOWING PEOPLE TO HAVE WHAT THEY THINK THEY REALLY WANT
People want independence from God. Mankind wishes to go its own way. This means also to be able to believe whatever we want to believe at times. Because of this over arching attitude, God is not just sending a lie, he is also allowing and simply confirming those who do not wish to believe the truth. People do not want to know the truth in many areas if it seems to restrict their actions. One of the worse aspects of carnal human nature is the desire to believe a lie if it is convenient. I do not believe people openly say this to themselves but our actions confirm this deceptive side of human nature.
Jeremiah 17:9-10 NKJV 9 "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings.
Studies have shown that if someone is shown evidence of a truth they have public opposed, they will harden their false position. The person will not soften his position but dig in even more. God, in this evil age, is allowing mankind to suffer the consequences of having such deceitful and wicked hearts. Someday all will learn and acknowledge the damage that lies and deceit have done to former, present and future lives. If we were to confront a friend about something they did to hurt our feelings they probably would not acknowledge that we were right and they were wrong. The heart is very deceitful but people do not know it!
2 Thessalonians 2:8-10 NKJV 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Why does God allow or, send a lie to the world at the hands of a powerful propaganda machine because they do not LOVE THE TRUTH? People enjoy some lies. Some lies, like hating those the leader points out as the scapegoats is often enjoyed by the mob. Look at WWII propaganda or communist lies for instance.
DESPISING TRUTHFULNESS IS COSTLY FOR THIS PAGANIZED WORLD
The world has rejected God's leadership. Mankind believes under the deception of the Devil that we can create a better world without God. The nearly six thousand years of history have proven the exact opposite is true. This age is a disaster! Yet people love darkness and avoid many truths.
Romans 1:20-24 NKJV 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man--and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves,
Man's societies since being removed from the Garden of Eden, have been full of arrogance and pseudo wisdom. Most human philosophies are based on errors and lies. Especially at the end of this age, Satan's activities will lead to widespread deception. The unbelieving world will be deceived and misled by very evil men. The people have rejected the truth that would save them. They will reject the words of God given by the two witnesses. God will also allow this deception because the people do not love the truth. They deserve to be deceived.
Revelation 11:7-10 NKJV 7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and -a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
The worldly people will rejoice because the truths the two witnesses preached upset them. They rejected the messages of truth and were so happy when those messages were killed. Probably because of the spiritual power they had, people could not fully block the messages of the two witnesses.
DECEPTION HAS LED TO THE DEMISE OF EMPIRES
The Egyptian Empire was the second greatest empire of ancient times. Its leader Pharaoh, was blinded so he could not see the obvious truth. Pharaoh was an arrogant, spoiled dictator. He would naturally resist any unpleasant truth. He denied that the Hebrew God was the only real and powerful deity. This was true even if the evidence was overwhelming but, he would have eventually relented. However; God allowed Pharaoh's hardness of heart to remain so God could display his power and punish Egypt.
Exodus 10:1-2 NKJV 1 Now the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, 2 "and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son's son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD."
The Egyptians deserved their punishment for at one point killing Israelite babies and other crimes. The same things happened to a powerful ruler of Israel because of his and Jezebel's sin of idolatry. Their sins led to ugly institutions such as temple prostitution as part Baal worship.
2 Chronicles 18:19-22 NKJV 19 "And the LORD said, 'Who will persuade Ahab king of Israel to go up, that he may fall at Ramoth Gilead?' So one spoke in this manner, and another spoke in that manner. 20 "Then a spirit came forward and stood before the LORD, and said, 'I will persuade him.' The LORD said to him, 'In what way?' 21 "So he said, 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'You shall persuade him and also prevail; go out and do so.' 22 "Therefore look! The LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these prophets of yours, and the LORD has declared disaster against you."
King Ahab had a large number of false prophets of Baal. Many years prior they had gotten rid of the true priest who knew God's law. Now Ahab went further into a complete acceptance of paganism. These men would bless anything the king really wanted. They had no real godly knowledge or integrity. The one true prophet was warned to go along with the rest but he gave a true warning about this disastrous proposed war. Ahab choose to believe a lie rather than the truth and avoid the war. He died as prophesied. A penalty exists for not obeying and believing the truth.
ALL WILL LEARN THE VALUE OF TRUTH SOMEDAY
All mankind will learn the value of all of God's laws including truthfulness, in the future. When people are resurrected in the great white throne period they will repent of all their lies and other sins. They will have to repent and learn to treasure the truth. They will reflect back on the evil world of lies they lived thru and appreciate the truth. If not they will suffer the second death and not live eternally happy in God's kingdom.
John 12:38-41 NKJV 38 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?" 39 Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: 40 "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them." 41 These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.
The reason Jesus spoke in parables and closed peoples minds was they were not ready for conversion. They would be given an excuse for their ungodly actions. God is being merciful to them since they are not ready. It will be easier to forgive them and for them to forgive themselves in the future if they do not openly resist God. People will learn in the future the value of truthfulness and the harm of lies especially regarding God's principles and laws of good living.
