If I speak truth why do you not believe Me?”
John 8:46
From the opening of chapter eight, Jesus is in the temple teaching the people. Many have come to believe in Him, and he exhorts them onward, continuing in His word to truly become his disciples. From continuing in His word, they will know the truth and the truth will make them free.
We live in a culture of darkness and are surrounded by the impacts of a Kingdom of darkness. This dark Kingdom, just like the Kingdom of Light, has a King, a ruler, one who desires to rule. The dark King rules by lording himself over His subjects. In the darkness, there are only lies, manipulation and control, destined to build strongholds of destruction. Jesus said this thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy as opposed to the abundant life that Jesus offers in His Kingdom. These two Kingdoms will remain in conflict on the earth until Jesus returns.
In chapter eight, we find Jesus assigning all lies to the Father of lies, the devil, who was a murderer from the beginning.
“ …Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Verse 44.
From here, Jesus asks a very poignant question ~ If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?
Last week, I wrote that we all have a belief system activating our life’s choices. We know much, but we only practice what we believe. I’m always arrested when considering Eve’s conversations with the serpent in the garden. How long did she look? How long did she consider before she adapted to the lie?
This is why the admonition from 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 is to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. Capturing thoughts begins with a knowledge of the word of God, that the Spirit of Truth may lead us into. Our prayer, to not be led into temptation but delivered from evil, is a personal cry to be kept from the power of lies.
The last days are filled with lies and deception. Great signs and wonders will occur that if it were possible, the very elect could be deceived. To participate in lies is to take part in the works of darkness. Satan is the father of all lies. He breeds deception. There is no truth in Him.
The danger of participating in lies is that you are exposing yourself to a practice that creates a liar. Revelation 22 tells us that outside the gates of the New Jerusalem, there will be those who love and practice falsehood. Revelation 21:8 tells us all liars are assigned to the lake of fire in the second death.
Our standard from Ephesians 4:17-27 tells us we are to put away all the behaviour of the old man, corrupted by deceitful desires and be renewed in the spirit of our mind and then put on the new us, created after the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness of the truth. Paul goes on to say, therefore, having put away falsehood ~ pseudos, derived from the Greek verb ψεύδομαι (pseudomai), meaning "to lie" or "to deceive."
Helps Word Studies ~ In the New Testament, "pseudos" refers to falsehood or lies, often in the context of false teachings or deceitful practices. It is used to describe anything contrary to the truth, particularly in a spiritual or moral sense. The term underscores the contrast between God's truth and human or demonic deception.
Paul later wrote, “They did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” 2 Thessalonians 2:10
The deception and ultimate blindness that lies create are a danger we all want to avoid. Paul warns us that lying gives opportunity to the devil, Ephesians 4:27.
In conclusion ~ theres a passage from Isaiah 44:9-20, reinforcing the folly of idolatry ~ concluding with the alarming state of not knowing, not discerning…no one considers nor is there knowledge or discernment to say …He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart has let him astray and he cannot deliver himself or say, is there not a lie in my right hand(?), Reinforcing in my mind how Satan works to blind minds lest we would believe the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ.
So, Jesus asks, If I speak the truth why do you not believe me?
Selah.