True or False?

I am not sure about you, but these days I feel like I don’t know what is true or false as sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and lies seem so believable. However, I think we need to understand who the father of lies is and what he does.

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:44-45

We have to be careful not to fall into the web of deception of the devil, who strongly opposes the truth.  He wants us to be trapped and in bondage to him. He knows the truth will set us free, so he sets out to manipulate the truth. We must also remember one percent of a lie mixed with ninety nine percent of truth is a lie. So, we should never compromise the truth.

The devil will make sure his people are put in place to impact those who influence society, so that his lies are propagated from the upper echelon to the lowest in servitude. He wants to corrupt companies, communities and countries. Therefore, he will position people to oppose God’s truth, so that it does not reach the ears of those who are in authority.

Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.” And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord. Acts 13:6-12

False prophets are still around today, and they are pervasive throughout the world and are persuasive to many who are ready to give them an audience. They will come as an angel of light not only to fool the gullible, but also the learned. They are tricky and treacherous, but you may not see them for what they are because of their fake facade and deceitful demeanor. We need God’s Holy Spirit to discern the deception.

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3

There are many who speak about Jesus, but they have not made Him their Saviour and Lord of their lives. Although they may know the word of God, they do not live it and they may even manipulate the Holy Scriptures to make them somehow seemingly support their lifestyles. But that is a lie and it is only showing their duplicity which is not aligned with God’s truth. You will know them by their actions as outlined in the Bible.

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21

We see a lot of these behaviors in our society, don’t we? But these are not of God. All those who practice these things are about self. They are acting out their selfish desires and hurting others while doing this. The opposite of this is the fruit of the Spirit which is of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:22-26

This is our fruit if we walk in God’s truth. When we understand God’s word and we obey Him and love Him, His Spirit of truth will guide us into all truth, then we will know what is true or false.