by Terry Wane Benton<\/p>\n
In the first century, Paul exposed the lies people were telling each other. It was that an animal is a god to be worshiped (Romans1:18-26) and that such gods allow us to make up our moral standards as we desire. Thus, one lie protected all kinds of sin.<\/p>\n
Since the moral system was actually immoral, the first lie protected the entire immoral system and made truth-tellers like the apostles of Jesus the bad guys. The only immorality in such a system was to judge anybody who challenged such a system as hateful and immoral. Thus, the apostles got railroaded out of town quite often or stoned to death.<\/p>\n
Today, you might lose your job if you refuse to go along with the lie that a man is a woman or if you refuse to pretend that he is a woman if he chooses to present himself as one. The lie is not evil in this case, but you are evil if you refuse to pretend the lie is true. Paul said that they “exchanged the truth of God for the lie<\/em>” (Romans 1:25). The creature has become greater than the Creator. The creature can change the truth that he is a male into the lie that he is female, and the only one that gets punished or ostracized is the truth-teller that God is the source of all truth that humanity is made in only two categories: male and female, nothing more or less or other than male and female.<\/p>\n The truth of God is clearly under attack today. The lie that a male can choose to be a female, and all have to accept that choice is pushed with political clout into companies so that Christians will often have to pretend the lie is true or lose their job and career opportunities. You have to allow men into women’s restrooms and sports, or you are tagged as evil. That is the system that is growing more and more powerful because we pushed God aside.<\/p>\n When God is pushed aside, the only moral compass will be the lies we invent and perpetrate as true. We give those lies the strength to rule us by refusing to “expose the unfruitful works of darkness<\/em>” (Ephesians 5:11).<\/p>\n “Let God be true and every man a liar<\/em>” (Romans 3:4). God is true and righteous altogether. In Him is no darkness at all. People love darkness because their deeds are evil (John 3:17ff). There is a standard that is true (John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17).<\/p>\n Be kind to all sinners, love their souls, but do so without legitimizing sin based on lies. All liars will have their part in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8). Put away lies and speak the truth with your neighbor (Ephesians 4:25). Don’t go along with pretending a lie is true. That only protects lies and harms truth and becomes a trap for whole segments of God-fearing people.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Terry Wane Benton In the first century, Paul exposed the lies people were telling each other. It was that an animal is a god to be worshiped (Romans1:18-26) and that such gods allow us to make up our moral standards as we desire. Thus, one lie protected all kinds of sin. Since the moral…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[304,392,305],"class_list":["post-45699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-idolatry","tag-lying","tag-transgenderism"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":22329,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/who-are-those-who-love-and-practice-a-lie\/","url_meta":{"origin":45699,"position":0},"title":"Who are those who love and practice a lie?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"April 5, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In Revelation 22:15, John seems to be saying one last time who will enter the kingdom and who will not.\u00a0 All the other things I understand, but the last part when he says those who love and practice a lie is somewhat unclear to me.\u00a0 I understand the general\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2610,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-happens-when-you-lie\/","url_meta":{"origin":45699,"position":1},"title":"What happens when you lie?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 4, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What are some of the consequences of lying? What can it do to a friendship, to a marriage, or to a family? What will happen if you lie? Answer: Imagine for a moment a world where everyone lied constantly. In such a world, you would never be able to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":9043,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-god-told-satan-to-lie-then-isnt-it-ok-for-us-to-lie\/","url_meta":{"origin":45699,"position":2},"title":"If God told Satan to lie, then isn’t it OK for us to lie?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 18, 2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If the Old Testament, even once, shows us that God told Satan to lie to a woman, would that be OK? If not, better read that book more closely. I'll bet that it shows that very clearly. Once, that should be OK, let's consider the original language, let's dance\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":80849,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/jesus-the-truth\/","url_meta":{"origin":45699,"position":3},"title":"Jesus, the Truth","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Terry Wane Benton \"Jesus said to him, \"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me\" (John 14:6). Jesus is the truth about everything. Do you want to know how this world began and how life, moral conscience, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1566,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-are-the-biblical-consequences-to-lying\/","url_meta":{"origin":45699,"position":4},"title":"What are the biblical consequences to lying?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 9, 2004","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What are the biblical consequences of lying? Answer: In a list of things that the Lord hates we find lying. \"These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look,\u00a0a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24199,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/little-lies\/","url_meta":{"origin":45699,"position":5},"title":"Little Lies","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 27, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"by Rusty Miller \"Buy truth, and do not sell it\" (Proverbs 23:23). Of all the things God desires most, none has suffered more in recent times than honesty. 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