Liar, Liar
We all know that the devil is a liar. We know that much, if not most of what we hear in the world is nothing but lies. Often the things we tell ourselves are lies. As humans we lie - sometimes for gain, sometimes to escape consequence, sometimes to make ourselves feel better - and sometimes, we do it almost indiscriminately because it has become our default. And nowadays lies are not just tolerated, they are no longer labeled as lies, because what is truth anyway, right?
As believers, we are called to truth - absolute, constant, unquestionable truth. We know what the truth is, and we know when real truth is being traded for lies, whether it is in the world or in our very church. The infallible Word of God lays out the truth plainly, in all of its painful and world-defying glory - and the truth does not change just because we shut our ears to it or find it offensive or deny it in favor of what we want. But living by the truth is not enough - we are also called to oppose lies and promote truth in others - no matter how much they shut their ears to it, are offended by it, or deny it in favor of embracing the lie that allows people to live however they so choose.
Just a few weeks ago, a “pastor” had an interview on a CBS morning show. I put that in quotes because this person - a transgender (identifying as female) leader within the Evangelical Lutheran Church - was asked about what the Bible says about how God created only two genders - male and female. This person - a supposed leader of a God-honoring faith - stated that the Bible, God’s Word, “wasn’t written for 2024.”
A lie is an untrue or inaccurate statement which misleads or deceives, imputing dishonesty; so says Merriam-Webster. What causes people to lie? In this case, a person (and I am not going to even deal with the issue of pronouns - and I am not sorry) has responded to a legitimate question about God’s Word (which, by the way, come from an unsaved news anchor) and spoke in a way that is not only dismissive of the very words of God, but places their own wisdom, desires, and agenda above God’s Word. This person, who at one point in their life accepted a call into ministry for the purpose of the Gospel, has abandoned the truth and is now acting to mislead, deceive, and impute dishonesty in the name of selfish ambition over the higher calling of reflecting God’s image.
I personally have a lot of opinions about our current political climate and the upcoming election that I would love to get on my soapbox and discuss, but I am not going to do that. Instead, as we approach this election season, I am going to instead point out the lies that should be obvious to a rational thinking person, and call out what we as believers know to be the truth. It is my hope that a small grounding in reality will make things clearer for those who are caught up in the world of lies we see everywhere we look.
Lie: Whoever wins this election will be calling the shots for our nation - and the wrong person will bring us to ruin.
Truth: We are a sinful human race, already headed for ruin. Who we elect for our leadership is important - even crucial - but do not make the mistake of believing that anyone is in control other than God. This is His world, we are His children, and His will is going to be carried out for our country whether it is done by Trump, Harris, or Mickey Mouse.
Lie: The issues on this ballot are fundamental to our identity as people - our rights to our bodies, to identify as we choose, and to live our “best lives” define who we are.
Truth: You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14) in God’s image - that is your identity. That is the identity of the child in the womb at the moment of conception. That is the truth as stated in God’s Word and it has not, nor will it ever change no matter how much the world protests, rallies, or states from positions of God-given power.
Lie: If Trump wins, he will save America.
Truth: If Trump wins, we might see some improvement, we might not. We might see things get worse. We will still live in a world where the Father of Lies has influence - a lot of it. Trump is not a messiah - Christ is the Messiah, and the best we can hope for is that Trump or Harris or whomever will seek His wisdom.
Let’s be honest about this one. Anyone who has read the Bible and attended church has a fairly solid picture of the future of this world. I hate to break it to you - things are not ideal right now, and if we believe the Word, things are going to get worse. They are going to get much worse. There is no promise that says that Trump or anyone else in the world is going to make things better - that is reserved for Christ’s return. In fact, Revelation makes it clear that when things do start to get better on a global scale, we are nearing the very end, and that “better” is actually far worse than we can even imagine or understand. Our hope lies in the Creator, not the creation.
Lie: If Harris wins, Christians are in big trouble.
Truth: Honestly there is some truth to this - bu if you are living for Christ, trouble in this world is a given, regardless of who is in leadership. Christians who are believers in more than just name are called to live with a worldview that fundamentally opposes the party line - whether it is Republican or Democrat or Jedi - pick your poison. Yes, Harris has policies that are distinct in their anti-Christian approach, but this is not new. The fact of the matter is this - the world did not end when Clinton served, nor did it end when Obama served, nor with Biden or any other person supporting anti-conservative platforms. Christ reigns - just as He always has and He will continue to do so.
Lie: If X wins the election, we should oppose them at every turn.
Truth: Romans 13:1 makes this incredibly clear: “Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.” We do not have to like those in authority, but we as believers are called to respect that authority as established by God. This does not mean that we swallow the lies or accept law that goes against God’s authority, but it does mean that we recognize the leadership and support what we know to be the common good according to God’s Word regardless of who carries the mantle of leadership.
Furthermore, in this vein, we have a responsibility to our leadership. Rather than praying that God would circumvent or prevent them from doing what it is in their heart to do, we should be praying for their souls and that their hearts would change. We should be praying for them to find God - authentically, truthfully, and repent so that they too might be saved. And we should be doing this not because of their position or what they might do if they are saved - we should be doing it because God loves them and they too are valuable and within His reach to save as individuals, not just as leaders.
The one political statement I will make is this - You need to vote. It is your responsibility to oppose evil in the world, and you have a vehicle to do so. You may believe that your vote does not matter - but that too is a lie from the devil. You have the ability and the responsibility to vote God’s Word - and your disgust and offense perpetrated by a world of lies does not exempt you from that responsibility. You have been given a voice and the charge to use it for God’s kingdom, and there is no argument that can be raised against your responsibility as a believer.
Here is the absolute truth - God is in control. Regardless of the election and the world at large circling the drain around us - we need to cling to Him. We need to focus on our relationship with Christ and the task to which He has called every one of us. Are you worried about the state of the world? Do your job. Pray for our leaders and their salvation - regardless of who they are. Tell your neighbor the truth in the midst of the lies. Get busy doing what we are here to do!
As believers, we are called to truth - absolute, constant, unquestionable truth. We know what the truth is, and we know when real truth is being traded for lies, whether it is in the world or in our very church. The infallible Word of God lays out the truth plainly, in all of its painful and world-defying glory - and the truth does not change just because we shut our ears to it or find it offensive or deny it in favor of what we want. But living by the truth is not enough - we are also called to oppose lies and promote truth in others - no matter how much they shut their ears to it, are offended by it, or deny it in favor of embracing the lie that allows people to live however they so choose.
Just a few weeks ago, a “pastor” had an interview on a CBS morning show. I put that in quotes because this person - a transgender (identifying as female) leader within the Evangelical Lutheran Church - was asked about what the Bible says about how God created only two genders - male and female. This person - a supposed leader of a God-honoring faith - stated that the Bible, God’s Word, “wasn’t written for 2024.”
A lie is an untrue or inaccurate statement which misleads or deceives, imputing dishonesty; so says Merriam-Webster. What causes people to lie? In this case, a person (and I am not going to even deal with the issue of pronouns - and I am not sorry) has responded to a legitimate question about God’s Word (which, by the way, come from an unsaved news anchor) and spoke in a way that is not only dismissive of the very words of God, but places their own wisdom, desires, and agenda above God’s Word. This person, who at one point in their life accepted a call into ministry for the purpose of the Gospel, has abandoned the truth and is now acting to mislead, deceive, and impute dishonesty in the name of selfish ambition over the higher calling of reflecting God’s image.
I personally have a lot of opinions about our current political climate and the upcoming election that I would love to get on my soapbox and discuss, but I am not going to do that. Instead, as we approach this election season, I am going to instead point out the lies that should be obvious to a rational thinking person, and call out what we as believers know to be the truth. It is my hope that a small grounding in reality will make things clearer for those who are caught up in the world of lies we see everywhere we look.
Lie: Whoever wins this election will be calling the shots for our nation - and the wrong person will bring us to ruin.
Truth: We are a sinful human race, already headed for ruin. Who we elect for our leadership is important - even crucial - but do not make the mistake of believing that anyone is in control other than God. This is His world, we are His children, and His will is going to be carried out for our country whether it is done by Trump, Harris, or Mickey Mouse.
Lie: The issues on this ballot are fundamental to our identity as people - our rights to our bodies, to identify as we choose, and to live our “best lives” define who we are.
Truth: You are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14) in God’s image - that is your identity. That is the identity of the child in the womb at the moment of conception. That is the truth as stated in God’s Word and it has not, nor will it ever change no matter how much the world protests, rallies, or states from positions of God-given power.
Lie: If Trump wins, he will save America.
Truth: If Trump wins, we might see some improvement, we might not. We might see things get worse. We will still live in a world where the Father of Lies has influence - a lot of it. Trump is not a messiah - Christ is the Messiah, and the best we can hope for is that Trump or Harris or whomever will seek His wisdom.
Let’s be honest about this one. Anyone who has read the Bible and attended church has a fairly solid picture of the future of this world. I hate to break it to you - things are not ideal right now, and if we believe the Word, things are going to get worse. They are going to get much worse. There is no promise that says that Trump or anyone else in the world is going to make things better - that is reserved for Christ’s return. In fact, Revelation makes it clear that when things do start to get better on a global scale, we are nearing the very end, and that “better” is actually far worse than we can even imagine or understand. Our hope lies in the Creator, not the creation.
Lie: If Harris wins, Christians are in big trouble.
Truth: Honestly there is some truth to this - bu if you are living for Christ, trouble in this world is a given, regardless of who is in leadership. Christians who are believers in more than just name are called to live with a worldview that fundamentally opposes the party line - whether it is Republican or Democrat or Jedi - pick your poison. Yes, Harris has policies that are distinct in their anti-Christian approach, but this is not new. The fact of the matter is this - the world did not end when Clinton served, nor did it end when Obama served, nor with Biden or any other person supporting anti-conservative platforms. Christ reigns - just as He always has and He will continue to do so.
Lie: If X wins the election, we should oppose them at every turn.
Truth: Romans 13:1 makes this incredibly clear: “Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God.” We do not have to like those in authority, but we as believers are called to respect that authority as established by God. This does not mean that we swallow the lies or accept law that goes against God’s authority, but it does mean that we recognize the leadership and support what we know to be the common good according to God’s Word regardless of who carries the mantle of leadership.
Furthermore, in this vein, we have a responsibility to our leadership. Rather than praying that God would circumvent or prevent them from doing what it is in their heart to do, we should be praying for their souls and that their hearts would change. We should be praying for them to find God - authentically, truthfully, and repent so that they too might be saved. And we should be doing this not because of their position or what they might do if they are saved - we should be doing it because God loves them and they too are valuable and within His reach to save as individuals, not just as leaders.
The one political statement I will make is this - You need to vote. It is your responsibility to oppose evil in the world, and you have a vehicle to do so. You may believe that your vote does not matter - but that too is a lie from the devil. You have the ability and the responsibility to vote God’s Word - and your disgust and offense perpetrated by a world of lies does not exempt you from that responsibility. You have been given a voice and the charge to use it for God’s kingdom, and there is no argument that can be raised against your responsibility as a believer.
Here is the absolute truth - God is in control. Regardless of the election and the world at large circling the drain around us - we need to cling to Him. We need to focus on our relationship with Christ and the task to which He has called every one of us. Are you worried about the state of the world? Do your job. Pray for our leaders and their salvation - regardless of who they are. Tell your neighbor the truth in the midst of the lies. Get busy doing what we are here to do!
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