Tag: <span>truth</span>

How Would You Know if Someone Was Trying to Deceive You?

“It’s easier to fool people than to convince people that they have been fooled.” – Mark Twain

Is it possible to know when someone is trying to deceive us? How do we discern between truth and lies? What is the nature of the truth? What is the nature of lies and deception?

These are vital questions, the answers for which the follower of Jesus must ponder, unravel, and cling to.

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him about the end times and His return, the first thing Jesus told them was, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:4; Mark 13:5; Luke 21:8) Jesus said this in warning about many who would come after Him, some even claiming allegiance to Him, but declaring they are the Messiah. These people will “deceive many.” (Matthew 24:5)

Later in the same discourse Jesus warned, “Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (vs. 11) And again in verse 24 He said, “For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.”

Similarly, in 2 Thessalonians 2, the apostle Paul wrote regarding the antichrist, “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way…. The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (2 Thessalonians 2:3, 9-12)

And in 1 Timothy 4:1-2, Paul wrote, “The Spirit clearly says that in latter times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.”

Finally, speaking of the last days (2 Timothy 3:1), Paul explained that “evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:13)

It is clear from these passages and many others that lies and deception will characterize the last days before Christ’s return. And for this reason, the Lord warns us “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.”

The Source of Truth and Lies

Truth is to light as lies are to darkness. The apostle John used this metaphor of light and darkness to distinguish between truth and lies or deception. In John 1:1-18 we read:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

Then, in John 3:19-21, Jesus explained, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.”

John equates truth (light) with goodness and lies (darkness) with evil. Truth is therefore inherently moral, right, and good, whereas lies are inherently evil. Additionally, Jesus said, “If you hold to My teaching; you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

The apostle Paul wrote, “Opponents [to the Gospel] must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:25-26) The truth sets people free, while lies enslave.

Jesus came to reveal the truth about us and about God. We recognize from these passages that truth is also inherently relational. God seeks to redeem mankind who has believed the lie, so He sent His Son Jesus Christ who embodies the truth to bring us back into relationship with God.

Jesus claimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:6) Jesus Christ embodies truth. In Him is no lie. And it is only through embracing the truth that we can be reconciled with God and enjoy His fellowship.

Jesus explained that when we come into relationship with God the Father through Him that He gives us His Holy Spirit to “help us and be with us forever – the Spirit of truth.” (John 14:16-17) God’s Holy Spirit He calls “the Spirit of truth.” The Holy Spirit lives within us and “guides us into all the truth.” (John 16:13) This does not mean that someone with the Holy Spirit cannot be deceived, for the Bible continually warns followers of Jesus not to be deceived.

Finally, in John 17:17, as Jesus was praying for His current and future disciples (followers), He prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.” God’s Word is truth.

So we see that God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Word of God all embody truth. In them is no lie, no deception. God has also given us the ability to discern other truths through the sciences. These truths are observable, repeatable, and unchanging.

By contrast, where do lies come from? Jesus explained in John 8:44 regarding those who claimed to know God but refused to believe the truth about Him. Jesus said, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”

The devil, Satan, is the father of lies. He does not hold to the truth and there is no truth in him. Let that sink in. All lies have their origin in the devil who is the father, the originator of lies and deception. The devil deceived Adam and Eve in the beginning by challenging the truth that God had given them. He promised them something he could not give but enticed them by his lies and deception.

Since the Fall (the great deception), mankind has continued believing Satan’s lies, rebelling against God, walking in darkness, and giving themselves to do evil. And, as Jesus warned, we do not like to come into the light (the truth) because it exposes our sin and evil and the lies on which evil is based. No one likes to hear that they’ve been living a lie.

In discerning, avoiding, and battling lies and deception, I believe it is imperative to recognize that all lies, regardless of their context, originate from Satan. We must also recognize that all sin and evil have their roots in lies. Lies and deception are inherently bound up with sin and evil and anything contrary to God, Jesus Christ, His Holy Spirit, and His Word.

Characteristics of the Truth

Based on what we’ve read and discussed so far, below are some characteristics of truth:

Truth emanates from God.
Truth is inherently moral, good, and right.
Truth exposes evil, sin, and injustice.
Truth is consistent and unchanging.
Truth sets people free.
Truth invites dialog because it has nothing to hide.
Truth restores and builds relationships and trust.
Truth stands on it own and cannot be toppled.
Truth brings clarity and light.
Truth stands squarely on God’s Word and what His Spirit reveals to us.
Truth promotes unity, peace, and love.
Truth gives us a firm footing in our lives and how we should live.
Truth is objective and universal.

In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve possessed God’s truth and enjoyed intimate relationship with Him. But Satan introduced a lie posing as additional or more perfect knowledge and deceived them. We learn from this that we must not abandon God’s clear Word and yield to some alternate claim.

Characteristics of Lies and Deception

Likewise, from what we’ve seen so far, here are some characteristics of lies and deception:

Lies originate from the devil, the father of lies.
Lies are inherently evil and promote sin and darkness.
Lies foster mistrust and confusion.
Lies enslave and control.
Lies use fear, anxiety, worry, shame, and guilt to keep its subjects enslaved.
Lies destroy relationships.
Lies constantly breed more lies to keep the deception growing.
Lies inevitably contradict each other.
Lies squelch dialog and silence, censor, slander, or ridicule anyone that opposes them.
Lies promote dissention, discord, and hate.
Lies are subjective (e.g., “that’s your truth; it’s not my truth”).

How Do We Discern Between Truth and Lies?

Based on the foregoing and what’s below, I’ve attempted to capture some principles to help us discern between truth and lies. Having said that, you and I must admit that we are fallible. Our hearts and minds have been tainted by sin. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ‘I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

However, we must seek truth, hold to the truth, and expose lies and deception.

Principles for Discerning the Truth from Lies and Deception

Check the source. Is this person or entity trustworthy? What is their reputation? What are their motives? What is their demeanor and manner in presenting their information?
Does this information contradict Scripture? Is there any clear teaching or precedent in Scripture that offers a warning about this information?
How well does this information align with the character of God, based on what the Lord has revealed about His character in His Word, the Bible.
How willing are the proponents of this information to enter open dialog and discussion? If they simply silence, cancel, or censor dissenters, then they are probably lying.
How well does this information agree with what we already know to be true? If through science, research, or expert testimony we have time-tried evidence, does this new information contradict that evidence?
Is the propagation of this information creating a climate of trust and peace among the population? Or do the proponents of this narrative use fear, intimidation, coercion, and threats to force their views on others?
To what extent does this information promote a consistent, reliable, trustworthy narrative? Lies promote confusion, contradictions, and vagueness.How often have they changed their information over time?
To what extent does this narrative feel controlling and manipulating? What impact is their information having on people?
On what basis do the purveyors of this information make claims? Do they make claims that they cannot back up? Is their response to questions about their claims flippant, flimsy, or “just trust us”?
To what extent does this narrative stand on its own merit without manipulation or propaganda?

The above principles do not necessarily prevent us from falling prey to any and every deception. But they should help us ask important questions to determine the veracity and integrity of what we read and hear.

I’ve heard that in order to sniff out counterfeit bills, FBI agents focus on studying the real thing. That way they know when they see something counterfeit.

In the same way, as followers of Jesus, we must become very acquainted with the Word of God. Know what it says and learn to interpret it properly. Spend time in prayer. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s promptings and teaching and obey Him. Be involved in a local assembly of believers and grow together and learn from each other. We need each other.

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

How Can We Tell if We’re Being Deceived?

by Rob Fischer ·

How can we tell if we’re being deceived? This is a question that is always worth asking but is especially relevant now during this COVID-19 pandemic. Without digging too deep, we find numerous conflicting claims surrounding the pandemic ranging on one extreme from the prognosis of hundreds of thousands of deaths to the other extreme that this whole thing is being driven by political and financial motives. One wonders which we are more in danger of: the corona virus or the politicians who are exploiting it.

Who do we trust? How can we tell if we’re being deceived—not only about the corona virus pandemic, but about other issues in the news, and even spiritual matters?

Deception of the masses is nothing new. I’m currently reading the biography of John and Abigail Adams, First Family by Joseph J. Ellis. The public was constantly having to distinguish between fake and real news even at the founding of our country. Because whenever and wherever evil prevails, people will suppress and twist the truth to promote their desired agenda.

But such deception goes back to the beginning. Jesus explained that the devil “was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (John 8:44) Deceit is Satan’s trademark.

Satan deceived Eve by promising her something that she desired if she would disobey God. Both she and Adam believed Satan’s lie and hurled all of mankind into a pattern of sin and rebellion against God. As humans, we have deceived and have fallen prey to deception ever since.

The false prophets of Jeremiah’s day serve as another example of deception. Jeremiah was a prophet of God in Judah right before and during the time when Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and carried the Jews away to Babylon. The people of Judah had become very wicked committing idolatry, child sacrifice, gross immorality, and a host of other sins. God was now judging them for their sin and refusal to repent.

Jeremiah alone was God’s messenger, but there were many other so-called prophets who told their king what he wanted to hear. Their messages were fabrications of their own minds and desires. They mistreated and even tried to kill Jeremiah for speaking the truth. And in the end, we know Jeremiah was speaking the truth because what he predicted came to pass and what the false prophets prophesied did not come to pass. In the midst of all the lies and deception, the Lord warned Jeremiah:

“’They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me,’ declares the Lord. ‘Beware of your friends; do not trust anyone in your clan. For every one of them is a deceiver, and every friend a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 9:3-6)

That could have been written today. Private citizens and even church members are snitching on each other for what they deem as infractions against the coronavirus mandates. This is real and it’s going on here and now. For many this is fomenting more fear of the government and of each other than of the virus.

The above passage from Jeremiah gives us the answer to how we can know whether we’re being deceived. The only defense against deception is to know the truth. A deception is anything that veers from the truth. But how do we know the truth?

No doubt Pontius Pilate thought he was being clever when he posed the rhetorical question to Jesus, “What is truth?” Our culture today has the same mindset. We’re told that truth is relative. “That’s just your truth. It’s not my truth.”

But whether we admit it or not there are absolute truths. Truths like the effect of gravity on a falling body cannot be disputed. If you jump off a ten-story building, you will fall, probably to your death. Death is also a reality, an indisputable and unavoidable truth. And there are many other iron-clad truths.

Romans 1 tells how deception flourishes in a culture. The apostle Paul explains that people “suppress the truth by their wickedness.” (Romans 1:18) The text goes on to say, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:21-22) Truth and righteousness go hand in hand.

Jesus Christ said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) Jesus embodies the truth. If we want to know truth, we must get to know Jesus. Truth is an immutable character trait of the Lord. If we want to know the truth, we must spend time with Him, get to know Him intimately, and seek truth from Him. As disciples or followers of Jesus, we want to become more and more like Him taking on His character. This is the path to truth.

God’s Word is also a source of and filter for truth. The psalmist declared to the Lord, “All your words are true.” (Psalm 119:160) And Jesus prayed to the Father on our behalf, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Too many people who call themselves followers of Jesus are ignorant of God’s Word. God’s Word is more accessible to us today in so many different media forms than ever before, yet we read it far less. Lack of familiarity with the truth leaves us open to deception.

The Holy Spirit also embodies and imparts the truth. Jesus said, “When he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.” (John 16:13) But just because God’s Holy Spirit indwells us does not guarantee immunity from deception. We must “walk in the Spirit,” be “led by the Spirit,” “live by the Spirit,” and “keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5) However, if we continue in a life of sin, we quench the work of the Spirit in our lives, because “wickedness suppresses the truth.”

We grow in truth by knowing the Lord, spending time in His Word and living according to it. We have the Holy Spirit living within us and He leads us into the truth as well as we obey and follow Him.

Jesus warned us, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” (Matthew 24:4). This means that Christians too can be deceived. We’re not immune to deception. That’s why Jesus urges us to be alert and be on guard. The better we get to know Jesus, His Word, and follow His Spirit, the better we’re able to distinguish between truth and deception.

We can tell whether we’re being deceived if the information conflicts with what we know about God’s character and working.

I believe we are nearing the time of Jesus’ return. I don’t know how soon He will come back, but so much going on in the world points to His soon return. Jesus explained that in the last days, the antichrist or lawless one will appear. Paul described what that time would look like in 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12. Note how the antichrist will use deception when he comes:

“The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

This passage and history itself point out another characteristic of deception. Whatever the masses believe, is often a deception. Think about it. The Bible explains that those who wanted to crucify Jesus won over the crowd to demand Jesus’ execution. (Matthew 27:20) Hitler used his propaganda machine to make the killing of Jews and other “undesirables” acceptable to the masses. Our culture today has won over the masses to make the killing of unborn babies a woman’s right. And there are many other examples of such deception throughout our culture.

The masses go with the flow. They don’t question authority. They accept what so-called professionals say without question. The masses readily comply. Beware of following the masses.

Finally, deception also flourishes in an environment of fear. When people respond out of fear, common sense and rational thinking fly out the window. Fear paralyzes logical, sane thinking. When fear prevails, deception comes easy and truth is blurred.

If you don’t yet know Jesus, turn to Him, trust Him for the forgiveness of your sins and begin living for Him. If you already know Jesus, steep yourself in His Word. Fill your mind with truth. Mimic God’s character. Get rid of any wickedness in your life that suppresses the truth and set your life to live for Christ. Trust Him and look to Him for truth.

How do we know if we’re being deceived?

Does the information conflict in any way with what we know about God’s character, His working, or His Word?
Are we merely following the masses?
Are we reacting out of fear?
Are established facts being ignored or censored?

Tests of Authentic Christianity

by Rob Fischer ·

The past couple of days I’ve been reading 1 John. I’ve always found it to be kind of a challenging read because of the way John organized it. But reading it through in one sitting I realized that John uses a device that the Hebrews often employed in their writing: repetition with variety. In other words, he repeats simple truths and each time he does, he writes them in a different way so there’s no misunderstanding when you take them all together.

Another thing that John does is use the phrase, “This is how…,” or, “This is what…,” etc. And he uses that phrase 23 times in this short letter.

John explains his purpose for writing in chapter 1, verse 3, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.” This fellowship (koinonia) denotes intimate community or oneness.

In other words, John is writing to explain the basic distinctives that define authentic Christianity and establish the basis for our fellowship with God and with each other. John contrasts these distinctives with characteristics of the evil one, his antichrists, and the worldview that opposes God. And living in our so-called “progressive” culture today, all this is extremely relevant.

From what John wrote, we can summarize these tests or distinctives of authentic Christianity in different ways. I will try to do this as simply as possible. Here’s what I see from 1 John and the tests of authentic Christianity that he presents. In other words, those who share this intimate fellowship with God and each other have these characteristics:

We believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God and receive His atonement for our sins. We believe that the Son of God came in the flesh, lived a righteous life, and died as “the atoning sacrifice for our sins,” and for all who put their trust in Him (2:1-2). Anyone who denies this is a liar and an antichrist (2:22).
We love God, because He first loved us, and because He loves us, we love each other (4:10-11). We obeyGod’s commands and they are simple: love God and love others. Our love for God and for others expresses itself through actions (3:18). Steeped in God’s love, we live without fear of death or whatever else comes our way (4:18).
God is light (holy, righteous, without fault) and when we walk with Him, we walk in the light (1:5-7). If we say that we know Him but walk in darkness, we’re lying and the truth is not in us (1:6).We strive to live like Jesus in this world (2:6; 3:3; 4:17).In Christ’s power we seek to remove sin from our lives and live holy lives (3:4-10).If we keep willfully sinning, we may not yet know God. Righteousness and truth go hand-in-hand. We live in the truth revealed in God’s Word (1:5-7; 2:3-5, 14).
We are God’s children and enjoy fellowship with Him. His Holy Spirit lives within us, and we can talk with Him and know that He hears our prayers (3:1-30). As God’s children, we have overcome the spirit of antichrist. Greater is He who is within us, than he who is in the world (4:4).
Our affections and our speech are focused on what God loves and says is important. Our affections are not on the world, what it offers, and what it says is important (2:15-17). For the world is under the control of the evil one (5:19). We speak in synch with the Holy Spirit of truth and not according to the world.

There is so much more packed into John’s short letter, but hopefully I’ve captured the essence. His letter is so relevant today because there seems to be so much confusion about the nature of truth and what is right. But John reminds us that God sets the standards, we don’t.

John also reminds us “that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” (1 John 5:19) Is it any wonder that we’re experiencing such hatred, violence, and confusion?

I’ll end this blog post with some of John’s final words, “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true. And we are in Him who is true by being in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.” (1 John 5:20)

Follow the Way of Love

by Rob Fischer ·

The Apostle Paul urges us to “follow the way of love.” What is that way?

On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus told His disciples, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)

The love to which Jesus calls us is so radical, so remarkable, that people will recognize it as “Jesus’ love.” He gave us the example to follow. The way of love is to imitate Christ.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 describes what the love of Christ—the way of love looks like:

Love is patient – This one hits me square between the eyes. I’m always looking for the shortest grocery line and the fastest traffic lane. I forget the people around me when I’m in a hurry. But I want to be like Jesus, who while hurrying to heal a man’s dying daughter, still took time to stop and comfort a woman who had been suffering an incurable illness for many years. Lord, I want to be patient like You!
Love is kind – Kindness is nearly always expressed in deeds for others. Sometimes we overlook those closest to us—our spouse, a child, or parent. We feel compassion for the homeless person on the corner but speak sharply to a “loved one.” May we always be kind to all whom God has placed in our lives, for He is kind to all. By the kindness of our love, may they see Jesus in us.
Love does not envy – Envy is an ugly sin. Envy is partner to greed. Instead of rejoicing with others for their success, we wish their success on ourselves instead. This is not at all like Jesus. Lord, help us to be joyful with others in their good fortune.
Love does not boast – We boast when we forget that everything we have is a gift from God. In boasting, we seek to exalt ourselves above others. That’s not the way of love. Let us rather boast in Christ. “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:31)
Love is not proud – Pride is at the core of man’s rebellion against God. Pride and arrogance don’t endear us to others either. Pride repels and undermines relationships. By contrast, Jesus exudes and exemplifies humility. Let us follow His example by living humbly with others.
Love does not dishonor others – Political, social, and religious differences are dividing our nation and even many close relationships. Even though we may strongly disagree with someone of a different persuasion, we are called to honor them. For instance, all government authority is established by God. If we dishonor those in authority, we are dishonoring God. (Romans 13:1-2) Love honors others.
Love is not self-seeking – A self-seeking, self-focused life is ultimately bankrupt of all that is good. Love seeks the welfare of others. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:43-45)
Love is not easily angered – Anger undermines love. “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” (James 1:19-20) No matter how justified we feel in becoming angry, our anger does not produce righteousness.
Love keeps no record of wrongs – No doubt many reading this have been horribly wronged by others. Yet Jesus wants us to forgive them. Not because they deserve it, but because forgiving others mimics the grace and mercy God has extended to us. Also, forgiveness is the healthy thing to do. As someone put it, “Refusing to forgive others is like giving them rent-free permission to dominate your thoughts.” Bitterness consumes us from the inside out.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth – There are two powerful things going on in this statement. First, this is a moral or godly quality inherent in love. We have cheapened love with the idea that love is tolerant of sinful practices. God does not tolerate sin of any kind, yet He loves us sinners.

Second, real love rejoices in the truth. Truth also has this moral quality about it that love loves. Our culture is under the illusion that there is no ultimate truth, or that truth is what you believe it to be. This is nonsense. Love is not naïve but is founded on truth and stands for the truth.
Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres – Paul gave these characteristics of love in the context of talking about the church, the body of Christ. This love is “the most excellent way” to conduct ourselves with each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. We protect each other, trust each other, offer hope, and we persevere together.

These character qualities express the beauty of love in action for followers of Jesus. This is the way of love. This is way of Christ.

How to Spot a Phony Religion

by Rob Fischer ·

I recognize that the title of this article itself may evoke anger in some readers, but please hear me out. I think we would all agree that two diametrically opposing assertions cannot both be true. I’m not talking about assertions for which we don’t have all the data. I’m referring to simple truths.

But when it comes to religion, we seem to be willing to throw all wisdom, common sense, and logic out the window. Our culture encourages everyone to find their “own way.” But in fact, not all roads lead to Rome, nor do they all lead to God, because He says they don’t.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.” – Proverbs 14:12 ESV

Even those religions that claim to accept others of any faith are speaking out of both sides of their mouths. When you study the tenets of their faith, they invariably contradict those of other religions. One might ask, “Why can’t they both be right?” Because two plus two equals four every time. There are absolutes and there still is such a thing as truth and lies or falsehoods.

Jesus Christ claimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father [God] but through Me.” (John 14:6). His claim is bold and exclusive. And as C.S. Lewis pointed out years ago, one cannot merely shrug their shoulders and suggest that Jesus was a good moral teacher and not believe that He is the Son of God.

Jesus claimed to be God, that’s why the religious leaders of the day crucified Him. Lewis goes on to explain:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to. – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

How to Spot a Phony Religion

I base the following on the assumptions that: universal truth and morality do exist and are knowable, and not every point on this list is true for every phony religion. Given that introduction, below are some ways to spot a phony religion:

It persecutes those outside of its faith
Its sacred writings are cryptic and self-contradictory
It demands personal atonement for sin
It is neither characterized by love or joy
It rewards its true followers when they harm its enemies
The ends justify the means
Life is cheapened, even disposable
Prayer is a work, a penance, and a duty to fulfill
It views the poor, sick, and infirm as receiving their just due
It keeps its followers in line through fear and intimidation
It cannot be fully integrated into daily life
It has an infatuation with death
It exploits its people and others outside its faith
Rather than seek to influence culture, it seeks to overrun it
It views the wealthy among its followers as the most pious
Its god is unknowable, impersonal, and demanding
It cannot reconcile evil in the world, especially when it affects its followers
It claims to supersede all other religions that came before it
Its god is capricious and unpredictable in character
Its sacred writings are full of fanciful legends void of historical basis
Its followers are imprisoned by their beliefs rather than set free
It offers no eternal hope but only continual striving
Its beliefs are cloaked in superstition
Its clergy are considered enlightened and favored above its followers
Morality is fuzzy, often blending extremes of the moral and immoral
It feels counterfeit based on the actions of its followers
It promotes self-aggrandizement and self-focus
It is unable to mesh with everyday life, work, play and relationships
A false god cannot defend him/herself, therefore its followers must defend their god

My purpose is not to slander anyone of another religion, but to plead with them to turn to the one true God and Jesus Christ His Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV)

“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 NIV)

truth

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