The pursuit of truth can be a lonely journey along a difficult path that may take us to places we would not ordinarily choose to visit. Jesus ended up at the cross. Peter was taken where he did not wish to go.
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.” John 21:18 (NKJV)
This has certainly been my experience for the last several years. Some wise person, referring to God’s telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, said that God saves the most difficult tests for our latter years. I can think of a few cases in the Bible when this proved true. Abraham, Moses, and Elijah come to mind.
Rather than choose the narrow gate and difficult path, most of us opt for going along to get along, which might include an avoidance of “rocking the boat” by accepting a manufactured consensus rather than ferreting out and standing for the truth.
The more deceived we are, the more alien the truth will seem. Jesus, the embodiment of truth, summed it up.
43 Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44 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. 45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. John 8:43–45 (NKJV)
People who belong to the devil, that is – not born again, cannot hear or receive God’s truth. Sadly, many Christians have severe difficulty with this, too, because many of us do not believe some parts of the Bible.
Most Christians I know approach the Bible like we are in a cafeteria line. We believe what suits us and reject that with which we do not agree. We fail to grasp that when we reject some part of God’s truth, we will likely fall for most anything. Few of us take seriously Jesus’ declaration that the devil is currently deceiving the whole world. (Revelation 12:9) We do not comprehend the magnitude or depth of the deception all around us. We think perhaps Satan has deceived some people who follow false religions and some heretics, but not the whole world, and certainly not me!
In a day when the mass media routinely parrots approved talking points, and all the major players in the process of manufacturing a consensus are walking in lock step, it takes great courage to go against the grain by holding a divergent opinion.
I discovered this during the COVID crisis when I was disparaged as an ignorant science denier for discouraging people from taking the experimental mRNA injection. Even Christians did not seem to understand that the rationale behind that injection was that our immune systems were not sufficiently “evolved” and needed help from brilliant scientists to be able to fend off the virus. Not many stopped to consider that God created us with a perfect defense and that to think we have the competence to “improve” it is sheer arrogance. So many people lined up to voluntarily receive what turned out to be very harmful in many cases with questionable benefit. This is what happens when people put more faith in science and consensus than in God’s Word and their own common sense. This is what happens when fear replaces faith and the government becomes a tyrant.
Many of us have come to believe that consensus equates to truth, especially when a consensus is said to have been reached by scientists and other experts. The global warming hoax is a perfect example; which apparently does not matter at all any more as more and more data centers consume vast amounts of natural resources and energy. Those who refuse to bow down to the consensus are labeled as nut jobs and worse.
Being coerced into accepting that what most people believe is the truth is democracy at its worst.
The more a lie is entrenched in the culture, the more hate will be leveled at anyone who threatens the system. Jesus is the perfect example. His presence and teachings threatened the power and prestige enjoyed by the high ranking Jews in Jerusalem. They believed it was to the advantage of the entire nation that Jesus be eliminated (John 11:49-50). Throughout history martyrs died as they challenged the satanic world system through the preaching of gospel truth.
Most of us are rather easily deceived. That is why we must rely upon God’s Word and the Holy Spirit.
King David was astonished and alarmed when he discovered just how rampant is deception in our world. He discovered that when he spoke what he believed, he was brought very low. He came to the dismaying conclusion that all men are liars and do not like the truth one bit.
1 I trusted [Greek - believed]; therefore I spoke. But I was made low very much. 2 I said in my entrancement [Greek - ekstasis: displacement, alarm, dismay, astonishment], “Every person is a liar.” Psalm 115:1–2 (LES2) [The text above is from the Septuagint, the Greek OT that the early church used. The Masoretic Text number is Psalm 116:10-11 if you wish to compare and contrast.]
Liars tell lies, believe lies, and hate the truth.
19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. John 3:19–20 (NKJV)
When God reveals his Word to us, the first thing required of us is to repent from believing lies and receive his truth. To repent means to change our mind. Once we do that, the next step is for us to share the truth with others. Jesus taught that we are to be lamps set on a lamp stand for all to see, not hidden away somewhere. (Matthew 5:14-16) David believed what God spoke and he shared it. The result was that men rejected his message and persecuted him, bringing him very low. While paying that cost is when he saw the truth: every person is a liar! That includes you and me.
If we go against the grain by becoming truth speakers, we will surely suffer for it.
That is why most people keep their mouths shut and simply go along to get along. That is why most Christians only share their faith within the walls of the echo chamber called the church building. That is why Satan has been able to pull a shroud of deception over the entire world.
The gateway to the path of truth is guarded by formidable sentries who threaten anyone who attempts to pass by them. I call these sentries “guardian lies,” which is a term I borrowed from Ed Smith, who developed something he called Theophostic Ministry.
A guardian lie tries to intimidate and block people from pursuing the truth.
Anyone who awakens to truth and begins to speak out likely will be smacked down immediately. It takes courage to stand back up and continue on the journey no matter what the cost. According to Jesus, if we stay on the path, the truth will set us free. (John 8:31-32)
I already shared the guardian lies that confronted me when I stood against the COVID injection. I was accused of being a conspiracy theorist and an ignorant science denier, two pejoratives designed to dehumanize and discredit. When I challenged the beliefs of Christian Zionism and showed how the Bible clearly contradicts Dispensationalism, I was accused of being antisemitic. When people challenged Marxist Wokeism, they were charged with being racist. Think about how frequently these harmful labels are placed upon people! You can imagine how upset the body of Christ became when I dared to say that I believe Genesis Chapter One is a true and reliable account of creation and the cosmos! What a bizarre world! Christians attacking Christians for believing God’s Word! But that is where we live.
It requires great courage to be a truth seeker and even more to be a truth speaker.
Sometimes I wonder why on earth did he choose me, but that is what it means to be a follower of Christ. Has he chosen you? If so, pray for strength and courage. It will not be easy.
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13–14 (NKJV)
