Is fiction the same as a lie?

A book about writing fiction is entitled, “Telling Lies for Fun and Profit.” While I get upset when lied to, I’ve no problem reading fiction. The difference is that a lie is intended to deceive, but fiction is (usually) intended to entertain, inform, and likely make money for its author. Unless the author has an agenda and uses it as a tool to promote something, fiction is (usually) is not intended to deceive.

Doing a simple search for “if the truth hurts” quotes yields an abundance, most of them saying that it is better to be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie. The Bible says “every man is a liar” but God is not into deception. He tells the truth. Sometimes it hurts. However, His intention always is freedom, if I will just listen!

The Scriptures are filled with admonitions about truth and lies. Truth is from God and lies are from Satan who is also called the Destroyer. His deception brought sin into the world and he continues to encourage sin, deceiving millions to their peril. Those lies take many forms such as: “God doesn’t love you” or “No problem, everyone else is doing it” or “No one will know so go ahead” or “it’s really not so bad . . . .” However good a lie might sound, the wisest man in the world wrote this:

“Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23)

Solomon was also inspired by God to write about wisdom. It seems to me that ‘truth’ could be put in this passage without changing its intent. Wisdom and truth go hand in hand:

“Get wisdom; get insight; do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will keep you; love her, and she will guard you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom, and whatever you get, get insight. Prize her highly, and she will exalt you; she will honor you if you embrace her. She will place on your head a graceful garland; she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” Hear, my son, and accept my words, that the years of your life may be many. I have taught you the way of wisdom; I have led you in the paths of uprightness. When you walk, your step will not be hampered, and if you run, you will not stumble. Keep hold of instruction; do not let go; guard her, for she is your life. Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil. Avoid it; do not go on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.” (Proverbs 4:5–19)

Truth guards my life and honors it. Even the simple act of telling a store clerk I have been given too much change is a crown on my head. Truth allows me to sleep at night. It also keeps me alert. When I stumble, I know exactly what tripped me — a focus on truth makes lies much easier to recognize.

This is not to say I’ve never been duped. Today’s devotional reading lists a few biblical characters who ‘sold truth for lies’ and wound up lost, but I identify more with those who valued truth, but sometimes in a negative sense.

Moses gave up all the ‘treasures of Egypt’ that he might buy the truth. At times, I’ve wanted the treasures of this life, the treasures of temporal things. That desire and associated lies kept me in bondage to worldliness until truth set me free.

Paul gave up his Jewish privileges and high reputation that he might buy the truth. For me, that desire to be well-thought of because of my position or abilities has tripped me up. Jesus has had to teach me over and over that what I valued is not what God values. The truth releases me from the fear of man and those lies from the devil about what is important.

The Hebrews ‘took joyfully the spoiling of their goods’ that they might buy the truth. In my old life, I guarded my possessions and would not even loan anyone a book from my shelves. Being tight-fisted was partly upbringing with thrifty parents, but mostly greed and selfishness. The lie is that God cannot supply all my needs. However, He teaches me over and over that I can rely on Him. If I give away something I need, He simply replaces it.

The Bible speaks of martyrs who ‘loved not their lives unto death’ that they might buy the truth. This one I’ve obviously not been tested on. The lie goes something like this: “This life is all there is . . .” or “when you are dead, you are dead” but the truth is:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)   

 ^^^^^^^

Jesus, since I’ve already ‘bought’ that truth, I know that if (or when) it is tested, You will enable me to laugh at the lie and enter the fullness of the eternal life, a life from You that I already have! You are the way, You are the truth! In You I have life everlasting and You are my great weapon and protection against being eternally deceived!

True or false?

Being misunderstood despite all efforts to be clear is particularly frustrating. Sometimes I blame myself for not being a good communicator, and that is even more frustrating. What is worse is when the truth is told and someone accuses you of lying.

Recently, this happened to me. As I read the Bible passages for today, I realized the power of lies in the human mind. No explanation, however clear it might be, can change the mind of someone who rejects truth and lucid reasoning. While it hurts when someone does it to me, I also feel upset when biblical truth is dismissed or even said to be a lie.

Lately I notice how many young people use social media and news channels on the Internet for their sources of information. These are not always reliable nor tested for their dependability. Also, God tells me to be on the alert and discern what I hear. It is dangerous to believe just anything.  

While it hurts when someone says I am telling a lie, it seems to me that when God is spoken of as not being true or relevant, He is more concerned for the one who has misunderstood  or dismissed Him. They have fallen into a trap . . .

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for 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 from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1–3)

Christians talk about the Antichrist as a person who will show up and mesmerize millions of people. The author of my devotional book points out several verses that indicate this antichrist is not a single person but a system or way of thinking that opposes Christ, and that it has been here for a couple thousand years. One of the verses he quotes says . . .

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18)

Other passages say things like . . .

“Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming . . . .”

Regardless of whether Antichrist is a system of thought or a single person, the one behind the associated lies is the actual enemy. I need to discern His lies because they are terribly dangerous. He is in the business of deluding people so as to change their eternal destiny. Worse yet, those who believe his lies are in danger from God who can eventually give them over to such horrible delusion.   

“The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

Today, after being attacked by someone who believes a lie about me, I have to remember truth about God, but also truth about myself. I am not telling lies, nor have I done things that this person accuses me of doing. This part of God’s Word is easily personalized to help me understand this attack . . .

I am thankful for those who are beloved by the Lord, because He chose us to be saved through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. It was this to which He called us through the Gospel, so that we have obtained the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. We can stand firm and hold to the teaching of God’s Word, either through the Bible or sound preaching. The Lord Jesus Christ and God our Father loves us and gives eternal comfort and good hope through grace. He comforts our hearts and establishes us in every good work and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:1–17)

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Jesus, I cannot change the hearts of those determined to go against You, Your people, and against me personally. But I can trust You to give me grace to deal with it, and perhaps to show mercy to those who are in the grip of a false understanding.