Lies, Lies, and More Lies
“Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.” Jeremiah 7:8
As I continued my study through the book of the prophet Jeremiah, I am astonished at the similarities between the attitudes and actions of the people of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah to that of the people of our nation. The ancient Jews had abandoned God and turned to idols even after all that God had done for them in giving them a land of “milk and honey”, protecting them from their enemies, and bestowing many other blessings upon them. He did the same for the United States of America. We have been the most blessed nation on earth and been the one country that our allies could always count on in times of trouble, war, and disaster. But a multitude of Americans have turned their backs on Him just like those of ancient Israel and Judah, and we are definitely experiencing the consequences.
No matter how much and how often the people of God heard His truth as spoken by His prophets, they stubbornly refused to heed God’s word and instead chose to believe lies. There is always some evidence made clear concerning the truth, but a lie, any lie, has no evidence that it is the complete truth. We know that lies can be more believable if a little truth is mixed in, but a partial truth is not the truth. There is usually plenty of evidence that a lie is not the truth, but sometimes it takes a long time for the lie to be found out. For example, a person who continually and for a lifetime believes he or she can be “good” enough to “earn” a place in heaven without repentance and faith in Jesus Christ won’t discover that lie until they are no longer alive. On the other hand, a true believer knows the truth for he or she has experienced it and has the Holy Spirit within convincing and convicting the believer that the word of God is true. Saving faith is believing what God has said in His word and acting on that truth. Folks say they believe all sorts of things, but it is how they act that shows what they really believe. A lie may profit someone temporarily, but eventually the truth is revealed and the consequences are made manifest.
The people of Judah, to whom Jeremiah was sent by God to warn them of impending punishment, were guilty of theft, murder, adultery, lying, and idolatry. They were deeply involved in Baal worship and also in the worship of various other gods which showed that not only were they discontent with worshipping the LORD God, but were also discontent with worshipping Baal, thus venturing out to find other gods to which they could adhere their devotion. They were certainly a fickle people. Did they really believe that they could do all of these vile sins with impunity? Did they actually see nothing wrong in living like the devil and then going into the temple, standing before God in His house, and acting as if He was OK with that? Did they really believe that He would either give His approval of their disobedience and blasphemous behavior or at least look the other way while they dragged His holy name through the muck and mire of ungodly sin? Did they believe that all of God’s deliverances to His people in the past gave them cover to continue the path of disobedience and idolatry? I would certainly call that taking the LORD for granted, but even more so making a mockery of Him and His word.
Hundreds of years later, the Apostle Paul addressed this erroneous idea. In Romans 6:1-2, he stated that God forbid that anyone who has been born again would think that he or she can continue living in sin because God’s grace will cover their sin. He went on to write that when one is saved, he or she is a new person who no longer desires to serve sin (verse 6). One of the proofs that one has truly repented of sin is his or her disdain for sin and his or her attempt to avoid a sinful lifestyle. A born again person dies to sin (verse 11), but sin doesn’t die. Sin is like the COVID coronavirus: it doesn’t die but rather keeps mutating to keep itself alive and infecting people. Scripture tells us that the devil is always on the move seeking whomever he may devour (I Peter 5:8). He, too, seeks to infect people with sin, but thanks be to God, there is a cure. It is found through the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed on the cross of Calvary to provide a remedy for the sins of men and women. And that’s the truth!