Study – Grow – Know

People Love Darkness Rather Than Light

October 2, 2012 at 12:02 PM

In John 3:18-21, Jesus points out that when He came into this world, a type of judgment came with Him.  He stated that those who received Him were not judged.  Those who did not receive Him were already judged.  What does that mean?

Ultimately, it means that when people are born into this life, they are automatically positioned against God.  There is really no other way to take Jesus’ words.  People are either on the side of Jesus – the side of Truth – or they are on the side of the enemy – the side of Lies.

In the text I reference above, Jesus makes an interesting comment.  He states that “…men loved the darkness rather than the Light…”  We hear all sorts of accusations today about this person lying or that news agency stretching the truth, etc.  For instance, to those on the Left, FOX News is apparently the consummate liar when it comes to reporting news.  Never mind that MSNBC has been caught in several terrible and seemingly deliberate gaffes.  Those on the Left do not notice that or care.  It’s the conservative point of view they prefer to look to as villainous.

Whether it’s Joe Scarborough, Ed Schultz, Al Sharpton, or sadly enough, even Mr. Obama and his administration (or a previous administration), lying seems to go with the political territory.  Those on the “right” are certainly not immune from lying or stretching the truth either.

But Jesus is talking about something that speaks to the very heart of the individual.  Lying as a way of life.  Satan lies because, according to Jesus, that is Satan’s native tongue (cf. John 8:44).  In other words, Satan cannot do anything but lie.  It’s what he does.  Even though he might include snippets of truth in his lies, he is still lying.  People do this all the time, which is why they believe they are not really lying since some truth exists in their statements.  These are still lies though.

I believe that in this day and age, the reality of this fact hits home to society as never before.  People honestly seem to prefer the darkness.  They prefer lies because many within America and throughout the world have an agenda.  It’s really to throw off what many consider to be the chains of conservatism that exists today, which is anchored in Scripture.  Unbeknownst to them, their agenda is exceedingly similar to Satan’s agenda.  Of course, most are completely unaware of this fact.  They simply believe what they believe and move toward accomplishing what their beliefs are based on and what those beliefs dictate to them.  To them, their beliefs are truth, but Jesus says they are not.  I’ll take Jesus’ words over those in the world.

In fact, the apostle Paul also points out that the number one reason people perish (die into eternity without having been in a saving relationship with God in Christ) is because they literally refuse to love the truth which will save them (cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:10b).  That is willful on their part, which is why God can and does hold them accountable for their error.  The average individual does not want to hear the truth about themselves and their own fallen condition, or the truth about God’s expectations and deliverance.  They prefer being told that they are fine.  There is nothing wrong.  There is no reason that they need to seek change.

This world is being fitted for the final world ruler, the Antichrist.  He will come in with lies and will win people over with those same lies.  He will exalt himself and people will flock to him.  Jesus exalted the Father and people – by and large – rejected Him and His message.

When I look at the state of the world, not simply politically, but socially, emotionally, and economically, I shudder.  We have leaders who think nothing of lying.  It is what they do.  They’ve done it so long, they can do nothing else.  When they are caught, they either persevere in those lies more emphatically, or they invent new ones, ones they hope will be more plausible.  Eventually, when they run out of lies and the world understands that lying is what they have done, it seems not to phase them at all.  They continue thinking that people will continue to support them.  Many people do just that in spite of the fact that they are agreeing that a house built on sand cannot stand.  They think it will.

Lying is stating things that are essentially against the very character of God.  He is Truth and no lie will continue to exist in His Presence.  He casts out all untruth and darkness.  Those who prefer the dark do so because they prefer lies.  They do not want to be in God’s Presence.  Jesus could not have made it any simpler.

The average person who does not know Jesus Christ prefers lies to truth, according to both Jesus and Paul.  Too many who attend church today want to hear good things.  They’re not interested in change.  They don’t want to hear that God will work in them to create the character of Jesus in their lives.  They don’t want to know that being an authentic Christian means knowing that my life has been purchased.  There are no “take-backs.”  God fully owns me and as such, will do whatever is necessary to recreate me into the image of His beloved Son.  He has purchased that right.

The preaching of the truth of the cross (salvation) does not set well with people who are enamored with lies.  Truth brings guilt.  No one likes to feel guilty.  The majority of people who respond to this type of truth respond in anger and ridicule.  It’s what they did during Jesus’ day and it’s what they do today.  How many times did people during Jesus’ day try to kill Him by throwing Him off a cliff or by wanting to stone Him?  For what?  Because He told the truth, even though they preferred to believe He was lying, though the evidence for any “lies” did not exist.

People don’t want to hear that they are in need of something that will save them from their own self-enveloped darkness.  They want to think that because they go to church, they are Christian.  If they are Christian, they are fine.  It doesn’t matter what we believe.  It simply matters that we “love” people and “do not judge” them.  This type of individual is lying to him/herself.  It is impossible to be a true Christian and see no real change in one’s life.  The sacrifices are real.  The change is in-depth.  The reality is that each authentic Christian will want to seek to know more of the Truth over time because they will grow in their relationship with Jesus, who is Truth.  They will stop denying and understand that truth is the very heart of salvation.  Salvation tells the truth about us and it tells the truth about Jesus.

People who live in darkness while believing that they are Christians are not Christians.  It is plain and simple.  It is what Jesus is teaching in John 3:18-21.  He put it in terms we could easily understand.  No authentic Christian will continue with a life of lies.  There are too many today who lie as a matter of course, believing that the “end justifies the means.”  That is not what Jesus did, nor is it who He is.  He spoke truth at every turn and that is what we need to do as well.

Believers should hate our sin and love righteousness (1 John 2:3-6).  This does not mean we hate ourselves or other people.  It means we recognize the tremendous evil that is called lying and admit that we should have no part in it, even pointing out the unfruitful works of darkness to others, not in condemnation (though it will certainly be taken as that), but because we love the truth!  It does not matter what role in life a person plays.  A Christian politician has no more right to lie than the average Christian father has a right to lie.  Christians should always tell the truth because they are in relationship with He who is Truth.

But the world is moving toward a day when lies will be accepted as truth and that day is already happening.  It will culminate with the man of sin, who will strike terror and wonder into the hearts of people the world over with his lying signs and wonders.  He will be the consummate liar and most will simply not recognize that he is lying at all.  We are already seeing too much of that in society today; lies accepted as truth.  These people are losing their ability to discern truth from lies, if they ever really had that ability in the first place.

I used to be an actor.  I’ve done plays and movies, commercials and print ads.  It was fun.  I enjoy acting.  But in truth, an actor is only as good as his/her ability to lie.  Of course, most actors would disagree because they would say they are merely living the part.  This is true, but in the end, they are not that person they are portraying, are they?  We go to a play and we don’t see them as liars on the stage or screen.  We are reeled in depending upon the character and quality of their portrayal.  Ultimately though, they are lying because the character they are on stage is not who they truly are in life.  Spencer Tracy said the best actor is the one who can tell the truth the best (my paraphrase).  I understand what he means, but in the end, the actor is being someone they are not.

While we accept and expect this with the actor, how many of us have been conned by someone with a wonderful ability to weave a web of deceit?  Most of us have at one time or another.  It doesn’t feel good either when that happens.  Unlike going to see a stage play or movie where you hope to be lost in the proceedings for a few hours and willingly go for that purpose, being conned is not something you plan or want to happen.  Sometimes it does.

The Antichrist will be the liar of liars.  His lies will be so forthright and uncompromising – said with such authority – that few will be able to resist him.  Jesus said that the deception would be so great before His return that only the elect would not be taken in by it (cf. Matthew 24).  That says a lot.  Are you paying attention to His Words?

Ask yourself – do you prefer lies?  Most of us will deny that.  Then ask yourself who you tend to listen to more often than not?  Are you constantly making excuses for your favorite politician even though there is a very good likelihood that he lies, as most politicians do because he has a secret agenda?

Do you find yourself explaining away certain portions of Scripture simply because you have to find a way to avoid dealing with the truth that points to your cracked and/or seared conscience?

Truth is truth and Jesus is Truth.  There is no in-between with Him.  We are either on Truth’s side or we stand against it and in doing so, against God, preferring to deal with and live lies.  Jesus came to set us free from the lies of the enemy.  Too many people find it way too difficult to give those lies up.

There are too many lies today that tell us salvation is by works plus faith.  Some lies tell us that we are fine as we are, except we need to simply self-actualize ourselves, unlocking the inherent deity within ourselves.  Jesus clearly stated that He is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him (cf. John 14:6).  Note that for Jesus, truth is connected to the way and the life.  They are inseparable, though too many try to make them that.  Yet, we continue to hang onto the lies that keep us bound to error.

We look to leaders and we note that they lie as well.  It has quickly become the norm for society today.  Those who lie expect the world to accept their lies as truth.  Those who understand truth do not fall for it.  Yet, people continue to lie.  It’s what they do because without Jesus Christ, they can do nothing else.  They will always fall back into the pattern of this dark world.  It’s inevitable.

This world is dark.  It is so because it is the kingdom of darkness, courtesy of Satan himself who thrives not only in darkness, but in creating it because he is the god of this age.  His days are numbered.

All who are born into this dark world become part of that darkness.  How can this world be anything but dark?  Darkness is not only the absence of light.  It is the actual blindness to truth.

Jesus offers the way out of the darkness into His glorious kingdom of Light.  In order to find our way out, we must be willing to want to love truth.  If we do not love truth, we will never find He who is the embodiment of that Truth.  If we seek His Truth, we will find it.  As we come to understand that He is who He says He is, we have the opportunity of receiving the only salvation that is available.  Having that, we are then transferred from this world’s darkness into His kingdom of Light.  At that point, we also become part of those who remain here as ones behind enemy lines, promoting the same truth that has set us free to those who continue to live in the blindness of darkness.

What about you?  Where do you stand?  Remember, you’re not answering this question to ME.  You are ultimately answering this question to Jesus Himself.  What do you say about Him?

Entry filed under: 9/11, alienology, Atheism and religion, Barack Hussein Obama, Barry Sotero, Communism, Demonic, dispensationalism, Eastern Mysticism, emergent church, Gun Control, Islam, Islamofascism, israel, Judaism, Life in America, Maitreya, new age movement, Posttribulational Rapture, Pretribulational Rapture, Radical Islam, rapture, Religious - Christian - End Times, Religious - Christian - Prophecy, Religious - Christian - Theology, salvation, Satanism, second coming, Sharia Law, Socialism, temple mount, Transhumanism, ufology. Tags: john 14, john 3, john 8, people love darkness not light, people perish because they hate truth, people prefer lies.