“The coming of the lawless one is based on Satan’s working, with every kind of miracle, both signs and wonders serving the lie, and with every wicked deception among those who are perishing. They perish because they did not accept the love of the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a strong delusion so that they will believe the lie, so that all will be condemned – those who did not believe the truth but delighted in unrighteousness.”

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, NKJV

“For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth, since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them.”

Romans 1:18-19

There is the age-old question that has been around since the Garden of Eden: “What is truth?” The story of Adam and Eve in the garden shows clearly just how easy it is for sinful individuals to reject the truth and embrace the lie. God had told the first couple that they were free to eat of the fruit of every tree in the garden, except one. They were forbidden to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

But Satan enters the beauty of the garden and offers an option to the couple. He begins his conversation by casting doubt on God’s word. He says to the couple, “Did God really say…?” He then replaces the truth of God with his own version. “You won’t die, but your eyes will be open and you will be like God.” His proposal is that they reject God’s truth and replace it with his “truth”, which is actually an appealing lie.

This is Satan’s usual mode of operation. He offers an alternative. And his alternative always calls God’s truth into question. This will oftentimes lead the individual to begin to doubt the word of God. Then, after doubt has been planted in the mind of the individual, Satan offers an alternative. His alternatives are always appealing to the senses. In the case of Adam and Eve, he appealed to their sense of pride, offering them the tremendous opportunity to be like God.

Satan calls into question the truth of God and replaces it with the lie. Please don’t miss the emphasis on “the” truth and “the” lie. Paul uses the definite article in reference to both, which means he is not speaking of a truth in relation to many truths, and a lie in relation to many lies, but he is speaking of “the” truth and “the” lie. He had something very specific in mind.

So, what exactly is “the” truth? All we need to do is remind ourselves of the words of Jesus: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father but through Me.” Jesus is the truth, so to reject the truth is to reject Jesus. And Paul says in the passage from Romans quoted above that those who suppress the truth will experience the wrath of God.

There are many religions in the world that have different beliefs about Jesus. However, none but Christianity believe that Jesus is the only means of salvation – that He is indeed “the” truth. Thus, in their religious systems they suppress the truth about Jesus, assigning to Him a status less than the eternal Son of God who came into the world to provide salvation for lost sinners.

And that, in essence, gives us the Biblical understanding of “the” lie. The lie is the suppression of the truth. It is a rejection of the Bible’s testimony of the fact that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Substitutes are offered in his place. But they are all suppressors of the truth, resulting in the wrath of God being unleashed against them for their godlessness and unrighteousness.

As we approach the celebration of Easter – or, more correctly, the celebration of the Feast of Firstfruits – let’s remember that we are celebrating “the” truth of the Gospel. Jesus, the Son of God, came into the world to give His life as the sacrificial Passover Lamb that through His shed blood we might be taken out of death and transferred into God’s kingdom of light. In next week’s blog we will look more in detail at the three feasts of Israel that are observed in relation to the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In so doing we will strive to come to a deeper understanding of and a greater appreciation for “the” truth.

In the meantime, let’s all be absolutely sure that we have embraced the truth, and have been transformed by the power of God. Let’s make sure that we have not accepted one of Satan’s alternatives, his suppression of “the” truth with his substitute, which is his attempt to blind us to God’s offer of saving grace.

If you have been deceived by “the” lie of the devil, then please turn to God. He will accept those who come to Him by faith in Jesus Christ, the only means of salvation.