Looking For The Lie
Jno. 8:42-47

A. Untruth is of the very essence of the devil’s character - Rev. 12:9, identifies him as such.
The lie is the devil’s principal tool or weapon - Paul reminds to be watchful of that in 2 Cor. 11:3, Don’t under estimate Satan’s power to deceive us into doing wrong.
His goal is to persuade us to accept as true something that is false. That’s how he
influences us to violate what we know to be God’s will.
Every sin is committed on the basis of some lie that the devil has promoted.
(1) The lie at the root of a given sin, may not be obvious. His goal is to keep us
from seeing the obvious. He’s the master at stealth and deceit.
(1) 2 Cor. 4:3-4, tells us that people are being lost because Satan, “the god of this world has blinded their minds so they won’t believe and obey God’s Word.”
(2) That is a scary fact. Make doubly sure you are understanding the reality and truth of God’s Word and not some deception of the Devil in your mind.
(2) Another thing we need to understand. There is usually more than one lie at
work in a given situation. One lie always leads to another one.
1 Pet. 5:8, warns us that, “Satan, is constantly seeking to devour us.
So, mark it well: the business of defeating sin comes down to looking for the lie. That which is veiled in darkness to destroy your soul.
(B) It’s easy to become perplexed, frustrated as we struggle to eliminate sin from our lives.
(1) In the midst of our search for truth we need to look for the lies influencing our behavior, thoughts and keep us from seeing and obeying the truth of God’s Word..
(1) You can carelessly let sin slip into your life and let it linger until it becomes an easy thing to do and the believed thing in your heart. We are warned about this in Heb. 3:13.
(2) The only way to meet the lies of temptation is with Truth. Truth is a wonderfully liberating force. The only one God has given.
(2) Jno. 8:32.
(1) Remember how Jesus met every temptation of the devil in Matt. 4:1-11?
(2) Jesus met temptation with truth! Not just any truth, the truth of God’s Word.
2. Just as with ourselves, the key to helping others to be free from the sins is to help them find and obey God’s truth.
(1) The church Galatia got into trouble spiritually. Paul said it was because they had been hindered from obeying the truth, Gal. 5:7.
(1) You help people become True Christians by helping them see where they have bought into false concepts. Uncover the lies that are the root of the problem.
(1) Repentance requires knowing the truth, having come to our senses 2 Tim. 2:24-26.
(2) People in sin have always, in one way or another, substituted untruth for truth Rom. 1:25.
(3) Being saved comes down to turning around and obeying the truth. Acts 26:18. 1 Pet. 1:22.
(2) Having heard the truth, the only person who would not obey it is a person whose mind continues to be blinded by some untruth even more fundamental. 2 Cor. 4:3-4; Jno. 3:17-21. No one ever rejected the gospel for a good reason. And whatever keeps anyone from obeying the truth is a lie!

(1) Our task in teaching God’s Word to people in the denominational world is to help them see the untruths that obstructs their spiritual progress.
(2) Our task is to discern the lies that keep people from their salvation — and wisely apply the power of God’s truth to the situation.
(2) Satan’s effort is to “bewitch” us, confuse us, lie to us. That’s Paul’s warning to us in
2 Cor. 11: 3. Then in he scolds the church in Galatia, Gal. 3:1.
(1) The basic lie of the devil is the one which makes us believe we can disregard or leave out some of the things God has commanded. You can take shortcuts.
(1) Satan is a master at presenting to us only a part of the truth, hiding from us the end of the road, the downside of an action, the full consequences of disobedience to God’s Word. That is the very essence of fraud.
(2) Paul tells the church at Colossae, “I tell you this lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words” Col. 2:4. Then in Vs. 8, he gives this warning
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit,
according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the
world, and not according to Christ.”
(2) The truth of God’s Word is the only thing that can set us free. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” Jno. 8:32.
(1) When teaching and believing God’s Word, we must be able to seize the ugly untruth that causes false doctrine and drag it out into the sunshine of truth where it will be exposed and wither away.
(2) For the sake of our own souls and those around us, “we must study to show ourselves approved to God, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim. 2:15. And then we must, as Jude 3, commands, “Contend earnestly for the faith that once and for all been delivered to the saints.”
(3) Psa. 19:12-14.
(d) Acts 20:32.

Spur - 09/09/2001 am