Cultures come and go. It’s been that way since the beginning of time. There is, however, a difference in American Culture today that hasn’t existed in the world until now in any of my history studies. The demand of popular culture to “Compassionately Lie.” A large portion of Americans not only desire, but demand, we lie to them in order to satisfy them. But what they really need is truth in love.
THE PROBLEM: DENIAL OF TRUTH
Today, gender is not a fact, it’s optional. Babies are not people, they’re optional. God is not a fact, He’s fictional. To say anything other than this is considered ‘hate speech’ and lacking in compassion. God addresses this inevitable trend in His Word over two thousand years ago.
5 Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?
6 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.
8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie,
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
It would be easy to misunderstand this passage of scripture and say that people want to be lied to because God sent them ‘strong delusion.’ But the sequence is everything here. Verse 11 explains verse 10. These people denied Jesus and ‘did not receive the love of the truth’ and it was for this reason the strong delusions were sent. God literally gave them over to their own demand… Lie to me!
THE SOLUTION: SHARE THE TRUTH IN LOVE
Any church, person, political party, or organization that promotes a lie above the truth is not only wrong, it’s destructive to the fabric of our culture, and even the eternities of the people in it. From here on out, it’s only going to get tougher to stand for God’s Truth. Anyone can do it on Sunday Morning at church. But the rubber meets the road when we’re put in a position to represent the Lord at the water cooler at work, or in class at school, or at lunch with those who deny the Truth.
We’ve been led by popular people to believe that it’s compassionate if we enable someone to believe a destructive, deadly lie as long as it helps them feel better about their choices. But if a doctor tells me I’m cancer free because I demand it, when the reality is that I need immediate treatment, we’d call that doctor a quack! Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak God’s Truth in Love. That’s true compassion.
Our goal should never be to win an argument, but rather, to win someone to Christ through His Truth in Love.
Remember, God loves you, and God has a plan for your life.
-Kevin Groves
HOW DO YOU SHARE THE TRUTH IN LOVE?
Cru.org has some ideas for sharing a difficult truth in love. But do you have some practical ideas for sharing the truth in love, too? Maybe you have an experience to share? Tell us in the comments!
2 thoughts on “Why Christians Should Counter “Compassionate Lies” with Truth in Love”
It is really hard for me to share the truth in love. It’s not hard to share the truth, mind you, it’s the loving part I lack. But, I won’t lie to you, that verse reference is wrong. haha. It’s 2 Thessalonians, not 2 Timothy. Might want to correct that. Thanks for Hope radio. God bless you all.
Thank you for the correction, sorry we made that mistake! Sometimes it’s difficult for us to share the truth in love, too. God bless!