“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 1:25)
Descent into darkness and anarchy begins with the decision to reject the revelation God has given us of Himself. He is who He is. The fact that He is the Creator of all things is “clearly seen” by “the things that are made.” (Rom. 1:20)
While the creation indeed reflects the glory and power of its Creator, it was never meant to replace Him as the object of man’s worship. Those who refuse to know and worship God must find some substitute to venerate. They change the “glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man.” Their worship extends as low as “birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.” (Rom. 1:23) And instead of recognizing the absurdity of their worship, they profess themselves to be wise. (Rom. 1:22)
Once men have embraced the “big lie,” they are ready to “play loose” with all truth. They become “full of deceit” and “inventors of evil things.” (Rom. 1:29,30) They spread death and destruction with false and malicious words. “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips” (Rom. 3:13)
The foundation of a society begin to crumble when a lying spirit is in its midst. “In transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.” (Isa. 59:13,14)
Where the true God is not kept before men’s eyes – to be known, worshipped and served, men only know their own “truth” and worship and serve their own interests and desires. Truth becomes what one wants to believe, not what is.
How serious is the world’s foray into error? Scripture tells us that those who have refused to “believe the truth” and have “pleasure in unrighteousness” will be “damned.” (2 Thes. 2:12) A highminded world which has not received the love of the truth is headed toward the the embrace of “strong delusion.” (2 Thes. 2:10,11) The signs of the times point to deeper deception ahead. To be kept from the “great transgression” the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart must be acceptable in God’s sight. (Ps. 19:13,14)
God is the God of truth. (Deut. 32:4) When we love the God of truth, we will hate lying and love truth in all its forms. Let all who are children of the light reprove the darkness of this world by bearing the fruit of God’s Spirit. “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth.” (Eph. 5:8,9)