"A lie doesn't become truth..."

It's been said, "If you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually believe it." This method of deception has been employed since the dawn of time. Just keep repeating over and over what people want to hear, even if the truth has to take a back seat. So, six months after the national election, we’re still hearing echoes of the same old lies we heard last year: “The election was rigged!” “14,000 dead people voted in Michigan.” “Stop the Steal!” "It's no way Biden won."

Professional liars have capitalized on the sad reality that people are eager to embrace a half-truth or falsehood if the deceit reinforces their perception of reality, or if it helps them win some sort of material, social or political gain. Many self-seeking people will say anything and everything is justifiable - even cheating and lying - if in the end it helps you achieve the desired result. Should followers of Christ take the position that the end justifies the means?

"If you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually believe it." But God shall destroy those who tell lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man (Psalm 5:6). Woe to you, liars and deceivers! Woe to you who repeat falsehoods, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness. Lies and truth have different roots or origins. Jesus is the light of the world. Satan is the prince of darkness. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. Satan is the father of lies. Lies and truth flow from different sources, they produce different results, and Christians must make clear distinctions between the two. If we fail to do so, confusion and chaos will win the day.

“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.” ~ James 2:13-17 NKJV

"If you repeat a lie often enough, people will eventually believe it." The general public is gullible. People have very short memories. The line that separates a truth from a lie gets blurry over time. Consequently, via the sheer force of repetition, an unprincipled person can replace veracity with invention. In the minds of multitudes, an unscrupulous man can dethrone an elegant truth and enthrone an ugly lie. But here’s the point to remember my dear brothers and sisters: God is not like fickle humans, He is not gullible. God does not have a short memory. You can never repeat a lie so often that the Almighty will eventually be persuaded to accept it as truth. And His children should follow this example (Ephesians 5:1-8).

The Most High God is the “father of lights, which whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17). Hebrews 13:8 tells us “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." The very next verse says, "Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines.” Do you see the connection? Jesus is the truth and the truth doesn’t change. God is changeless, immutable. His nature, his character, his attributes change not. Unlike the strange doctrines and election lies and conspiracies running amok in America today, the word of the LORD is settled forever in heaven (Psalm 119:89). Therefore, the way to guard against strange and various doctrines is to look steadfast to the immutable Christ and his eternal truth.

Sadly, even some houses of worship are being overwhelmed by this current wave of disinformation, conspiracy theories and half-truths. Is there a solution? Of course! The body of Christ must submit to the LORD, resist the devil, put on the whole armor of God and be steadfast in the faith. What faith is that? The faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3), the unfolding of divine truth from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21.

During these latter times, the inspired word of God is our guide and shield. “Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble” (Psalm 119:165). “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14). “Thus says the LORD: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the LORD” (Jeremiah 17:5). This is worth repeating: Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength! Our faith should never be in man. Our trust is in the Most High God and whatever He said in His eternal word.

This morning, House Republicans voted to remove Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.) from party leadership because she refused to parrot the lie that the election was rigged. Last week she tweeted, "The 2020 presidential election was not stolen. Anyone who claims it was is spreading THE BIG LIE, turning their back on the rule of law, and poisoning our democratic system." Yesterday, on the eve of the vote to cancel Rep. Cheney, she stated: “Today, we face a threat America has never seen before. A former president who provoked a violent attack on this Capitol, in an effort to steal the election, has resumed his aggressive effort to convince Americans that the election was stolen from him. He risks inciting further violence. Millions of Americans have been misled by the former president. They have heard only his words and not the truth as he continues to undermine our democratic process, sowing seeds of doubt about whether democracy really works at all.”

Do you agree with Rep. Cheney that the lies of former President Trump are a current threat to the stability of our nation? She goes on to say, "This is not about policy. This is not about partisanship. This is about our duty as Americans. Remaining silent and ignoring the lie emboldens the liar. I will not participate in that." The Republicans removed her from leadership this morning via a voice vote, which means no member went on the record. That's interesting. After the vote, Rep. Cheney stood her ground and said, "We must go forward based on truth. We cannot both embrace the big lie and the Constitution."

According to the American Enterprise Institute, the Christian nationalism movement has put out so much disinformation that three in five white evangelicals now say President Biden was not legitimately elected. How's that for sowing discord and eroding our confidence in democracy! I bet our foreign adversaries are watching with glee as Americans fight over what it means to be a true patriot. I'm sure it's music to the ears of our enemies when Mr. Trump predicts a "raging civil war" within the GOP.

Which brings us to another related news item. It's been reported that more than 100 influential Republicans plan to release a statement tomorrow that calls for the GOP to "either reimagine a party dedicated to our founding ideals or else hasten the creation of such an alternative." These Republicans are saying it's time to seriously consider leaving the party that's centered around one man and start a new party that's centered around conservative ideals. The preamble to their full statement reads, "When in our democratic republic, forces of conspiracy, division, and despotism arise, it is the patriotic duty of citizens to act collectively in defense of liberty and justice."

One of the organizers is Miles Taylor. He said, "We're ready to get out there and fight against the radical elements in the party...Enough is enough, and the GOP has had enough time to decide whether it's going to separate itself from a man who is a chronic loser." It seems more apparent with each passing day that pushing the "election was stolen" lie has been great for fundraising purposes, but leaders on both sides of the aisle are realizing it's actually detrimental to our democratic republic. It erodes our confidence in the American way of life, the peaceful transition of power, and the rule of law.

America will be cursed if the people who call themselves Christians continue to elevate the lies of men above the word of God. Lying lips will always be an abomination to the LORD (Proverbs 12:22)! That truth will never change. It is settled forever in heaven! So, even if a seasoned con man convinces the whole world to accept his big lie, the absolute truth is still out there and it changes not. Many gullible souls have accepted the notion, without any real evidence - except the words of a sore loser and habitual liar - that the election was stolen. Unfortunately, this big lie has been welcomed and embraced by the majority of white evangelicals within the Republican Party. A falsehood can certainly masquerade as the truth, but in the sight of the LORD, a lie will never become truth.

"A lie doesn't become truth, wrong doesn't become right, and evil doesn't become good just because it's accepted by a majority." ~ Booker T. Washington

Truth and lies are prominent themes in my book, The Spiritual Awakening of America. Click here to learn more.

Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!