A Blatant Lie
Scripture Reading —
“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said. . . .
—
Sometimes we might hear or even tell little lies in attempts to be polite or to spare someone’s feelings. Though not recommended, those kinds of lies are far different from lies that are told out of callous self-interest for personal gain or even malice to harm others. Of all the lies told in history, the most blatant, malicious lie of all took place when the devil tempted Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden ().
There Satan, appearing as a serpent, lied about the consequences of disobeying God’s command not to eat the fruit of one of the trees in the garden. In this way the devil aimed to thwart God’s design for his creation and to mar his human creatures forever. Satan lied about God’s own truthfulness. His false insinuation awakened a jealousy and desire in our first parents, and the results have reverberated across our world ever since that day, causing hostility, suffering, and death. Jesus came to save us from the certain destruction we would face, and he called Satan out as “the father of lies.”
How do we overcome the deadly shadow of lies in our world? We do so by acknowledging that God never lies () and that he hates lying. And we turn to Jesus, the true light and living truth (), asking him to help us recognize the truth and to share it with our neighbors everywhere. Doing so, we begin to participate in God’s redemption plan by sharing his truthfulness and love with all people.
Father of light, may our words embody your truth in genuine love and mercy always. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
About the author — Kurt Selles
Kurt Selles is the former director of ReFrame Ministries and Executive Editor of Today, serving from August 2012 through July 2026. He is a graduate of Calvin College and Seminary, and received his PhD from Vanderbilt University. Before coming to ReFrame, he served 19 years in Taiwan and China with CRC World Missions. Kurt later taught missions at Beeson Divinity School, where he also acted as the director of the school’s Global Center. Kurt and his wife, Vicki, reside in Grand Rapids and have three adult children.
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