Will the Belief of a Lie Save a Man?
By D. M. Canright
"BE not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." Gal. 6:7. The apostle here exhorts us not to be deceived, and states as a reason for this that whatever a man sows that he shall certainly reap. If he is deceived and led to sow the wrong kind of seed, the seed will yield bad fruit, just as certainly as though he sowed it with a full knowledge of its nature. The truth of this principle we see illustrated all around us in every-day life. Unfortunately we live in a world where deception is very common. Men are liable to be deceived at every turn, however honest they may be, or however anxious to avoid deception. And when a person is deceived, it does not change the result any to know that he was deceived. An honest man enters into partnership with a rogue. He meant to secure an honest partner, and make an honest livelihood, but he was deceived and lost all he had, and he has to suffer the consequences. A woman is deceived by a man, and marries a tyrant and a scoundrel. Her life is one of sorrow. She suffers just the same as though she knew just his character. A man in planting an orchard is deceived in the nature of the trees which he purchases, but this will not change the result in his orchard. So it is ever and always. When a man is deceived he suffers for it. Honesty or good intentions does not save him. Hence, in the affairs of this life, men have to exercise the greatest caution, keep their eyes open, obtain the best information, and look at a thing on all sides lest they get deceived and suffer irreparable loss. But, alas! how differently men reason with regard to religion and eternity. It has come to be quite a maxim that it does not make so much difference what a man believes as it does that he is sincere in his belief—that he really believes it; that it will not effect a man's salvation particularly either way whether what he believes is truth or error, provided that he sincerely believes it. But we are prepared to show that this is a most pernicious and fatal doctrine to hold. We boldly affirm, upon the authority of the Bible, that it is not a man's belief which saves him, but it is what he believes. Two men can be equally strong and sincere in their belief, and yet one may be saved by what he believes, and the other be damned by what he believes. Take an illustration from nature: We obtain strength by eating, yet it is not the act of eating that gives us strength, but it is the nature of the food which we eat. A person may be very hungry and anxious to obtain nourishment. He takes food, but he is deceived in the nature of it. It is poisonous; he eats and dies. Another person eats proper food and receives strength. Both eat—one was killed, the other was strengthened. It, then, is not the act of eating that gives us strength, but it is the nature of the food which we eat. Just so the idolator puts his faith in Moloch, or Jugernaut. He trusted in a lie. The Mahometan verily believes in that false prophet. He is willing to defend his faith with his sword and his life, and yet he will be damned, for he trusts in an impostor. If simply firm belief can save a soul, then Christ died in vain, for men could have been left of God to believe in their false gods, and then have been saved as well as by the true. But no; both in nature and in the Bible, God has ever taught us that those who are deceived and trust in a lie must suffer for it. Eve's case well illustrates the teachings of the Bible upon this point. The Lord told her not to eat of the forbidden fruit, and if she did she should die. But the wily serpent, with his subtlety, persuaded her that this was not so, that the fruit was good for her, and she should not die. She was deceived. 1 Tim. 2:14. Suppose that she had reasoned as men do now. She would have argued to the Lord that it was not right to punish her, for she sincerely believed that the fruit was good, and that it was not wrong to eat of it. Of course she did really believe this or she would not have done it. Now will not her sincere belief excuse and save her? By no means. But let us tear the veil off from this deception. Did not the Lord plainly tell her not to take of it? Certainly; but Satan persuaded her that God had lied, and thus she believed, and in this she trusted. Now, reader, what did her sincere belief amount to? She really believed that God had lied. When properly stated, her act grew out of blank unbelief; and so it is with all who believe a lie instead of the truth. God, in his word says a thing is thus and so, they do not believe this, but believe it is some other way. It is entirely wrong to call this sincere belief. It is simply strong unbelief; and unbelief never will save any body. The case of Paul is to the point. He says: "I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." Acts 26:9. If ever a man was honest and sincere in opposing the truth and believing error, it was Paul. But would he have been saved had he died before he was converted to Christ? Is it proper to call his faith sincere belief? No indeed. Hear what he afterwards said of himself. 1 Tim. 1:13. "Who was before a blasphemer [will God save blasphemers?], and a persecutor, and injurious; but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in [what? sincere belief? No, indeed; and mark what he says] unbelief." What he did then was done in unbelief. Notice that his honesty was not counted for faith. He was in unbelief; and unbelief will save no one. All unbelief is sin. God says that the fearful and unbelieving shall have their part in the lake of fire. Rev. 21:8. And the Prince of Peace has said, "Preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Mark 16:15, 16. The Lord sends out his truth with sufficient evidence upon which men can base their faith. Then he requires all men to accept that truth upon that evidence, upon the pain of being damned. If for any cause they do not believe, but reject it, and really believe that which is false in its stead, God says they shall suffer the consequences for it; they shall be damned. Then will no one be saved but those who have believed the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Will all be damned who have believed error? We do not claim this; but we do claim that the belief of error, or that which is not true, will not save any one. It is the belief of the truth which saves a man. If a man's faith embraces enough cardinal truth, he will be saved by that truth notwithstanding the error which he has mixed with it. It is not his faith in the error which saves him, but it is the truth which he holds with it that saves him. On the other hand if the cardinal pillars of his faith are error, although he may have some truth mixed with it, yet he will perish by his error. To illustrate; a hungry person eats food. In the main it is a good food, yet there is some poison mixed with it but not enough to materially injure him. He receives strength from his food, but does it come from the poison? No, indeed. So of what we believe. No soul will ever be saved for his belief in a lie, but it must be the truth that saves him. This fact is ever kept prominent all through the Bible. Thus Jesus says, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." John 8:32. Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth." John 17:17. Observe that we are to be sanctified through the truth. It is never said that we are to be sanctified through error. Paul says, "God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thess. 2:13. How are we sanctified? By the Spirit and the belief of the truth. Again Christ says, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:24. We must not only worship God in spirit, but it must also be in truth. Again, Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life." John 14:6. Once more he says, "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth." John 17:19. And again, "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." John 18:37. These texts are but examples of how the truth is everywhere exalted in the Bible. Time after time it is directly stated that we are to be sanctified through the truth. Hence there is a vast difference whether we believe a lie or the truth. The devil is the author of every lie, every falsehood, every error, and every fable, every false doctrine, and everything that is not the truth. Jesus says he is a liar and the father of it. John 8:44. But God is the author of every truth and every true doctrine. Satan is intensely interested in the sustaining and building up of error; but God is interested in putting down error, and establishing the truth. Just so far, then, as our influence goes in sustaining error and false doctrine, just so far we are sustaining Satan and his kingdom. The fact that we are deceived and do it ignorantly does not alter the result in the least, and just so far as we give our influence against that which is truth, whether we know it be the truth or not, just so far we are opposing the kingdom of God. Is it so, then, that the Lord is equally pleased with a man, whether he believes a false doctrine, or a true doctrine, provided that he is only honest in his belief? No, God is not in partnership with the devil, nor will he ever bless a soul for believing a lie, however honestly he may believe it. But it is objected and some claim that it is impossible to know the truth because there are so many contradictory doctrines held by men, all claiming to be proved by the Bible; each one sure that he has the truth and that the other is wrong; hence they say, do the best we may, we are not certain of finding the truth. I do not believe that these affirmations are true. To maintain them is virtually to charge God with injustice, and throw the blame of our errors upon the Creator. This view of the case squarely contradicts the plainest teachings of the Bible. "If any man will do his will he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself." John 7:17. This is the language of our Saviour. Is it reliable? Does he mean what he says? If so, then we can know whether a doctrine is of God or not. But mark the condition. We must first submit our wills to do God's will, give up our ways and be willing to be led and taught by the Lord, however crossing it may be to us. Again, the Saviour says: "He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8:12. My brother, are you in darkness? Then you are not really following Christ; for he declares that the very object of his mission to our earth was that his followers should not walk in darkness. Again, he says: "I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness." John 12:46. And again: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." Matt. 5:6. Righteousness is rightness, that which is right, that which is true, in opposition to that which is false and untrue. Jesus says that those who hunger and thirst after this shall be filled. Is his promise reliable? Can we depend upon it? Yes, if the conditions are complied with—if we hunger and thirst after it. This does not mean an indifferent, careless wish for the truth, nor simply a faint effort to obtain it; but it means a most intense, anxious, and longing desire for the truth—a disposition which will not be satisfied with anything but the truth, though it costs everything to obtain it. Look at the illustration: a man hungering and thirsting for food and drink. For hours and days he has been without nourishment. He is almost perished. His stomach is gnawing with hunger, and his tongue clings to the roof of his mouth for very thirst. What would not that man give to obtain food and drink. He would not be very dainty as to how it was prepared. Now, says Christ, the soul which longs for the truth, as that man does for food and drink, shall be filled. But, alas, how few feel thus. Most persons are perfectly contented with error. If convinced that they are holding error they feel indifferent about it and argue that it does not make much difference. If truth is presented to them their first inquiry is, How much will we have to sacrifice if we receive this? Will it be unpopular? Will it be inconvenient? Will it conflict with our business? If so, they promptly inquire whether they cannot be saved without believing it? What does this show? A hungering and thirsting after the truth? an anxious desire to know the real will of God? No, but a selfish desire to be saved without any regard to the truth. If such persons are left to their own ways, to believe a lie, it will be no marvel. Such cases are very numerous. Paul says that Satan will work "with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." 2 Thess. 2:10. Here is a class of persons who had the truth presented to them, but they did not receive the love of the truth. They thought that error would do just as well. Now notice the consequences: "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." Verse 11. Notice now that God leaves them to really believe a lie. They not only say they believe it, but they do believe it, they strongly believe it, they are willing to risk their souls upon it. Now will such strong faith as this save them. Listen a little farther, "That they should believe a lie; that they all might be damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." Verses 11, 12. What! will a just God damn a soul for believing that which he really thinks to be true? Certainly he will, and serve him right too; for, mark, it is those who do not love the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. God's truth was presented to them but it required a sacrifice on their part to receive it. They did not wish to do this. They were anxious to avoid the cross; hence they made the most of every objection which they heard against the truth. They diligently sought for every plausible pretext to sustain them in their error, and God saw that the real love of the truth was not in their hearts. Hence, he leaves them to ways which they have chosen, to really believe the fable and false doctrine which they love. They had the light presented to them but they did not love it, for it exposed their errors and called on them for reform. They turned away from the light and they then imagined that their garments needed no changing, because in their darkness they could see no defilement upon them. But had they come to the light and walked in the light, they would have seen it. Says Jesus: "Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have light believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light." John 12:35, 36. An important fact is stated here of which few are fully aware. It is this: "To-day a person may see the truth, may be strongly convinced that it is the truth, may be almost decided to obey it, but halts, and falters, and neglects to take up his cross; he seeks for objections and excuses to justify him in disobedience, and in this way the Spirit of God is grieved. The light gradually departs from him, his conviction passes off, he becomes less interested, at length indifferent, and finally does not believe it at all. He now persuades himself that it never was true; he settles down satisfied with a lie, and God leaves him only to be awakened from his fatal delusion by the terrors of the Judgment. Dear reader, we beseech you to be careful how you trifle with light and truth. God has no fellowship with Satan, nor with any of his lies or fables. Truth alone will save us. Do not persuade yourself that you cannot distinguish between truth and error. You can if you will, but you must be willing to search for it, to dig for it as for hid treasures, make any sacrifice, even that of property or friends, or life itself, to know and obtain the truth. If you do not you are not worthy of it. Be not deceived; God is not mocked. He cannot be trifled with. He means what he says, and will execute what he has threatened. Have you sought God in prayer for light and help? Have you lifted up your voice and cried after the truth? Have you fasted and prayed that you might find it; or has your desire been to get around the truth, quiet your conscience, excuse yourself, and to hope for Heaven in known disobedience? Vain hope! Throw away that fatal delusion. Arise and shake yourself from its grasp or it will sink you in perdition. The day is coming which will try men's souls and shake their foundations. Eternal interests are at stake. You cannot afford to risk your soul upon a lie. The day of Judgment will sweep away the refuge of lies. Truth, pure, holy, God-given truth alone will profit us then. With the poet let us say:— "Truth is the gem for which we seek,
Oh! tell us where shall it be found.
For this we pray, and search, and weep,
That truth may in our hearts abound."
D. M. CANRIGHT.