You Will Believe What You Want To Believe
Watching social media for a decade, I have seen that most people will believe what they want to believe or they will believe what someone else tells them to believe. The sad fact is that you cannot reason with such a person who already has their mind made up.
So it is with spiritual matters. You can take them to the Bible and show them in black and white (even red); but they will not believe the truth, but take pleasure in the lies. 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12 speaks about this deception of wickedness. People believe what they want to believe and really do not investigate further whether what they have been taught is the truth or not. They certainly do not learn from the Bereans from Acts 17:11.
When people want to believe the lie rather than the truth, there is no amount of reasoning from the scriptures that will convince them to change their minds. They always have a come-back and always chase some rabbit down a hole then they will expect you to follow and they will leave you stranded in the hole they have created.
In Ephesians 4:25 we read: "Therefore laying aside falasehood speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another". The sad thing to consider is that if someone has decided to believe a lie, the truth does not matter to them. For most of them their lie becomes reality and eventually they will strongly believe it. That is following the old motto that if you tell a lie often enough, people will come to believe it. Teachers who promote these lies will eventually have a following to their way of thinking. We all have seen how those who speak the truth are treated by those who do not follow the truth. It is usually with hateful language or they seem incredulous that you would challenge their belief. These people also seem to act with a type of moral superiority that their way is much better and yours is foolishness.
There are those who believe that killing others is a righteous cause in their own minds. Those who support abortion speak of it as a great gift to humanity that a woman can murder her own child. They even parade around in the streets cheering the slaughter of millions and they hurl insults at those who want to respect human life.
Another problem we see from social media is that people forward stories they have received without checking out to see if it is true. Many just read the headline and make assumptions and forward and share them without actually reading the stories and articles. So I offer a word of caution to everyone who participates in this form of communication. Ephesians 4:29 "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth (or fingers-cs) but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear (or read)". Also in Ephesians 5:4 we read "and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks".
A final warning we find in Ephesians 5:6-7: "Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them".
Be cautious with any information that comes your way because people will share what they want to believe and the truth does not matter to them.
By Carey Scott


Return to the General Articles page

Home / Bible studies / Bible Survey / Special Studies / General Articles / Non-Bible Articles / Sermons / Sermon Outlines / Links / Questions and Answers / What Saith The Scriptures /Daily Devotional / Correspondence Courses / What is the Church of Christ / Book: Christian Growth / Website Policy / E-mail / About Me /