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
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