Love the Truth?

The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

There was an early radio and television game show called “Truth or Consequences.” It was a simple idea. A contestant was asked an off-the-wall question which almost no one could answer. According to Wikipedia, “If the contestant could not complete the "Truth" portion, there would be "Consequences," usually a zany and embarrassing stunt. From the start, most contestants preferred to answer the question wrong in order to perform the stunt.”

Life itself is really “Truth or Consequences.” If you do not listen to and live by the truth you will suffer the consequences in this life and in eternity! But truth in life is not “off-the-wall” and answering life’s questions is not a game show. To put it simply, in life Truth is God and the Consequences is Hell not some zany and embarrassing stunt. Amazingly, men like to tell stories about and laugh about their sin! It is like a bunch of cancer patients telling tasteless jokes about the devastating illness. The deception of sin is not a joke and it is not a game show with silly stunts. Sin is the grease on the slide to Hell!

The sobering part about these verses from 2 Thessalonians is that God sends a “powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.”

The question of where you spend eternity will be determined by what you love.  If you love the lie, God will even send a powerful delusion to support you in that love. If you love and believe the truth you will spend eternity with the One who Himself is called Truth!

It gives new meaning to the oath, “The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help me God!”