Have You Been Lied To?

FEW experiences hurt more than learning that someone you trust has lied to you. You might feel humiliated, angry, or even betrayed. Lies destroy friendships and marriages; they defraud people of countless millions of dollars.

Imagine, then, how you would feel if you learned that you had been lied to about God. If you are devout, the effect could be profound, as it was for these churchgoers:

● “I felt that the church had betrayed me.”​—DEANNE.

● “I was angry. I felt that I had been tricked​—that my hopes and goals turned out to be futile.”​—LUIS.

You might hesitate even to consider the possibility that you have been lied to about God. What you know may have come from someone whom you trust and who would never intentionally hurt you​—your parents, a priest, a pastor, or a close friend. You may have believed a certain teaching all your life. But would you not agree that even a widely held idea can be false? Former U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt recognized this fact, for he said: “Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.”

How can you determine whether you have been lied to? Jesus once said to God in prayer: “Your word is truth.” (John 17:17) Yes, God’s Word, the Bible, contains what we need in order to distinguish the truth from lies.

Why not let the Bible expose five common lies about God? You will see how the truth can change your life for the better.