DAILY READING
REFLECTION
Combatting the Lie
by Pr. Dave Mann
The longest-standing lie of all time. It is the most pernicious, malicious, destructive, harmful falsehood in the entire world. And in addition, it is thought to be common knowledge, even to this day. What is it? It is the lie the serpent spoke in the garden. “God is holding out on you. If you obey God, you will miss something wonderful. Your life will be boring. God doesn’t really love you. If he did, he would not deny you the right to eat from this tree. You can’t trust him! Go ahead. Live a little!” (See Genesis 3:1-5.)
The Apostle Peter leans hard in the other direction. He exhorts us in the first verse to move definitively away from negative behaviors that the devil would love for us to taste—malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander, etc. The voice of the tempter desires to lure us into “experiencing all of life”—just to be fully informed about what the world is about.
Verse 3 blows away Satan’s empty promise and hurtful lie. Peter writes: “You have tasted that the Lord is good.” The truth is God wants the best for us. You can be sure that the will of God is what will build meaning and purpose and joy and peace and hope and confidence in our lives.
Verses 4-5 continue to urge us to believe that, as we trust him, the Lord will build all of us in the church as living stones into wholesome relationships. Christ Jesus is the Cornerstone, and we firmly place our weight on him. Likewise, we are fit together with the other living stones in the house of the Lord.
However, if our Enemy sees us beginning to dismiss his first lie, he has a backup. “Oh, so you think God is good, do you? Well, if the people of God knew what you have done, they wouldn’t want you as part of their household.”
Check out what Peter writes in verse 9: “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” It’s not about what you have done to make yourself worthy; it’s about what God has done.
And just to make it clear, Peter adds verse 10. God knows who you are and what you have done. Everything we have ever done, one day will be announced from the rooftops—no secrets. However, besides the announcement of what we have done, there will be an even louder proclamation of what God has done. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, you are the way, the truth, and the life. Help me recognize the lies of the Enemy and to believe the truth that comes from your Word. Please convince me again and again to trust the declaration that you are good and that you want the best for me, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
