Romans 1:18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

From here through the end of the chapter sounds remarkably like a description of modern society! I started to write on verse 32, but it struck me that this verse is indeed the starting point, because it does start with suppressing the truth. After all, that’s what the devil did even in the Garden of Eden. The devil doesn’t want the truth to get out, much less be acted on, so he serves up all sorts of lies, which are his forte. In America today, even simple biological facts are descried as “hate speech!” That’s why censorship is so much in vogue: those who promote lies can’t stand for truth to get out. That’s no reason for those who do know and try to operate in truth to retreat. Rather, we are to proclaim the truth all the more boldly and persistently, though always in love. Speaking the truth in love doesn’t necessarily mean doing it quietly! Truth is to be trumpeted, certainly no less that the lies that are so prevalent today. What we must remember is that it is a spiritual battle, as Paul wrote so clearly in Ephesians 6, but we also need to remember that, appearances notwithstanding, we are not at a disadvantage, because “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” (2 Corinthians 10:4) The thing is, to be on the side of Jesus, who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” (John 14:6) we have to walk in truth all the time, both in principles and in speech. “White lies” and “political correctness” don’t cut it. Those are just ways of suppressing the truth, as this verse says. We’ve got to welcome truth even when it is to our disadvantage, knowing that we don’t stand because of our own strength, but because of God’s.

As I have written before, I was raised by a father who held absolute honesty as one of his core principles, and I am deeply grateful. However, I have shown myself to be adept at deceiving myself, (James 1:22) thinking that being able to speak truth was the same as walking it out. I am disgusted at the lies that are thrown at us constantly, to the point that I literally do not watch TV any more. However, that doesn’t mean I’m to retreat into my own little sanctuary, but rather that I am to ask the Lord for opportunities to speak His truth in ways that people can receive it. There are various peripheral arguments that I could get caught up in, and that has happened at times. I am to seek to avoid those, but rather walk in the truth God has shown me, so that others too may recognize the lies for what they are and so be set free, just as Jesus said. (John 8:32)

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for the various ways that truth is getting out more and more. I pray that people may indeed be set free from the lies that so ensnare them, and so walk in all that You intend for them, both now and through eternity, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!