A person may lie by telling an untruth or by being silent under certain circumstances. Sometimes good people believe these lies. We can be deceived with vain words if we are not careful (Eph. 5:6). Lying and believing a lie are both condemned in the scriptures. Notice these powerful passages: “Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25). “Buy the truth and do not sell it; also wisdom, and instruction and understanding” (Prov. 23:23). “And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15:9). “But the cowardly, unbelieving, detestable ones, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).

Lies the World Believes. The world accepts the false notion that religious liberty means we may believe whatever we desire and it will be acceptable to God. This is believing a lie! Yes, we do have the liberty to believe and do as we please, but that does NOT mean that it is acceptable to God. Some are saying that if we honestly believe something, then that will save us. The denominational world has largely accepted this philosophy about salvation. Religions other than Christianity have accepted this premise also. The Romans of long ago believed in many gods, and some still do today. They were honest and sincere! Were they saved? The Bible points us to ONE true and living God. It also points out Jesus Christ as the only Savior, for Jesus said: “Except you believe that I am He, you shall die in your sins” (John 8:24; cf. 14:6).

Christian liberty is not a license to believe and obey lies, expecting to reach the same result as believing and obeying truth. “For you, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another” (Gal. 5:13). Many believe they shall be saved when they are believing untruths. Others believe they shall be saved although they do not obey God’s commands. Jesus said of these: “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (Matt. 7:21; cf. Luke 6:46).

Again, the popular idea says that it makes very little (if any) difference in religious matters what a man believes, so long as he is sincere in regard to it, and faithfully lives accord­ing to his belief. But while men thus think in regard to religion, no man has the same thought in regard to any other human interest. For instance, a man may believe in the soundness and good management of a bank. Yet, does anyone think that the sincerity of his belief, backed up by large deposits and the pur­chase of large blocks of the stock, make safe his in­vestment when the bank is about to break? Does not everyone know that the more sin­cerely a man believes in such a bank, the worse it is for him? The hand of a young lady is sought by a designing man in whom she has the most unlimited con­fidence. Will the sincerity of her faith in him prevent the lifelong misery which he is sure to inflict if she marries him? The more sincerely she believes in him, the worse it is for her.