PREVARICATORS

I Was Just Thinking About – PREVARICATORS.

What is a prevaricator? The basic definition is: “A person who speaks falsely; a liar; one who speaks to avoid the precise truth; a quibbler; an equivocator.” In the current News Cycle, the word “liar” has been often stated and frequently emphasized. It is a word that should be used sparingly and only by The One (or those) who have the authority and substantiated, well-documented evidence to prove that which is a lie. The plenary, verbal, inspired Word of God defines and demonstrates the lie versus The TRUTH.

Why, then,  do people lie? One Biblical example is Romans 1:18-31 (NKJV). The text is speaking of those who have embraced an unrighteous lifestyle. They are described as those who “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” The text also adds, “They exchanged The TRUTH of God for the Lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than The Creator.”

Another text that expands and expounds this is First John 1:5-10 (NKJV). Three of the conclusive observations are: (1) Verse 6, “If we say that we have fellowship with Jesus Christ, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice The TRUTH.” (2) verse 8, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and The TRUTH is not in us.” And (3) Verse 10, “If we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar, and His Word is not in us.”

How does this happen and easily become one’s lifestyle? To a generation of religious people who questioned His authority,  Jesus declared, John 8:44-45 (NKJV), “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He…does not stand in The TRUTH, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell The TRUTH, you do not believe Me.”

The people may have listened to Jesus out of their curiosity but they failed to grasp the meaning of the words He spoke (John 14:6), “I am The WAY, The TRUTH and The LIFE. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

The religious element weren’t the only ones who listened but did not really hear or believe. When Jesus had been arrested at the instigation of the Jews and was brought before Pilate, in John 18:37-39 the question of Pilate is revealing. “Pilate said to Jesus: Are You a king? Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to The TRUTH. Everyone who is of The TRUTH hears My voice. Pilate said to Him: What is truth?”

The failure to understand and know The TRUTH meant and means a failure to grasp the simple and basic words of Jesus, John 8:21-32, "...to those Jews which believed on Him Jesus said, If you continue in My word, then are you my disciples indeed;  And you shall know The TRUTH, and The TRUTH shall make you free.” In verse 36, Jesus adds: “if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”  Have you believed and received The Only One who is The TRUTH?  

Prayerfully - consider these things with me.