Using the Truth to Identify Lies

In the mid-nineties, ER debuted on NBC’s Must See TV. Hooked from day one, I rarely missed an episode. Since I planned to pursue a career in the medical field, all the medical dilemmas interested me. Add in the weekly drama between the characters, and who could resist?

Then, in 1998, I married a man who worked in a level-one trauma center, where he saw the worst of the worst. He participated in intubations and ventilator management every day. Now when I sat down for my Thursday night rendezvous with County General Hospital, my medical-minded husband watched with me.

He found mistakes in every episode. He pointed out that the ventilator tubing was taped incorrectly. He noticed any time the ER staff didn’t use sterile technique. He made fun of their outdated monitors. It was enough to burst my newlywed bubble. I eventually asked him to find something else to do while I indulged in inaccurate medical mind-candy.

Because my husband experienced real medical care done the right way, it became easy to spot the fake.

Using Truth to Identify Lies

Paul used the same principle when instructing young Timothy. Timothy’s church struggled with teachers who strayed from the truth, and Paul encouraged him to deal with these false teachers and continue to preach the true gospel. To identify false teaching, Timothy had to study the truth. Paul told him,

“Place these truths before the brothers and sisters. If you do, you will be a good servant of Jesus the Anointed, raised and fed on words of true belief, trained in the good instruction you have so clearly followed. Reject worldly fables. Refuse old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself toward godliness” (1 Timothy 4:6–7 VOICE).

In essence, Paul is saying, “You are surrounded by false teaching, so train yourself in godly teaching. By learning the truth inside and out, you will be able to identify and point out false teaching.” Once Timothy experienced real faith rooted in Scripture, he could spot fakes and knew how to oppose them.

Know What You Believe

It doesn’t take long to find two spiritual leaders on opposing sides of any given issue. For Timothy’s church, the issues included what was fit to eat, staying single versus getting married, and using genealogy to prove godliness. The modern church deals with hot-button issues such as gay marriage, social justice, and the role of religion in politics. It’s possible to find a religious influencer to support any opinion on any controversial issue.

In his book The Daniel Dilemma, Chris Hodges identifies believers as light and life amid harsh words and opinions. He says, “The way we do this without being swallowed up by cultural forces is by anchoring ourselves to a worldview based on God’s Word. Knowing what we believe and why we believe is foundational to our ability to be people of positive influence.”

I’m not here to stir up discussion on the aforementioned hot-button issues. I do, however, want to encourage you as Paul encouraged Timothy to “train yourself for godliness.” Our culture will continue to drift further from the truths found in God’s Word. The only way we can identify the cleverly disguised lies is if we know the truth.

Decide Today

I still don’t like to watch medical shows with my husband. Honestly, after almost twenty years of working in the medical field myself, I even find it hard to sit through a hospital-based Hallmark movie or watch reruns of some of my favorite doctor dramas. The inauthenticity and subtle inaccuracies make it harder for my mind to escape in the storyline.

This is the kind of discomfort I want to feel when I encounter the subtle lies within our changing culture. I want to know the truth so thoroughly that I quickly recognize challenges to my biblical worldview. As I read God’s Word, I decide today what will still be true tomorrow. These core convictions will hold me steady when the shifting winds of opinion begin to blow.

Are you making the time to train yourself in godly teaching? Commit to learning God’s truth today so you can stand firm in that truth tomorrow.

Kelly Smith is a small town girl who married a small town man. They have three children. In the quiet minutes of her day, you will find her at the keyboard or curled up with a book–always with coffee. Kelly believes we are created for community and loves to find ways to connect with other women who are walking in the shadow of the cross. She blogs at mrsdisciple.com.

Photograph © Jasper Boers, used with permission