Articles
The Rejection of Truth
God has done everything He can do to both reveal the truth to man and persuade us to follow it. Ancient passages, including conversations not recorded at the moment, have been preserved against natural decay, obsolescence or deliberate destruction. Scripture offers a coherent, rational accounting of God’s miraculous and providential work in history which results in eternal salvation. The ball is, as we say, in our court.
So what happens when, in the malpractice of man’s free will, God’s truth is rejected? Several things, and all of them are bad.
First, there are temporal consequences of violating God’s moral directives. For example, God’s word defines murder as a sin. Most societies agree and incorporate its prohibition into their penal codes. Thus the consequence of violating God’s law against murder is likely the loss of one’s freedom and/or life.
Beyond criminal consequences, those who disregard God’s word generally create misery and hardship for themselves. Sin is a hard master. Drunkenness has been the bane of mankind from time immemorial (cf. Prov 23:29-35); promiscuity destroys healthy relationships (sometimes bringing physical disease and death); envy alienates from others and poisons our minds against joy and peace. On and on the list could go of the deleterious effects of disobeying God.
Secondly, rejecting God’s truth is, in effect, disarming ourselves before a foe that is far superior to us. The questions that most disturb us – ones that deal with our origin and purpose, the existence of evil, life beyond this world – are given ample treatment in Scripture. If we do not accept God’s explanations of these fundamental issues, Satan will gain the upper hand. He will play upon our fears, desires, ignorance, lethargy and pride and turn us against God. People who flippantly dismiss Scripture as irrelevant do not realize that they are “swimming with the crocodiles” (Reference to Australian men caught swimming in an area baited to catch a killer crocodile. Mayor Julia Leu said, “I’m wondering if these fellows are vying for the … idiots of the century award.”). Yet, those mortified at the thought of swimming unprotected in a crocodile’s lair think nothing of living every day in Satan’s domain while rejecting the only defense against him – spiritual truth.
Third, rejecting God’s word is more than naturally consequential. It provokes God to abandon us in our rebellion. In a challenging passage regarding the man of sin “who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped” (2 Th 2:3-4), Paul says his coming “is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish” (2:9-10). Setting aside the question of what or who deceives, note further what is said about the deceived: they perish “because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2:11-12). Part of the punishment of God against persistent disregard for Him is our exposure to the delusion that we crave.
In our recent travels out west we spent a few days in the Salt Lake City area. Mormon houses of worship were seemingly on every corner, and Mormons dominate the schools, industries and politics of the region. When I considered what has sprung from Brigham Young’s seed – an enduring, thriving, mainstream (comparatively) subculture of America – I can see how, to a Mormon, it all looks so … true. Mormonism has survived; it is flourishing; it advocates for moral purity and large, happy, nuclear families. How could it all be … false?
Satan plays to our cravings through lies. In a video on the immense Mormon temple near the northern D.C. beltway, a spokesman standing beside a cutaway model gushed: “This model is remarkable in the sense that it catches the beauty and the feeling of reverence. There are various parts of the building that allow you to talk about the plan of salvation in a way that you couldn’t without the model. A lot of what the temple is, is visual, and you get the feeling of light and … wonderful grandeur. This is the house of the Lord; this really is the house of the Lord. And if they can come … and see the temple … it is a message itself."
But the Catholics say the same about the Vatican, and the Muslims say the same thing about Mecca. When the new covenant was inaugurated, the physical gave way to the spiritual. Solomon’s temple was certainly designed to inspire awe and symbolize the transcendence of God. But these things were supplanted by Christ. No more does a manmade structure lead the mind to God’s grandeur. Rather, higher thoughts are generated by a sacrifice of love offered for us by our Savior.
We do not need an imaginary model of heaven to explain the plan of salvation, but a Mormon believes that with all his heart. Sincerity of belief does not legitimize error. The belief must be grounded in objective truth.
