Why People Choose a Lie

A Very Real Problem

It is a somewhat distressing, yet very real problem that people make active choices to embrace lies although being perfectly aware of the truth. One such example would be a person who makes excuses for an abusive or unfaithful spouse. The truth of this situation should be obvious, many times to those outside of the situation, yet the person continues to embrace a lie anyway.

No more is such a situation more distressing than when a Christian presents the truth to a friend or family member they are studying with, only for it to be rejected even though the message as truth is accepted. Why would anyone acknowledge the reality of the truth, yet choose to ignore it for a lie when it pertains to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3, NASU)?

Man is a master of self-deception

This is an unfortunate trait that we share with (or possibly learned in some ways from) Satan. As the “father of lies” (John 8:44) the first person that Satan had to deceive was himself. The belief that one could challenge the authority, power, and very Name of God in any fashion requires the belief in a lie – the oldest lie in the world – that one could “be like God” (Gen. 3:5). This penchant for self-deception makes ignoring the truth possible.

Lies avoid confrontation

Objectively this would appear to be a cop-out, but is a very real concern for many people. Christianity brings about confrontation with the world, and this can have very real and very personal consequences. Christ was honest when He described creating divisions even between families (Mat. 10:34ff). Although such confrontation is not only necessary, but is ultimately beneficial, like the abused spouse, some choose to avoid it because it might be “unpleasant.”

Lies are comfortable

When one considers one’s life up until the point of learning the truth, it should seem like somewhat of a waste. Life before Christ lacks focus, purpose, meaning, and hope. It is, however, a life that one is accustomed to full of the familiar and the comforts of a purely carnal existence. For some, this comfort is too much to give up, even when the ultimate penalty is infinitely uncomfortable.

It is always a tragedy when someone refuses the Gospel of Christ. The tragedy seems to have a sharper edge however when the words are accepted to be true but not obeyed. It is in these cases that one must confront the cause for the lie being more attractive than the truth. Man can choose to believe whatever lie he wishes, but one day the truth will be known to all (Phil. 2:10). In that day lies will provide no refuge to anyone.