“Every man’s way is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” Prov. 21:2; NASB
Denial is one of the most deceptive and potentially damaging conditions of the mind. We can justify almost anything if we want to feel at peace with it. Fortunately, those whose hearts are for the Lord know something is wrong even after we have convinced ourselves something is right when it is not. But that doesn’t stop us from trying. We might even dig in our heels to stand our ground convinced we are right, only to find the ground we are on is sinking sand.
In our world today, we have so called “Christians” who are challenging God’s word. To a devout believer, this sounds insane, but it is true. For example, the PETA organization (animal rights activists), with the help of AI, has rewritten the book of Genesis. Apparently, they take issue with the portrayal of God in His own book. One example is Gen. 9:3, where God tells Noah, “Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant.” It doesn’t fit their view of what a loving God would say, so they changed it. I will not waste space here with the change, or any of the countless other changes they have made. You can check it out yourself if you have time and you’re willing to waste it looking it up. The point I’m making is this: they know what God has said but have convinced themselves they are right in changing it!
You might say to yourself, “if they did this, they cannot be Christians,” but I assure you some believe they will be in heaven one day. Jesus said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” When we surrender to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are considered righteous by God because of our faith (see Gen. 15:6). As wonderful as that truth is, problems arise when we consider ourselves righteous.
Believers are sinners who have been washed clean by the Blood of Christ. We no longer carry the condemnation of our past and our sins are no longer counted against us. Eternity with Him is the final outcome of this. Our hearts have been changed and we no longer practice sin. This salvation is by God’s grace alone, not by anything we have done (see Eph. 2:8-9). This does not mean we stop sinning, only that it is no longer our intent to sin.
Denial is the enemy of humility. It is a product of our pride. It starts with the little things like not admitting a mistake or refusal to forgive others. When left unchecked, it can grow, even to the point of feeling justified in rewriting the Bible. You can deny that you would ever get to that point, but…; need I say more? Reading God’s Word with a humble heart, willing to admit our wrongs, is one of the healthiest things we can do. Is your heart’s motive to be right in God’s eyes or your own? Making certain that our beliefs and convictions align with biblical truth is essential.
Have a great week and God bless.