Articles
"...Let God Be True and Every Man A Liar"
In Romans 1, Paul shows how the Gentiles sinned and were rejected of God. In chapter 2, he shows that the Jews were also guilty of sin and would also be rejected of God. Unbelief on the part of man has never changed the truth which God has revealed.
When man and God disagree, why is God always right? "Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men” (1 Corinthians 1:25). Verse 20 also states that God has made foolish the wisdom of this world.
God is always right because man is always changing; God is not. "For I am the Lord, I change not;" (Malachi 3:6). The textbooks my children used in school 20 plus years ago are not the textbooks I used when I was in school. The textbooks my children used are not the textbooks being used today! Why? Because man is always learning things that are new to him. This is not so with God. God is omniscience (all knowing). "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things." (1 John 3:20). God's book, the Bible, never changes. The New Testament is in no need of being revised today than when it was written two thousand years ago. Why is that? It is because truth never changes and God's word is truth (John 17:17).
Our attitude toward God's word should be as the text states: "Let God be true...". "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." (Proverbs 3:5). Our attitude toward man should be as the text states: "every man a liar". This involves an absolute rejection of man's wisdom and doctrines. They must be rejected regardless of how attractive they may seem or regardless of how wise they may sound.
For example: God says, “…baptism doth also now save us" (1 Peter 3:21) but man says, "Baptism does not save and is not essential". God says we are “buried” in baptism (Romans 6:4) but man says, "sprinkling, pouring, etc.". God says we can fall from "grace" (Galatians 5:4) but man says, "You can't fall". God says, "one body/church” (Ephesians 1:22; 4:4) but man says "Many churches". God says, “…not by faith only.” (James 2:24) but man says, “faith only".
As we can see, Paul's admonition is still very much needed today. May each of us resolve to "let God be true but every man a liar” because our salvation depends upon it!
—E.R. Hall, Jr.
