The death of someone is a sorrowful event, but much more so for those who do not know God (the lost). Believers, on the other hand, understand that the separation of death is only temporary. For this reason, believers should find much hope after losing a loved one who knew the Lord. This loss serves as another reminder to look forward to the joys of heaven awaiting God’s people. The scenario is much different for the lost. When a lost person loses a loved one, there is no reason for hope. If the departed loved one was saved, no hope for a reunion is both real and anticipated; however, if the loved one was never saved, hell will not be a place for any joyous reunions. It is terrible to witness others lose loved ones to death without the wonderful hope offered by God to His children.
When a loved one passes away, mourning serves as an important part of the healing process. However, believers should never sorrow in the same fashion as the world (1 Thessalonians 4:13), yet mourning is acceptable and proper when grieving the death of someone. In Bible times, people seemed to take mourning very seriously. In fact, the initial mourning period at times was quite lengthy (Genesis 50:3; Numbers 20:29; Deuteronomy 34:8). There were even people whose purpose it was to assist in the mourning of those departed (Jeremiah 9:17). Grieving is a natural part of man’s process in dealing with the loss of loved ones. Failure to give time to properly mourn often prolongs the process and hinders the individual from dealing with the loss.
One of the more difficult things any individual faces in this life involves watching loved ones suffer. Yet, this life is filled with suffering and death. David witnessed just such a tragedy when his child became ill and eventually died. While the child was alive, David implored the Lord for the child’s recovery. No doubt, he was asking God to heal the child and restore health. In addition to praying for the child, David fasted and wept for the life of his newborn. In the end, the Lord decided to take the child. David understood that he could not bring the child back but would one day go to where the child already was. As soon as the child passed, David refocused upon living. He ceased praying for the child and began to comfort his grieving wife.
The Devil was created perfect in every aspect (Ezekiel 28:15) with complete capacity to do right. Yet, he was also created with a free will to choose whether to do right or to do wrong. Sometime in the distant past, he chose to abide “not in the truth.” This conscious decision to depart from the truth caused him to become the “father” of lies. In one form or another, every lie traces back to the work of the Devil. As the enemy of God, Satan wants to deceive God’s creation into believing a lie so that rejecting the truth and remaining condemned in darkness (2 Corinthians 4:4) seems like the natural thing to do. Satan incorporates every deceptive means at his disposal. One of his main tactics is to convince people that there are many ways to heaven (good works, baptism, church membership, etc.) and many ways to know the truth (feelings, science, circumstances, etc.). Yet, the Bible emphatically proves that God is truth and His word is truth and only through God and His word are we assured of learning and knowing truth.
The Bible describes God as a God of truth. He will not lie (1 Samuel 15:29) and cannot lie (Titus 1:2). This attribute of truth is designated to each person of the Trinity or the Godhead. Truth is declared as an attribute of God the Father in Titus 1:1-2, of God the Son in John 14:6, and of God the Spirit in John 16:13. Even the very words of God are ascribed this attribute in John 17:17 where the Bible says, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.” Thank God that He is truth and so is His word. A lie to the least extent within the words of God or in God’s very nature would incriminate God’s expressed deity. Lying is contrary to the nature of God. The scripture says that it is “impossible” for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18). Impossible! It would be a different world if men would simply live more like Christ.
People love comparing themselves to those whom they deem less righteous or unspiritual. By finding someone living on a spiritually lower level, any wrong doing can seem quite justified in one’s own eyes. Another way to get by with certain character flaws is by distinguishing between what men call big and little sins. As long as someone refuses to commit the big sins, he considers himself decent, upright, and sometimes spiritually superior. One of the most prevalent areas is that of telling lies. Those who err in this area equate some lies as “white lies” (lies deemed less harmful than the big ones). Yet, the Bible doesn’t make any such distinction. According to the Bible, truth and lies are at opposite ends of the spectrum.“No lie is of the truth” (1 John 2:21). Truth tainted by error or falsehood ceases to be truth. Regardless of how simple a lie may appear, no lie has as its source pure truth. If truth was the basis for a statement, then it would remain truth.
