CAN I LIE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD? 10/5/23 published

Throughout our ministries and daily life, we have contemplated this year whether or not we can lie in pursuit of success for the glory of God, considering various situations. We’d like to see before our verse-by-verse inductive expository studies. If one were to lie for God, it would pervert the essence of the Scripture or the word of God. To pervert the Scripture is to pervert faith because faith is rooted in the word of God. Consequently, perverting faith leads to the perverting how we practice the word of God. A Christian is someone striving to emulate Christ. The Holy Spirit dwells within each person, making each body a temple of God.  God the Father, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit are a unity of three divine beings, each co-existent, co-equal, and co-eternal. God is inherently truthful and incapable of deceit.  Therefore, a Christian’s life on Earth involves becoming more Christ-like through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  A Christian does not follow the ways of mere mortals like Rahab, David, Solomon, Peter, Paul, Apollos, John Calvin, Jacobus Arminius, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Schweitzer, Francis I, or Martin Luther but rather strives to imitate Christ Himself. Thus, human examples serve as guides for following Christ’s path through the Spirit, not the flesh, as human nature inherently is nothing good. For example, the harlot Rahab received the spies of Israel by faith. Here, we learn her faith to receive them at the risk of her life in Jericho, not her lie or harlotry. Numerous individuals, particularly retirees, often share their personal success stories even if nobody asks about the success. Similarly, Rome city is often referred to as the Eternal City, even though the ancient era parcel of the Rome has remained with debris, fading into history, and the Renaissance era parcel of the Rome constantly requires ongoing maintenance labors. This underscores our desire for success, whether in education, work, ministry, or church, is rooted in the pursuit of imperishability. When we witness a fellow Christian achieving success in academics, employment, or business, we rejoice and together pray for thanks to God, acknowledging His giving it. So, its credit is not assigned to any humans. Further, we pray the success may spread the influence of salt and light in the world for the glory of God imperishably. Similarly, when we hear of the growth in ministry or a church, we celebrate and pray for thanks to God, acknowledging His giving it.  This growth should not be confined to visible things as buildings, members, contributors, and finances to be perishable. Additionally, we ask the Lord in prayer for the success to encompass invisible things like faith, the word of God, its consequent practice, love, or joy, to be imperishable.  It is a reminder that we live by faith, not by sight. All Christians are God’s laborers wherever they live or work, using both perishable and imperishable things, depending on whether they labor in the Spirit or the flesh. The perishable things naturally fade over time unless they are used in alignment with the Spirit’s guidance (e.g., to lay up treasures in heaven), while the imperishable things remain enduring ever unless they are used for the fleshly purpose (e.g., ministries through the practice of lawlessness)…

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