How Do You Recognize a Christian? | Part 5 | Truth is Stranger Than Fiction – 1 John 2:18-27 | Chris Voigt

Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction
How Do You Recognize a Christian?
July 4, 2021

Most people are familiar with the classic ‘icebreaker’ party game, Two Truths and a Lie. To play, one person has to make three statements about themselves to the rest of the group. Two statements must be true; the other, however is a lie. Each person guesses which of the three statements they believe is untrue; and once all guesses have been made, the lie is revealed. It’s a fun, harmless way to get to know people a little bit better. And though the deception is intentional, it’s not really for the purpose of deceiving anyone. The point of the game is to learn new truths about others.

But in real life, lying isn’t fun or harmless. Dishonesty breaks relationships and destroys trust. Being swindled or deceived can be costly. We’ve all heard stories of people who have lost everything because they trusted someone they shouldn’t have.  

There are multiple studies that suggest that, on average, Americans tell one or two lies every day. Additional studies have identified nine primary motivations that cause people to lie. So, if lying is so prevalent, how can you tell the difference between the truth and a lie?

Psychologists and body language experts who study these things tell us that there are a variety of ways to tell if someone is lying. Body movements, such as fidgeting, facial expressions, or certain hand gestures can all be clues to whether or not someone is telling the truth. But being able to accurately interpret those signs or signals requires training in how to spot a liar. Discernment – the ability to tell the difference between what is true and what is false – must be developed over time and with intention.

We are about a month into our summer series, How Do You Recognize a Christian? This week, we’re talking about the importance of being able to tell the difference between biblical teaching (doctrine) and false teaching. It is vitally important that we know the truth. Because ‘truth’ comes in a wide variety of flavors these days. Everyone seems to have their own version. We must know, without a doubt, how to navigate the sea of half-truths, almost-truths, and outright lies in order to stand firm in our faith. And the Apostle John has some important instructions for us on how to develop the ability to identify the liars.