LIES AND FALSEHOOD

ISAIAH 28:1

A. "BECAUSE YE HAVE SAID, WE HAVE MADE A COVENANT WITH DEATH, AND WITH HELL ARE WE AT AGREEMENT; WHEN THE OVERFLOWING SCOURGE SHALL PASS THROUGH, IT SHALL NOT COME UNTO US: FOR WE HAVE MADE LIES OUR REFUGE, AND UNDER FALSEHOOD HAVE WE HID OURSELVES."
  1. The strong words of our text indicate that God, and not Isaiah, is the speaker:
    1. The One who knows the intents of our heart - 1 Chron. 28:9
    2. The Spirit of God, who searcheth the deep things of God, records these words - 1 Cor. 2:10; Isa. 34:16
  2. The words of our text are an eye opener to the true condition of our sinful heart:
    1. It is deceitful and desperately wicked - Jer. 17:9
    2. Human imagination is evil all the way - Gen. 6:5
    3. Man makes plans that never can come true for his own good - Jas. 4:13-14; Luke 12:16-20
    4. The indictment by the all-seeing God should lead to a re-examination of our lives in the light of our opening text.
B. OUR OPENING TEXT BRINGS TO LIGHT THREE RELATED GOSPEL TRUTHS
  1. Man's infatuation with sin:
    1. The word infatuation suggests an inspiration to make a foolish and unrealistic move.
    2. This word is closely related to misjudgment, credulity, folly, insanity, obstinacy, and passion.
    3. The amazing thing of it all is that infatuation is contrary to sound reason, thus leading to folly in most instances.
  2. The illusion of sin:
    1. All illusion is an unreal and misleading image presented to the vision.
    2. It is a deceptive appearance, a perception that fails to give a true perspective of things.
    3. How many souls are on their way to eternal ruin led by the illusion of sin!
  3. Let us consider:
    1. The demoralizing effects of sin -
      1. It blinds its victim - John 12:40; 2 Cor. 4:4
      2. It binds them - Isa. 49:24, 25
      3. It torments them - 1 John 4:18
    2. The three main agents of Satan -
      1. The lust of the eye - Gen. 3:6; 2 Sam. 11:2
      2. The lust of the flesh - 1 John 2:15, 16; John 3:6
      3. The pride of life - Dan. 4:30; Acts 12:21-23
C. EXPOSURE AND PUNISHMENT
  1. "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies":
    1. Nothing can be hid from the Lord - Ps. 139:1-9; Heb. 4:13
    2. To attempt to hide things from the Lord is but to lay them wide open to God - EXAMPLES -
      1. Adam and Eve - Gen. 3:1-22
      2. Cain - Gen. 4:1-14
      3. Moses - Ex. 2:11-14
      4. Ahab - 1 Ki. 21:20
  2. Let us note four overlooked lies:
    1. "My conscience does not bother me." Actually, that is no refuge for sin because our conscience may have been seared and thus made ineffective - 1 Tim. 4:2. It may be so weak that it cannot function properly - 1 Cor. 8:10
    2. "Hiding behind the shortcomings of others is no hiding place for sinners." Adam sought to hide behind Eve, but that did not remove his guilt - Gen. 3:12. Saul attempted to hide behind his people, but that did not remove his sin - 1 Sam. 15:9
    3. "The cloak of religion is no hiding place for sinners." The Pharisees - John 8:1-9; Matt. 23:23-33. The priest and the Levite - Luke 10:31, 32
    4. God will bring into judgment sin; it matters not under what illusion it was committed - Eccl. 12:13, 14; 2 Cor. 5:10


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