1 John 1:1-10

[Hidden In Him]

Making God Out To Be A Liar: A Tactic Satan Still Uses Today



       

     Making God out to be a liar is a tactic Satan has used since the beginning, and he is still doing so today. For those who have not read the Introduction study, I suggest you read that first before continuing, as it helps establish the following in advance: The heretics John was writing about in this letter were the Gnostics, a group of heretics whom Satan was using to again claim that the God of the Old Testament was a liar and a fraud, and not what orthodox Christians believed Him to be. In this opening passage, therefore, John immediately set out to establish how those who said they had never sinned (a Gnostic teaching) were making God out to be a liar, and the truth is not in them.
     Accusing God of being a liar is still common among Gnostics today. They still claim true Christians are ignorant, and thus worship a "god of the blind."
     To quote one modern source:

     The Gnostics identified [the Demiurge] with the god of the Old Testament. The Gnostic scriptures portray him as ignorant, malicious, and utterly inferior to the true God who sent Christ to earth to save humankind from the Demiurge’s evil world. The Demiurge is given many names in the Gnostic scriptures, but the three most common ones are Yaldabaoth (also spelled “Ialdabaoth”), Samael, and Saklas. “Saklas” comes from the Aramaic word for “fool,” and “Samael” is Aramaic for “Blind God” or “God of the Blind”... The Demiurge created Adam and Eve and... told them that he was the only god and issued the Ten Commandments, even though he himself broke each and every one of those commandments. For example, he lied when he claimed to be the only god and that Adam and Eve would die if they ate the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil; he insulted his mother and father by refusing to acknowledge their existence; he made a graven image of the divine when he modeled the material world on his corrupt and ignorant misunderstanding of Heaven; and he committed adultery by attempting to rape Eve... Such a view also had the effect of enabling the Gnostics to make sense of several passages in the Old Testament that had long troubled Christians and even Jews. “The god of Genesis,” notes David Brakke, "walks in an earthly garden and must ask where Adam is (Genesis 3:8-9); he concludes that his creation of humanity and animals was a mistake and decides to destroy all people, except for a single family and a few beasts (6:5-22); and he later annihilates entire cities by raining sulfur and fire down upon them (19:24-25)." The Gnostics took Genesis at its word and concluded that this god was simply malicious, hot-tempered, stupid, and inept. (The Gnostic Demiurge, Gnosticism Explained.org)

     Most of these claims are ridiculous fabrications, but the real crux of the matter was this: Who was the real liar, and who was telling the truth, God or Satan? One need only turn to the Biblical account of man's temptation in the Garden of Eden to find out. The text itself reads as follows:

     Now the serpent was the most crafty of all the beasts on the earth which the Lord God made, and the serpent said to the woman,"Wherefore has God said 'Eat not of every tree of the garden?'" And the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God said, 'You shall not eat of it, neither shall you touch it lest you die.'" And the serpent said to the woman, "You shall not surely die. For God knew that in whatever day you should eat of it your eyes would be opened, and you would be as gods, knowing good and evil.... and having taken of its fruit she ate, and she gave to her husband also with her, and they ate... And all the days of Adam which he lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. (Genesis 3:1-5, Genesis 5:5)

     I condensed the passage here to show what scripture says the outcome was: Simply put, Adam ate of the fruit and died just as God warned. Some falsely presume God meant that Adam would die instantly, on the "day" in which he ate it. But as Peter explained in refuting the lies of the Gnostics, "a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as a day."
     As he stated in his second letter:

     Be mindful of the words which were spoken beforehand by the holy prophets, and of our commandment [as] the apostles of the Lord and Savior, knowing this first, that there will come mockers in the last days, walking in accordance with their own lusts and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers first fell asleep all things continue this way since the beginning of creation"... Let not this one thing be hidden from you, beloved, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. (2 Peter 3:2-4, 8 )

     This was another Gnostic trick: Insinuating that the God of the Old Testament was a liar because the Day of Judgment had still not yet come, despite Him warning of it for thousands of years. But the answer to both arguments was provided here by Peter: Just as there would be six "days" or six thousand years of human history before the Day of the Lord finally came, so too did Adam die on the "day" he ate of the fruit. In other words, he never lived to see his 1,000th birthday. He and everyone prior to the flood lived well into their 900s, but no one survived to be a thousand. So who then was lying? Satan clearly told Eve they would not die, but they did. As God promised, death entered into the picture after they sinned.
     All of this serves is a background for understanding how John opens this first epistle, since he will quickly begin addressing insinuations that God was a liar, pointing out how the theology the Gnostics was making Him out to be one.
     The opening few verses were a type of greeting:

     What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we gazed upon and handled with our hands concerning the Word of Life, and that Life was manifested, and we have seen and bear witness, and report unto you that Eternal Life which was with the Father, and which was manifested unto us. What we have seen and heard we also report unto you, that you may also have fellowship with us. And indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write unto you that our joy may be fulfilled. (1 John 1:1-4)

     By this introduction, John was basically just reminding them that they had been eye-witnesses to the Deity of Christ Jesus, and he was now writing to them that they might continue to share in what the Spirit was revealing to the churches. By doing so, they would make Heaven after death, and in so doing fulfill his joy.
     Having shared this, John now started in on the real focus of his letter:

     And this is the message which we have heard from Him and proclaim unto you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness... (1 John 1:5)

     This was an analogy of the sun, the moon, and the stars. James used this same analogy when he wrote his readers the following:

     Do not be led astray, my dear brothers, every good impartation and every perfect endowment is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no deviation, nor shadow of turning. Having wished, He brought us forth through the word of truth, for us to be a kind of first fruits of His creations. (James 1:16-18)

     God imparts spiritual light to us, and that light never turns to darkness like when the moon waxes and wanes, or when the stars deviate from their courses. In other words, He is as constant in shining spiritual light to us as the sun is, and not like the demons, who speak truths to us one minute and then lies the next.
    Continuing on, John now added the following:

     If we should say that we have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we should walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we should say we have not sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we should confess our sins, He is faithful and just that He might forgive our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we should say we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. (1 John 1:6-10)

     As will be provided at the end of this study, Satan still goads modern Gnostics to make the same accusations today he has made since the beginning: The Living God is a liar, and the true enemy of mankind. But the Lord will prove Himself true once more. According to scripture, these accusations against God will continue in the earth, and increase until the very end. But they will be proven false, and everything God has prophesied in scripture will eventually come to pass.


One Mark Of A True Christian: A Willingness To Repent

     John's primary purpose in this letter was to provide a list of ways one could distinguish between a true Christian and a Gnostic. The reason was because Gnostics were entering in among Christian congregations while naming the name of "Christ," and thus appearing on the surface to be true followers of His. But on closer examination they were something far different, and posed a very real threat to the spiritual welfare of any true Christian should they gain influence over them.
     Thus, the first distinction John identified was in this opening passage: A true Christian was willing to acknowledge and confess his sins, and be willing to repent of them. Not Catholic confession to a priest, but a confession to their elders, especially if they had come under some form of judgment from God, and needed to repent and receive forgiveness and healing for it:

     Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, having anointed him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, the Lord shall raise him up. And if he may have committed sins, it shall be forgiven him. Confess, therefore, your sins to one another, and pray for one another that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great influence, and comes to pass. (James 5:13-16)

     The Gnostics, however, refused to confess to anything. Gnostics didn't even believe in the concept of sin. To quote one modern source on the basic elements of their system, "There is an unknowable God who gave rise to many lesser spirit beings. The creator of the universe is not the supreme god, but an inferior spirit. [Thus], Gnosticism does not deal with “sin”, only ignorance. To achieve salvation, one needs to get in touch with secret knowledge." (Modern Gnostic Society Of The Rose Cross, Gnostic Lessons of the MGSORC, Lesson 1).
     During New Testament times, even when confronted about teaching God's people to sin, the Gnostics were defiant in the face of warnings that they would suffer judgment unless they repented of it. Jezebel, a Gnostic who was present at Thyatira, was one such example. She definitely refused to acknowledge her sins, even when the Lord warned her repeatedly that judgment was coming unless she did:

     And to the angel of the church at Thyatira write: "These things saith the Son of God… I have against you that you suffer the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and misleads My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her time that she might repent of her sexual immorality, but she does not want to repent of it. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction if they will not repent of their works. And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts, and will give to each of you according to your works. (Revelation 2:18-23)

     Why did the Gnostics feel no need to repent? As unbelievable as it may seem, it may be because Satan has deluded them into thinking they have power over the God of the Jews (as well as the gods of the other nations), and therefore have no need to fear Him.
     The early church writer Irenaeus wrote extensively about the Gnostics of the first and second centuries, and described this as being the mentality that Satan had brainwashed many of them into believing. By granting them the ability to practice sorcery, Satan had convinced them they now had power even over the God of the Old Testament Himself:

     These men, moreover, practice magic, and use images, incantations, invocations, and every other kind of curious art... philters also, and love-potions, and have recourse to familiar spirits, dream-sending demons, and other abominations, declaring that they possess power to rule over, even now, the princes and formers of this world... These men have been sent forth by Satan to bring dishonour upon the Church, so that in one way or another, men hearing the things which they speak, and imagining that we all are such as they, may turn away their ears from the preaching of the truth; or again, seeing the things they practise, may speak evil of us all, who have in fact no fellowship with them, either in doctrine or in morals or in our daily conduct. But they lead a sexually licentious life, and to conceal their impious doctrines they abuse the name [of Christ] as a means of hiding their wickedness, so that “their condemnation is just” when they receive from God a recompense suited to their works. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, XXV:3)

     Cerdo was one who took his system from the followers of Simon, and came to live at Rome in the time of Hyginus... He taught that the God proclaimed by the law and the prophets was not the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... Marcion of Pontus succeeded him, and developed his doctrine. In so doing, he advanced the most daring blasphemy against Him who is proclaimed as God by the law and the prophets, declaring Him to be the author of evils, to take delight in war, to be infirm of purpose, and even to be contrary to Himself. (Irenaeus, Against Heresies, XXVII:1-2)     

     "Infirm of purpose" simply meant inept, and likely referred to the Old Testament God supposedly not being able to execute judgments upon men like He threatened, or fulfill His long-standing threats regarding the coming Day of the Lord.
     So how could they dare to speak such open blasphemies against God? To this day, Gnostics engage in sorcery and witchcraft against others, and once again some may think they actually have power over the God of the Christians. It's a lie taught to them by the Devil. Judgments can indeed be brought upon heretics for threatening the spiritual welfare of the church. As Peter warned, such people can bring destruction upon themselves and their families very quickly for it if they pose a serous enough threat, so there are indeed serious dangers involved:

     But there were false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among you, who will stealthily bring in destructive heresies, denying the Master who purchased them, and bring swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their sexually licentious ways, through whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. (2 Peter 2:1-2)


The Cost Of Listening To The Real Father Of Lies

     Scripture describes Satan as a liar, and the father of it, and he continues to speak lies to humanity to this day. He is speaking many of these lies through modern Gnostics, who are continuing the tradition laid down for them over the last 2,000 years. The same myths put forth in the beginning are still being perpetuated to make the True God of scripture out to be a liar.
     To quote just a few Gnostic writers:

     The Demiurge, known by Gnostics as Satan, was created by the supreme goddess Sophia. The Demiurge’s most common names are “Yaldabaoth” (i.e. Yahweh, Lord of the Sabbath), Samael (the Blind God), and Saklas (Fool). He created the world of matter and lives in ignorance of the celestial realms above him that created him... The Demiurge is the god of the Old Testament. He forbid that [Adam and Eve] eat of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil to keep them his ignorant slaves. However, the true God sent his messenger Lucifer into the realm of man in the form of the Serpent... The Old Testament god is jealous and wrathful and orders the Jews to commit acts of genocide. The god of the New Testament Jesus teaches how to be merciful and is thus very different from the god of the Old Testament... Thus, in John 44, Jesus says to the Pharisees: “You are of your father the Devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” (The Demiurge, Modern Sethianism.com)

     A lot of gnostic writings display a 'ruler' called Yaldabaoth, who only THINKS he is God... Yahweh, the god of the Bible, is in fact none other than the Great Deceiver himself, Satan. A far cry from the loving compassionate god that his deceived followers claim he is; the bible pretty much describes him as an ego-maniacal god of war and tyranny who if not obeyed, claims he will send you into eternal destruction. He rules via fear and intimidation as tyrants do. He requires death for the smallest infractions, and even demands the murder of entire cities and nations for arbitrary reasons. He demands blood sacrifices. Who else could mislead the entire inhabited earth but the Father of Lies himself? (Jealous Murderous OT Yahweh Really Satan, Jehovah's Witness.com)

     I'm going to have to put this bluntly: Gnostics need to be very careful here. To any who might be reading this, what if the demonic spirits are just using you, and you're risking bringing judgment upon yourself or your family for posing a spiritual threat to the church? What the Old Testament God said came to pass, and the serpent's promise that we would not die didn't. What if Satan is indeed the real liar after all, and he's setting you up for something even worse after death? What if the demons you perform magic with will own you in eternity, and have the right to torment you endlessly because you gave yourself to them instead of God? As Manly P. Hall once stated, "True black magic is performed with the aid of a demoniacal spirit, who serves the sorcerer for the length of his earthly life, with the understanding that after death the magician shall become the servant of his own demon. For this reason a black magician will go to inconceivable ends to prolong his physical life, since there is nothing for him beyond the grave."
     These words seem to be confirmed by eye-witness accounts of Hell the Spirit of God is giving the church in our times. The following is an account of Kathryn Baxter, who was taken in spirit with Jesus into Hell over the course of 40 consecutive nights. She witnessed many who sold their souls to the Devil for power, yet are now suffering in torment forever. The sad truth for such souls is that they found out only after it was too late who the real liar actually was.

     As far as I could see, the cells seemed to be in an endless circle. There was a single soul in each cell. Moans, wails, sighs and groans came from the cells as we walked past them.
     We had not walked far when Jesus stopped in front of another cell... I stood and looked at a soul that I knew was in great torment! It was another woman, and she was a blue-gray color. Her flesh was dead, and the parts that had decayed were falling off the bones. Her bones were all burned to a deep black, and she had on bits and pieces of ragged clothes. Worms were crawling out of her flesh and bones. A dirty odor filled the cell.
     Like the woman before, she too was sitting in a rocking chair. She was holding a rag doll. And as she rocked, she cried and held the rag doll to her chest. Great sobs shook her body, and wailing cries came from the cell.
     Jesus told me, "She also was a servant of Satan. She sold her soul to him, and while she was alive she practiced every kind of evil. Witchcraft is real," said Jesus. "This woman taught and practiced witchcraft and turned many toward the path of sin. She knew how to use the powers of darkness for herself and for satan. She went to devil-worship services and praised Satan. She was a powerful woman for him."
     I wondered how many souls she had deceived for Satan. I looked at this bony shell of a soul, crying over a rag doll-just a dirty piece of cloth. Sorrow filled my heart, and tears filled my eyes. She held tightly to the rag doll as if it could help her, or perhaps she could help it. The smell of death filled the place. Then I saw her begin to change like the other woman. She was first an old woman in the 1930's and then a young woman of today. Time after time, she made this fantastic transformation right before our eyes.
     "This woman," said Jesus, "was the equivalent of a preacher for Satan. Just as the true gospel is preached to us by a real minister, so Satan has his counterfeit ministers. She had the strongest kind of satanic power, one which she was required to sell her soul to receive. Satan's evil gifts are like the opposite side of the coin to the spiritual gifts Jesus bestows upon believers. This is the power of darkness. These workers of satan work in the occult, the witchcraft shops, as palm readers, and in many other ways. A medium of satan is a powerful satanic worker. These individuals are utterly deceived and are sold out completely to satan. Some workers of darkness cannot even speak to satan unless their medium speaks for them. They make human and animal sacrifices to the devil. Many people give their souls to satan. They choose to serve him instead of Me. Their choice is death unless they repent of their sins and call upon Me. I am faithful, and I will save them from their sins. Many also sell their souls to Satan thinking they will live forever. But they will die a horrible death.
     "Satan still thinks he can overthrow God and disrupt God's plan, but he was defeated at the cross. I took the keys away from Satan, and I have all power in heaven and in earth. After this woman died, she went straight to Hell. The demons brought her before Satan, where in anger she asked why the demons had control over her, for on earth she thought she controlled them. There they had done her bidding. She also asked Satan for the kingdom he had promised her. Satan kept on lying to her even after her death on earth. He said that he would restore her to life and use her for his purposes again. By deceit, she had gotten him many souls, so his lies sounded reasonable to her. But at the last, Satan had laughed and scorned her. He told her, 'I deceived you and used you all those years. I will never give you my kingdom.' The devil waved his arms at the woman and it seemed that her flesh was being ripped from her bones... A cackle of evil laughter rang out. satan stood and pointed a finger at the woman, and a great wind arose and filled the place. A sound like howling thunder rose from him.
"Ha-ha," said the devil, "get your kingdom if you can." Then an unseen force slammed her to the ground. "You are going to serve me here also," Satan laughed as she tried to get up. The woman screamed in pain as the flesh continued to be ripped from her bones by demons. She was dragged back to this cage. She remembered Satan's promises. He told her she would have all power. He told her she would never die. He told her he had power over life and death and she had believed him. She was told that Satan could stop anything from killing her. Satan told her many lies and promised her many things.
     Jesus said, "I came to save all men. I desire that all who are lost will repent and call upon My name. It is not My will that any should perish, but have everlasting life. Sad to say, most will not repent of their sins before they die, and they will go to Hell. But the way to heaven is the same for all people. You must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. You must come to the Father in My name and repent of your sins. You must sincerely give your heart to God and serve Him." (Baxter, A Divine Revelation Of Hell, P.89-93)


Sources:
https://gnosticismexplained.org/the-gnostic-demiurge/
https://moderngnosticsocietyorc.tumblr.com/post/175520851989/the-knowledge-of-the-father-is-the-dreamless-sleep
https://modernsethianism.com/the-demiurge/
https://www.jehovahs-witness.com/topic/272970/jealous-murderous-ot-yahweh-jehovah-really-satan