Yesterday, I took my Linda to a health facility. While there, I met a very charming retired man. He helped us with a package and for some time engaged us with the most pleasant of conversations. Eventually, he shared a booklet with us that was entitled "Bible questions". Curious, I spent some time perusing it. And when I came to "out and out lies", I read no further. After all, lies ARE LIES!!!
Then, I remembered the following...
2 Timothy, Chapter 4 (World English Bible)
1 I command you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom: 2 preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts, 4 and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn away to fables. (emp. added vss. 3f.) 5 But you be sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, and fulfill your ministry.
The picture shows one husky telling another that he is not fat, but a "little husky". For those of us who are fat, we quickly recognize that this is just another way of soft-soaping the truth. Now, the truth is often hard to accept, but it is THE TRUTH. And, any attempt to transform a lie into the truth is not of God, but of the devil.
Paul said to the Galatian brethren...
Galatians, Chapter 1 (WEB)
6 I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”, 7 but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. 8 But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. 9 As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed. 10 For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.
Believe in the good news (the Gospel), know it, follow it, and accept no substitute. This is the ONLY safe choice, all others will lead to your destruction (no matter how nice they appear)!!!