SOME years ago one of H.M.S. on the East Coast of Africa sighted an Arab dow, and being suspicious that she was engaged in the slave trade, a boat was despatched to make sure. The Arabs saw the boat approaching, and knowing it was impossible to get away with their vessel they ran her ashore; when, instead of the Arabs getting away and leaving their vessel with her living freight, it was observed by those giving chase that the poor slaves were as anxious to get away as the Arabs themselves. The British sailors succeeded, however, in rescuing some of the slaves, and then discovered the reason why the poor deluded slaves made such efforts to get away from their would-be rescuers. Their cruel captors, the unmerciful Arabs, had told them that their pursuers were cannibals, who, if they succeeded in catching them, would certainly kill and eat them—a sufficient reason for their terror and haste to make good their escape.
One could understand a person of feeling, on reading such a narrative, being filled with indignation and pity—indignation at the cruel deception of the Arabs, and pity for the poor deceived Africans-little dreaming that, if an unbeliever, he is the subject of worse deception, and in the power of a more merciless and ruthless foe than the Arabian tyrant. The word of God informs us that Satan, the god of this world, is a liar. "When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it" (John 8:44).
We meet him first as the subtle serpent in the Garden of Eden, when, by his insinuation and lies, he aspersed the character of God, and got man to believe that he would be a better friend to him than man's infinitely good Creator. So man, believing the lie, abandoned God and all His goodness, and became the bond-slave of his worst foe, and without the power to escape therefrom. The enemy insinuated that if God had loved Adam as He ought to have done He would not have withheld the tree of knowledge of good and evil from him! But what is the truth? God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Was ever love like this? Believing Satan's lie brought the fall, with all its fearful consequences. Believing the truth saves the soul, and gives eternal life with eternal glory.
The great adversary of God and man has an endless variety of lies to 'ruin souls, and to keep, them from the Saviour. He tells one that God is morally indifferent to good and evil. But what is the truth? Instead of being indifferent to sin, sin is so obnoxious to God that nothing was adequate to meet His holy claims, or to clear man of his guilt, but the sacrifice of His beloved Son. The cross is the eternal testimony that God loves the sinner, but hates his sins. And if your sins are not absolutely forgiven, upon the ground of the atonement, eternal judgment for your sins will be your, portion.
Another of Satan's deceptions is, that God is exacting, "hard," "austere," and thus seeks to fill the soul with despair. But what is the truth? Listen to the recorded utterances of the One in the bosom of the Father, who declared Him. "Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life." Listen again to His lament over Jerusalem, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not." Yet again, listen to that prayer going up from Calvary, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Once more, listen to the apostle Paul, "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now, then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech by us, we pray in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Another ruinous deception is that there is time enough yet. But what is the truth? God is certainly longsuffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. It is, however, to be observed that while God's mercy endureth forever, His longsuffering has a limit. He waits to be gracious, but He will not wait forever. "When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, many will seek to enter in and shall not be able" (Luke 13:24-30).
O poor sinner, be warned of Satan's deceptions; think of thy guilt, and helplessness, and peril; and remember that God is a Saviour God, and His beloved Son will meet thy every need if thou only look to Him now.
J. A. T.