What you believe has consequences – very serious consequences – whether it is the truth or just a well-packaged lie. The father of lies knows that if you believe an appealing lie then you will go to destruction willingly. Consider these popular lies:

One Lie: Homosexual practices are morally neutral. In other words, a different sexual orientation is normal and morally acceptable.

The consequences of believing this lie? For Tina Yates, the loving mother of a 13-year old boy, Jesse Dirkhising, believing this lie meant the torture, sodomy and death of her son in Arkansas.

Yates believed this lie so sincerely that she willingly let her son work for Davis Carpenter at his hair salon and knowingly let her son sleep at his house, along with his homosexual lover, Joshua Brown.

After the murder Yates said that she had known Carpenter for seven years and had no qualms about letting Jesse stay with the homosexual couple, according to WORLD magazine. "I have a lot of gay friends," Yates said. "I never thought [Carpenter] would hurt one of my own children."

The Bible says that homosexual practices are an abomination before God just like bestiality. The Bible also says that early believers were converted and delivered from those sinful practices (I Corinthians 6:9-11).

Another Lie: Man evolved from apes; he is simply a higher form of animal.

The consequences? Man acts like an animal, and worse, we accept excuses for man acting like an animal.

Violence by juveniles has escalated, especially in public schools where they are indoctrinated with false teaching. "Man evolved from lower animals." "Make your own value system." "Some people lack the ‘quality of life’ to be kept alive."

The Bible teaches that man is specially created by God with an eternal soul. Man is to have dominion over creation, including the animals. God is truth and established the standard of righteousness in His word. Man is accountable to the Creator.

Another Lie: The government shows compassion for the needy and the poor. Government wealth-distribution is good.

The consequences? Individuals and churches neglect their God-given responsibility to minister mercy to the needy, while the government wastes our money. So-called compassion is a tool of power which helps only the self-righteous.

Communism is passe but collectivism is alive and well in America. Today, socialism is bad but Social Security is sacred. Collectivism is based on an ideal, not reality. Self-serving Bill Gates has done more to help the poor than the government ever will. Entry-level jobs are abundant.

Communism fails and capitalism succeeds. Why? Because collectivism promotes a lie (that man is good) while capitalism promotes the truth (that man is self-serving). The Bible says that man is a sinner, his heart is desperately wicked.

How many failed collectivist government programs does it take before we look to entrepreneurial capitalism and personal charity for solutions. Can you imagine the prosperity available to all working Americans if the government were not extracting over 32% of the GDP?

Economic freedom is greater in Hong Kong, Singapore and New Zealand than in the U.S., according to The Wall Street Journal. Bahrain and Luxembourg tied with the U.S. for fourth place on the Index of Economic Freedom. Totalitarian nations ranked last.

The Worst Lie: I am basically a good person. God would not send anyone to hell.

The consequences of this lie? Eternal damnation. Complacency is Satan’s greatest weapon.

The Bible says that all have sinned; none is righteous. The only escape from God’s wrath is repentance and faith in Christ, faith in His shed blood and His perfect righteousness.