Hi Anthony,
Here is a section of the May 2008 Bible Study 'DOES A SOVEREIGN GOD EVER CHANGE?'
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php?topic=7714.0 --------
God Himself never lies, but let’s go a little further than that. Does He use those that do lie? Absolutely. Satan is a liar and the father of it. He uses Satan. I think on four occasions in the Old Testament we have lying spirits. On one occasion a lying spirit said;
2 Ch 18:21 And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets…
He said I’ll go and lie to them and pretend to be a prophet.
v. 21 …And the LORD said… go out, and do so.
He said do it, lie to them. But God doesn’t lie. Does He use lying spirits? Yes. Does God Himself deceive?
2 Thess 2:10 …because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
They couldn’t receive the love of the truth. How could anybody receive the love of the truth unless God gives it to you? How can any come to Christ except God drags them? How can any choose Christ, He says you don’t choose Me, I choose you. All of these Scriptures are true. You can’t just say, ‘well I don’t believe that.’ Well then you don’t believe the Scriptures, I understand.
v. 11 And for this cause…
Why? Because they didn’t have a love for the truth, but they couldn’t have a love for the truth. And God says, I know that. Christ says they will hear these parables, but they won’t know what I’m talking about, because if they did, they would see their sins they would repent and I would heal them. Well isn’t that what you want them to do Jesus? No! Here is another example of the answer.
v. 11 …God shall send them strong delusion (That Greek word means falsehood, deceit), that they should believe a lie:
There it is. You say, ‘God doesn’t do that.’ Yes He does. But He doesn’t change and He doesn’t lie. We have to get these things straight. But why would He use deceit? There is a great purpose for it. He doesn’t make people be deceived, He sends a strong delusion and they delude themselves.
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mercy, peace and love
Kat