Fred’s post on Satan’s lies yesterday was very timely, as I came to a chapter in Eugene Peterson’s book A Long Obedience in the Same Direction that deals with the same topic.  This is perhaps the most relevant quote:

The first step toward God is a step away from the lies of the world. It is a renunciation of the lies we have been told about ourselves and our neighbors and our universe …

The usual biblical word describing the no we say to the world’s lies and the yes we say to God’s truth is repentance … [Repentance] is deciding that you have been wrong in supposing you could manage your own life and be your own god; it is deciding that you were wrong in thinking that you had, or could get, the strength, education and training  to make it on your own; it is deciding that you have been told a pack of lies aboutyourself and your neighbors and your world. And it is deciding that God in Jesus Christ is telling you the truth. Repentance is a realization that what God wants from you and what you want from God are not going to be achieved by doing the same old things, thinking the same old thoughts. Repentance is a decision to follow Jesus Christ and become his pilgrim in the path of peace. A Long Obedience, 29-30.

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