The proliferation of lies, in other words, is not accidental but deliberate—we prefer our lies rather than the truth. We love to crouch in shadow rather than give an inch toward the light. And we do this because we ourselves are evil.

“An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue.” (Prov. 7:4)

All of us like to style ourselves impartial observers. We like to think of ourselves as calm, cool, and unbiased, simply taking stock of the facts and passing judgment by the light of a sure and infallible reason. But the opposite is in fact the case. As this verse plainly shows, our character has just as much influence upon our judgment as does our reason—arguably more so.

We can see this by the fact that evildoers tend to listen to wicked lips and liars give ear to mischievous tongues ( Prov. 17:4).

Their character, in other words, shapes them.

It bends them in a certain way. It cultivates their tastes so that they hear and receive certain reports over others: in this case, wicked lips and mischievous tongues rather than righteous lips and truthful tongues. Evildoers prefer the callous talk of wicked lips. Liars prefer the ramblings of a mischievous tongue. And they choose this even over the healing and life-giving words of the righteous. Wisdom is as death to them.

To put it another way, our character—who we are as individuals, our moral dispositions, tastes, affections, and inclinations—is fundamental to our ability to perceive the truth. Twisted people perceive the world in a twisted way; the world is skewed to them because they are skewed, warped by a disordered love of unrighteousness and corruption.

Conversely, the righteous see the world right side up, not because they are superior, but because they, by grace, are themselves right side up. They fear God and hate evil (8:13); they acknowledge the LORD in all their ways (3:6); they love righteousness and hate falsehood (13:5); they seek for wisdom as for hidden treasure (2:4). And all of this works together to provide them with a view of reality that is sturdy, dependable, and true. They are inclined toward truth and goodness in a way that the wicked are not, and it is their character—not their intellect—that determines this in large measure.

Read More