On the other hand, what we want to do determines what we are willing to believe. This is why the Bible puts such an emphasis on right beliefs. Good doctrine is right thinking about God, ourselves, and others. Right thinking, in turn, allows us to love one another in truth rather than in a setting of self-deception. All unrighteousness denies the truth.
All wrong behavior is rooted in a misbelief about reality.
It is by lies rather than real love that infatuated people attempt to rob their dates of sexual purity. It is by lies and misbeliefs about the truth that people rob banks, kill, cheat, envy, and gossip. It is by the lies of self-deception that people assume that the sins of consenting adults hurt no one but themselves. The opposite of unrighteousness is truth. It is believing the truth about God and others and ourselves that can enable us to enjoy more than the discovery of faults in others.