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Lies and More Lies
I am sure you know what this article is about from the title.
My father, who was not a Christian until late in life, always hated lying. He impressed upon me at an early age that I must always tell the truth.
However, just like you, I did not always do what I knew was right. There were times I stretched the truth beyond breaking. In other words, I lied, even though I, also, hated lying.
Today we have a different view of lying as a nation.
I am writing this during a presidential election year. Everything you see and hear is one side or the other trying to convince you to vote for them. It seems that truth is rarely considered to be important. One party has perfected the idea that if a lie is told often enough people will believe it is the truth.
Sadly, few commit themselves to being honest. If possible, I would only vote for those who were honest. We desperately need men and women, in all walks of life, who are honest.
There was a time when a man’s word was his bond. People were expected to do what they said.
I am sorry to say that it is no longer true. People say what they believe you want to hear with little concern for the truth. Perhaps you also do this. Whatever you call it, it is still lying.
Let us look at it from a spiritual point of view!
Lying has always cost something. Satan lied to Eve in the Garden and caused her to sin and this attitude of lying has never stopped.
God makes it very clear how He feels about lying.
We know that God hates all sin, but He makes it clear in the following Scripure that there are certain things that He considers abominations.
In Proverbs 6:16-19 NKJV it says:
These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
You may notice that He speaks of lying twice. He hates a lying tongue and He hates a false witness who speaks lies. Out of seven abominations, two of them relate to lying.
Liars belong to a special group!
Everyone wants to be special, but you should not want to be a part of this group.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day claimed they were part of a special group. They said that they were the sons of Abraham who was a righteous man that God chose to be the father of the Israelite nation.
Jesus said Abraham was not their father.
Their actions defined who their father was.
Our Lord Jesus said in John 8:44 NKJV, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.
What language do you speak?
Would Jesus say the same thing to Christians and everyone else today? I would hope not, but lying seems epidemic in our nation. People often lie without even thinking about what they are saying.
Are you always truthful? Do you think before you speak and make certain that what you say is true?
The One who will judge the living and the dead says when we lie we are speaking Satan’s native tongue.
Listen to what Jesus says!
First, speaking to John He says, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.
We want to be in the group of overcomers. Yet, listen to what Jesus says about the other group:
Revelation 21:8 NKJV, But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The Lord blesses those who overcome, but He does not excuse those in the second group. He promises them a part in Hell.
Note, that Jesus mentions liars as a part of that group that is to be punished along with other evil-doers.
We can make a difference!
You and I can make a big difference. We must put a higher value on telling the truth and nothing but the truth.
When we promise to do something we need to stand behind our word. We need to be truthful ourselves and we need to encourage others to do the same.
Let our children see honesty as a way of life in us. Our children are watching us and learning from us daily. We need to teach them the way of honesty.
I learned from my father and mother before I learned from the church. A lot of years have passed since my father told me that a man’s bond was his word. I so wish we would return to that standard.
We should expect our leaders to be honest. If they are liars we should not vote for them. You cannot expect a liar to change just because they are given more power.
So, today we have a choice. Shall we allow our nation to continue in Lies and More Lies?
Those of us within the Church should be the first to require honesty. If God’s chosen do not tell the truth how can we expect the world to consider honesty to be of value?
Will we choose to stand with God and hate lying or will we go with the world? God gives us a choice. He will not force us to accept His ways.
However, we should take note that liars are among a group that is destined to spend eternity in Hell with the Devil and his followers.
Please, I entreat you, choose to stand with God against lying.
Remember God hates, ”a lying tongue.”