The Licentious Lips of Lying - Part One
“Jesus saith unto him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’” John 14:6 (KJV)
For this week’s blog entry I would like to begin with a question: Is lying a sin or a solid strategy? Honestly, have you employed the skill set of lying in order to protect others or yourself from a perceived threat
Many people take the position that the number one reason that people lie is for the protection of others. A lot of people believe that if one is lying to protect others it is reasonable and justified. This is because they believe that if they tell the individual the truth it will hurt his or her feelings or will in some way be injurious to the individual.
Another reason people lie is to protect oneself. This desire to protect oneself is often motivated by the fear of judgment, erasing of one’s esteem or forfeiture of feeling love. In a number of cases, especially with children, it can be motivated by a fear of punishment.
I remember as a young boy trying to rescue myself from trouble with the so-called skill set of lying. I specifically sought sanctuary in my lying bed because it saved from me from walking down that long green mile to the tree to get that switch which would skillfully be used to strike my behind.
Yes, people lie for a lot of reasons: in attempt to attain financial gain, to make others feel sorry for them, or sometimes to play a false victim role. The central motivation is greed. Greed goes back to the genesis of humanity and will continue to be the fuel to the carnal car that drives us down the road lined with lies and paved with pain.
The Word of God is loaded with truth and lucid about lying. Lying is a sin and is displeasing to God. Remember the first sin in this world involved a lie told to Eve.
“And the serpent said unto the woman, ‘Ye shall not surely die’” Genesis 3:4 (KJV)
The Ten Commandments (not the Ten Suggestions) given to Moses include: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor” (Exodus 20:16; KJV).
The New Testament records how a couple lied and died in church. Ananias and Sapphira lied regarding a donation that they had made to the church in order to make themselves look more generous in their giving than they really were. Peter’s rebuke is stern and spot on!
“But Peter said, ‘Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.’” Acts 5:3-4 (KJV)
Our opening text turns us to the Truth. Jesus called Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Therefore, He expects those who follow Him to be people of truth as well. The truth is to be expressed in love (Ephesians 4:15), offering hope to those seeking redemption from the lies of the world.
Three closing thoughts:
- When we obey God’s Word it will always position us in truth. As a result, you will speak with lips of truth.
- When we disobey God’s Word we have no biblical position and you will speak with lips of lies.
- When you lie you are locking lips with the Devil because he is the Father of lies. See John 8:44.
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” John 8:44 (KJV, emphasis mine)
Join me again next week as we consider the characteristics of a liar.
For the Glory of God,
PBKSR