Introduction
Our son
Tim's company gave him two free tickets to a Cubs game, so he and I went. A
professional photographer asked if we would like to have our picture taken for
free. When we agreed, he gave us a card telling us how to access our picture
online. But the site required us to pay $20 to get any useable picture. He
"took the picture" for free, but he knew people would think they
would get a picture for free. He deceived us.
Proverbs
6:16-19 lists seven things that are an abomination to God, and two of them
involve lying: "a lying tongue," and "a false witness that tells
lies." God hates a lying tongue!
*************************
1 John 2:21 - No lie is of the truth.
By its very nature, a lie is untrue. It is a falsehood.
"Lie"
- "...a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive..." -
Random House College Dictionary.
"Deceit"
- "act or practice ... intended to ... mislead by a false appearance or
statement" - Random House College Dictionary.
The
difference is that a lie is generally spoken; but deceit includes anything,
whether words or deeds, that are intended to lead people to believe what is not
true.
Note that not everything that is untrue is necessarily a lie or
deceit.
Lying
generally involves deliberate falsehood, told with the intent of misleading or
causing someone to believe error.
Note Isaiah 59:13 - Conceiving and uttering from the heart words
of falsehood.
Acts
5:1-9 - Ananias and Sapphira sold property and gave part of the price to the
church, but they told others that they gave the whole price. Peter asked,
"How is it you have conceived this thing in your heart." They had
lied to God.
We will notice several verses later that show that lies come from
the heart. [Acts 5:1-9]
If
someone asks me the ages of my grandchildren, if I tell what I believe is the
truth, but it turns out to be a mistake, I have not lied. But if I know the
truth and knowingly tell what is wrong, I have lied.
In this
lesson, we want to study the twin problems of lying and deceit.
*****************************************************
What
are some ways people may be guilty of lying and deceit? Why do people practice
them? What are the consequences? As we study we need to each ask ourselves
whether we have been guilty.
Consider
the Bible teaching about lying and deceit:
I. Specific Kinds of Lies and Deceit
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
A. Outright Falsehoods
==============
These
are "bold-faced lies" - the one who tells them is well aware that he
has told an outright falsehood. He may consider it a "big black lie"
(one with serious consequences) or a "little white lie" (one he
thinks will not have serious consequences), but he knows it he has told a lie.
Many passages rebuke the general concept of lying.
Proverbs 6:16-19 - God hates a lying tongue and a false witness
who speaks lies.
Exodus 20:16 - You shall not bear false witness against your
neighbor.
Ephesians 4:25 - Putting away lying, let each one of you speak
truth with his neighbor.
1 Timothy 1:10 - Liars are listed among other sins that are
contrary to sound doctrine.
These
are direct prohibitions against lying. Most people know that lying is morally
wrong. Interestingly, people who often tell lies to others (like politicians)
will often become very upset when other people lie to them and are often the
quickest to accuse others of lying!
Other
kinds of lies and deceit may be less obvious: people may not consider these
acts to be lies or deceptions when they do it. Yet they often recognize such
acts to be lying when other people do it to them!
[Other
verses note especially Matthew 15:19; Leviticus 19:11,12; Colossians 3:9; see
also Psalms 7:14; 32:2; 58:3; 59:12; Proverbs 4:24; 24:28; Isaiah 59:3,13;
Hosea 4:2; Micah 6:12; Nahum 3:1; Romans 13:9; 1 Peter 2:1; 3:10; John 1:47]
B.
False Promises
===========
Some people
make promises they have no intention of keeping or know they cannot keep. This
is a form of deliberately misleading people.
Genesis
29:18,25 - Many stories about Jacob involve deceit. He bargained with his uncle
Laban to serve seven years for Rachel. Laban agreed, but at the wedding he gave
Jacob Leah instead. Jacob said Laban beguiled or deceived him.
Exodus
8:28,29 - Pharaoh deceived Moses by promising to let Israel go if the plagues
were removed. When that was done, he did not keep his promise.
Numbers
23:19 - God is not a man, that He should lie ... Has He said, and will He not
do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? The implication is that, if
God did not keep His promises, He would be guilty of lying.
As
humans, there may be circumstances beyond our control when we simply cannot
keep a promise we really intended to keep. But when we knowingly make a promise
we never intend to keep, or when we could keep it but we deliberately choose
not to, that is deceit. How many of us are guilty?
[Jeremiah
5:2; Exodus 21:8; Psalms 24:4; Malachi 1:14; Matthew 21:30; Acts 24:25; Genesis
3:4,5]
C.
Flattery
======
Often
people want to make a favorable impression on others, so they say nice things
that they don't really mean or don't really believe to be true. This may seem
kind, but it is a form of deliberately deceiving others.
Psalms
62:4 - They delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse
inwardly. When we don't mean the nice things we say, we are lying.
Psalms
78:36,37 - Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to
Him with their tongue. Here the people flattered God by professing that they
would serve Him but did not really mean it in their hearts. This is both a form
of flattery and failure to keep promises. The passage says they lied.
Jude 16
- False teachers often walk according to their lusts, speaking smooth words,
flattering people to gain advantage. This is deception because they say nice
things about others, professing to care about them, but really they just seek
their own advantage (money, a following, etc.).
This
may remind us of politicians trying to get votes. They pretend to think highly
of you, but they really want something from you.
Sometimes
we really hold an unfavorable view of someone, but we don't want to insult
them, so it is easy to say what we don't mean. Perhaps it isn't even proper for
us to be thinking those negative thoughts about others. But if our thoughts are
valid, then we need to either speak the truth or find something we can honestly
say or just change the subject. But lying should not be an option.
Are we guilty?
[Romans
16:17,18; Proverbs 26:24,25,28; 27:6; Jeremiah 9:8; Psalms 12:2]
D.
False Doctrine
===========
When
religious teaching is presented as truth even though it cannot be proved by the
Bible, deceit is always involved.
Genesis
3:4 - Satan told Eve she would not die if she ate of the forbidden fruit. Yet
God had said she would die (2:17). After Eve sinned, she said the serpent had
beguiled her (3:13). [1 Timothy 2:14; 2 Corinthians 11:3]
Jeremiah
14:14 - Prophets prophesied lies in God's name. He had not sent them, commanded
them, nor spoken to them, but they prophesied a false vision and the deceit of
their heart.
2
Corinthians 11:13-15 - "False apostles" are called "deceitful
workers," because they pretend to be servants of Christ, angels of light,
and ministers of righteousness. Many teachers present themselves as men of God
teaching His word, yet they teach things they cannot find in the Bible.
Acts
13:6,10 - Elymas the sorcerer tried to prevent Sergius Paulus from accepting
the gospel. Paul accused him of being full of deceit and fraud.
Note
that false teaching is sinful for a number of reasons. But one reason is that
it always involves deceit. Many religious leaders are deceitful because they
claim a teaching is from God when they know they don't have the proof. But
sometimes a teacher is sincerely in error - he really believes he is teaching
truth; in that case, he has been deceived by someone else. All false teaching
is ultimately a lie in that it all originates with Satan, who knows it is a
lie.
So
false teaching is wrong for many reasons. But one reason is that it always
involves deceit. Let us make sure we are not guilty!
[Note
especially Ezekiel 13:6-9,19,22; 1 Thessalonians 2:3,4; 1 Timothy 4:2;
Revelation 12:9. See also 2 Corinthians 4:2; Revelation 2:2; 3:14; 20:3,10;
Isaiah 30:10; 9:15; Romans 16:18; Jeremiah 48:10; 5:31; 6:13; 20:6; 23:14,25,26,32;
27:10,14-16; 29:8,21-31; 1 John 4:1; Titus 1:10; Ezekiel 21:29; 22:28; Daniel
2:9; Zech. 10:2; 13:3; Matthew 24:24; Romans 1:25; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-11; 1
Kings 22:22,23; 2 John 7; Deuteronomy 11:16; Ephesians 4:14; Colossians 2:4,8]
E. Hypocrisy
========
A
hypocrite is a deceiver because he pretends to be something he knows he is not.
He tries to give other people the impression he is more righteous than he
really is.
1
Timothy 4:2 - Those who depart from the truth speak lies in hypocrisy. Note
that their hypocrisy is associated with lying.
1 Peter
2:1 - Lay aside guile (deceit), hypocrisy, and evil speaking. Again, hypocrisy
is associated with deceit. Hypocrisy is deceit because the hypocrite puts on a
false front. He pretends to be better than he is.
Malachi
1:14 - When one pretends to offer a sacrifice to God but refuses to give what
He knows God wants, he is a deceiver accursed of God.
Many
people, even in the church, profess to serve God faithfully. But are we really doing
what we know we should, or are we just deceiving others and maybe ourselves?
Are we giving what we know God wants, or is it just a pretense?
[Psalms
78:35-37; Galatians 2:14; Acts 5:1-9; Jeremiah 7:4-11; 3:10; Acts 5:5]
F. Half
Truths
========
Some
think they are innocent as long as they say what is technically true, even
though they intend to mislead others to believe what is not true. It is
possible to tell things that are technically true, yet we leave out pertinent
facts or otherwise so speak that we lead others to believe untruths.
Bible examples
************
Genesis
37:28,31-33 - Joseph's brothers sold him to the Midianites, dipped his coat in
blood, brought it to Jacob and said, "We found this coat. Does it look
like your son's or not?" This was technically true, but they omitted
pertinent facts so they could lead Jacob to believe a wild animal had killed
Joseph.
Exodus
32:4,24 - When confronted by Moses regarding the golden calf, Aaron said he
threw in the gold and out came the calf. But he neglected to say that he had
fashioned the calf with an engraving tool!
Matthew
26:60,61; 27:40 - One of the accusations made against Jesus at His trials was
that he claimed He would destroy the temple and built it again in three days.
But those who said this were "false witnesses." It was technically
true that Jesus had said He would build the temple in three days. But He was
referring to His body, meaning that He would rise from the dead three days
after they killed Him (John 2:19-21).
Modern examples
**************
Many
salesmen are experts at half-truths. This is the method the photographer at the
Cubs game was using.
Modern
entertainment is often filled with this. Even Disney movies, "I Love
Lucy," "Andy Griffith," and other supposedly good programs often
justify deceit.
A
popular song entitled "Sad Movies Always Make Me Cry" tells of a girl
who goes home crying because she saw her boyfriend at a movie with another
girl. When her mother asks her what's wrong, she says "to keep from
telling her a lie, I just said, 'Sad movies always make me cry.'" It was
technically true, but deceitful.
Most
false teaching involves half-truths. What the teacher says may be technically
true, but he leaves out essential facts or twists the truth to lead people to
believe something different from what God intended.
I
emphasize: we are not required to tell people everything we know. Some things
are confidential or there may be no good reason why some particular person
should be told what we know. Keeping a matter secret or confidential is not
necessarily wrong. But if you are keeping a matter to yourself, don't lead
others to think things that are untrue or that you have told them the whole
matter when you have not.
I
suspect that every accountable person has violated these principles, most of us
many times. But have we repented of it, or do we continue to justify such
practices?
[Proverbs
30:8; Acts 23:27; Genesis 3:4,5; Ezra 4:1,2,11-16]
G.
Self-Deception
===========
One of
the saddest forms of deceit is self-deception. People who don't want to face
reality can sometimes convince themselves to believe things that they really
know are not true.
Bible teaching
************
Many passages warn about self-deception.
1
Corinthians 3:18 - Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be
wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. People often
think they are so smart that they fool themselves into believing error.
A man
in the movie "Princess Bride" thought he could out-smart anyone. He
tried to fool another man to get him to drink poison, but then ended up
drinking it himself. That is the way people are who think they are so smart but
end up fooling themselves.
Galatians
6:3 - If anyone thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives
himself. Sometimes people do not want to admit what they are really like, so
they deceive themselves into thinking they are better than they are.
This especially happens in religion.
James
1:22,26 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but
deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.
People
deceive themselves, because they are in many ways religious. So they think they
are acceptable, but God is still not pleased because of sins in other areas of
their lives.
1 John 1:8 - If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
2
Timothy 4:3,4 - Some will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own
desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves
teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned
aside to fables.
Note that
these people end up believing error, because they do not like the truth. They
prefer teachers who "tickle their ears" - tell them what they want to
hear. So they may end up believing they are acceptable to God, but they
deceived themselves.
Modern examples
***************
People
who believe in evolution, atheism, and many other false doctrines, often have
motivations for not believing in God. They claim they have been convinced by
scientific evidence, but that is not really why they believe as they do. They
just don't want to face the truth, so they defend evolution or other error till
they convince themselves it is true.
The
same often happens with people who have family members or loved ones who go
into error - perhaps an unscriptural divorce or false religious practice. They
cannot bring themselves to believe their loved ones are lost, so they seek for
a justification till they finally convince themselves.
One of
the few things I remember from my college psychology course was an experiment
in which people were asked to do a boring job (turn pegs on a board), and they
said it was boring. Then they were paid to convince other people it was a good
job. When asked again later, they said it was a good job. For the sake of money
they had misled other people so long that they ended up believing their own
lie.
I'm
convinced this happens with many false teachers. They may doubt what they
teach, but they know they are expected to teach it and people want to hear it,
so they teach it. After a while they become convinced it is true.
Self-deception
is sad in any area of life, but it is especially sad that the area of life in
which most people deceive themselves is religion.
God
hates tongues that speak lies. What about you and me? Are we guilty of lying?
The truth is that we have all been guilty at one time or another. Have we been
forgiven? Have we repented and obeyed God's conditions to forgive us?
[Romans
1:19-25; Isaiah 30:9-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12; Jeremiah 5:31; John 8:31-55; 2
Timothy 4:4]
II. Causes of Lying and Deceit
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
In
order to avoid lying and deceit, we need to know what causes people to be
guilty. Ultimately all lies are conceived in the heart under the influence of
Satan.
John
8:44 - Jesus said regarding Satan: "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." Satan influences men to lie.
Acts
5:1-9 - Ananias and Sapphira lied about their gift to the church. Peter asked,
"Why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit...?"
Matthew
15:18-20 - Jesus names things that come from the heart and defile a man,
including false witness.
When we
tell lies then we have followed the influence of Satan, but the ultimate
problem is in our hearts. If we are going to change, we have to start by
changing our attitudes.
What specific problems lead us to tell lies?
[Isaiah
59:13; Jeremiah 17:9]
A. Selfishness or Personal Gain
===================
Some
lies are told for personal gain or pleasure. We seek to obtain some benefit
that we think we cannot achieve by telling truth.
Bible examples
************
Genesis
31:7 - Jacob said his uncle Laban had deceived him and changed his wages ten
times. He would agree to pay a certain wage, but the result would work out to
Jacob's advantage, so he would change and try to pay something else instead.
Jacob said this was deceitful.
1 Kings
21:1-16 - Ahab, King of Israel, wanted to buy a vineyard, but the owner Naboth
would not sell. Ahab's wife Jezebel proclaimed a feast in Naboth's honor (vv
9,10), then had two men testify he had blasphemed, so he was stoned to death.
Proverbs
11:1; Micah 6:11 - A false balance and deceitful weights are an abomination to
God. These are ways to cheat people in business dealings by lying and deceit.
Modern examples
**************
Often
businesses tell lies to convince people to buy their products. Some companies
require employees to lie.
Years
ago a clerk told me that, at her store, clerks were expected to overcharge
customers enough to pay their own salary.
I like
to shop at OfficeMax, but I don't like some of their ads. They have a rewards
program that offers items, like a case of paper for $40 with $30 rewards. Ads
say, "It's like getting it for $10." But it isn't! To use the $30
reward, you have to buy something else for $30 or more. So it isn't like
getting something worth $40 for $10. It's getting things worth $70 for $40!
That is deceitful.
Politicians make false promises or lie about their past in order
to get elected.
Personal gain is also what motivates many false teachers.
Proverbs
19:22 - A poor man is better than a liar. God says if you can't get rich
honestly, change your job or stay poor.
How honest are we in our business dealings?
[Lev.
6:2-5; 19:11; Amos 8:5; Proverbs 21:6; 20:23; Exodus 18:21; Romans 1:19-25;
Isaiah 32:7; Josh. 7:11; Jer. 5:27; Malachi 1:14]
B.
Cover-up
=======
When people sin or commit other acts they want to hide from
others, they often tell lies.
Bible examples
************
Genesis
37:28,31-33 - This is what led Jacob's sons to deceive him to think a wild
animal killed Joseph. They had sold him as a slave and did not want their
father to find out.
2 Kings
5:25 - When Elisha healed Naaman of leprosy, he refused to take a gift from
him. Elisha's servant Gehazi pursued Naaman and asked for money and garments.
When Elisha asked about it, Gehazi said he had not gone anywhere. He lied to
cover up.
Modern examples
***************
A
classic example of our time has been Pres. Clinton and the Lewinsky affair. But
many other politicians and other famous people have lied to cover up their
sins. Politicians are often known to practice many forms of evil, but lying
under oath is about the only one that seems to upset many people.
Nearly every criminal lies to deny guilt.
Illegal
aliens often lie about their citizenship status in order to get a job or a
driver's license.
And most of us have lied to cover our sins.
"The
devil has many tools, but a lie is the handle that fits them all." Almost
any sin you can name will lead to lying to cover it up: adultery, murder,
stealing, etc.
Have you and I been guilty? Have we repented of the sins of the
past?
[2
Samuel 11:6-13; Isaiah 28:15-17; Proverbs 26:24-28; 12:19,20; Genesis 18:15;
Josh. 7:11]
C.
Pride and Envy
===========
Often people tell lies because they want people to think they are
better than they really are.
Bible examples
************
Psalms
59:12 - For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, Let them even
be taken in their pride, And for the cursing and lying which they speak. Note
that pride has led these people to lie.
Acts
5:1-9 - The lie Ananias and Sapphira told was evidently motivated by pride.
Other people were giving sacrificial gifts to the church, and they wanted
people to think they had made a greater sacrifice than what they had.
Matthew
6:2,5,16 - The Pharisees were hypocrites because they pretended to be
religiously devout in order to get the favor of people.
Modern examples
**************
Like
Ananias and Sapphira, some people deceive others about their possessions or
wealth or generosity in order to impress others.
Some lie about how much education or what work experience they
have in order to get a job.
Many
false teachers misrepresent their doctrine or their personal lives. If they
told people the truth they couldn't get a following, so they must be hypocrites
and deceive others. We hear of many who try to hide their immorality so people
would think more highly of them.
Has pride led you deceive or mislead other people in order to
impress them?
[Matthew
23:5; Acts 20:29,30; Matthew 7:15; 26:59 with 27:18; Psalm 119:69; Galatians
6:3; Isaiah 44:20; Hosea 10:13]
D.
Misguided "Love"/Kindness
==================
Some
people tell lies just to avoid causing problems for others or even just to
avoid hurting their feelings.
Bible examples
************
Genesis
12:11-13 - When Abraham moved to a foreign land he told his wife Sarah to tell
people that she was his sister, otherwise someone might kill him to take her as
a wife.
Genesis
27 (note vv 18-20,24,35) - Isaac sent Esau to hunt and fix venison, then he
would bless him. Rebekah loved Jacob more than she did Isaac and wanted Jacob
to receive the blessing. So she fixed venison from a goat, put skins on Jacob's
hands and neck, put Esau's clothes on him, and sent him in to get the blessing.
So because she supposedly loved him, she led Jacob to take the blessing with
guile (deceit). [Cf. v12]
Modern examples
***************
This
kind of lie is often justified on popular TV shows and movies. You don't tell
the truth if it hurts someone's feelings or gets them in trouble.
Young
people often think that loyalty means they should lie to protect their friends.
My aunt once was upset with my cousin and me because we had told her different
stories about what we had done. He said if he knew what I was going to say he
would have said the same thing. She asked if he would lie to her just to cover
up and he said he would.
Family
members likewise often lie to cover for one another. They may fuss and feud
among themselves, but they will cover for one another even lying if necessary.
These
are perverted concepts of love. Jesus said that love should lead us to obey
God's commands; it is not an excuse to disobey them (John 14:16; 1 John 5:3).
E.
Habit
=====
Some
people begin to lie for various reasons, but then it just becomes a way of
life. They lie even when there appears to be no real purpose in it.
Jeremiah
9:4,5 - People could not trust anyone else because everyone would deceive his
neighbor. They would not speak the truth; they taught their tongue to speak
lies.
Psalms
52:2-4 - The deceitful tongue loves evil more than good, and lying rather than
speaking righteousness. Some people just seem to get pleasure out of misleading
others. They are not just kidding others. They just enjoy seeing if they can
deceive people. [Psalms 50:19]
Lying
is basically an attitude problem. People lie because they do not love truth and
love God as they should. The only solution is to change the heart and love God
enough to obey Him.
Are you and I guilty? Have we repented and been forgiven of our
sins?
III. Consequences of Lying and Deceit
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Why should we avoid lying? What problems does it cause?
A.
Lying Harms Other People.
=================
Examples in Jacob's life
*******************
These examples show the harm that can come when people practice
lying and deceit.
Genesis
27 - Jacob deceived Isaac to get the blessing that Isaac intended to give to
Esau. Esau was so hurt and angry when he learned what Jacob had done that he
threatened to kill Jacob (vv 34-38). As a result, Jacob had to flee from home
and Jacob and Esau were alienated for years afterward. [27:41; 28:2]
Genesis
29 - After promising to give Rachel as a wife to Jacob, Laban instead gave him
Leah. As a result Jacob worked seven years for a woman he did not want to
marry. Later, Jacob became so alienated that he left his father-in-law, because
Laban kept deceiving him (chap. 31). Eventually both sisters married Jacob,
resulting in strife and alienation the rest of their lives.
Genesis
37:33-35 - When his sons deceived him, Jacob grieved and mourned for many years
believing his son Joseph really had died. Later his sons were sorry for the
grief they caused.
Many of
us know families in which people have been alienated from one another because
of lies. One of the main lessons to be learned from Jacob's family is the
severe problems that deceit can cause. If you want a good family life, one
thing you need to develop in a relationship in which every family member can
trust everyone else to be honest.
Other passages
************
Lying
and deceit often destroy people's reputations or alienate people, not just in
families, but also on the job, at school, and in the church. When people find
out others have lied to them or about them, they are often hurt and angry.
Psalms
109:2 - They have spoken against me with a lying tongue. Often lies and slander
are used to destroy the credibility and reputation of an innocent or godly
person.
Matthew
5:11 - Jesus warned that people would revile and persecute His disciples, and
say all kinds of evil against them falsely. False accusations and lies are a
standard means of persecution, intended to intimidate the righteous to
compromise the truth or to discredit their influence.
Proverbs 25:18 - A man who bears false witness is like a club, a
sword, and a sharp arrow.
The man
who said, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt
me," obviously was never the victim of the campaign of a slanderer. Trust
me, it can be quite painful and leave wounds in your emotions and marks on your
reputation for years.
We need
to be sure that we do not harm others with lies. We need to practice sincere
honesty with our family, friends, and in the church.
[1
Kings 21; Exodus 20:16; Lev. 6:2-5; Deut. 19:18; Psalms 31:18; 35:20; 62:4;
119:69; Matthew 26:59; Proverbs 26:18,19; Jer. 9:8]
B.
Lying Influences Others to Sin.
=====================
Liars
often influence other people to tell lies.
************************************
Proverbs
29:12 - If a ruler pays attention to lies, all his servants become wicked.
Lying tends to feed on itself. The more some people tell lies, the more other
people become involved, especially when people in influential positions tell
lies.
Children
often learn to practice lying from their parents. Jacob learned it from his
mother, and his sons learned it from Jacob and from his mother and his uncle.
A son
observed his father cheat on his income tax. The father sent the son to tell a
salesman he was not home. An uncle bribed a police officer to avoid a ticket.
Later the son was expelled from a military academy for cheating. The father
said, "I just don't understand it! Where did you learn to act like
that?" Is your example teaching your children to be liars? If so, you can
expect them to lie to you!
False
teachers also deceive other people to sin.
**************************************
Genesis 3:13 - The very first sin occurred because the serpent
"deceived" Eve.
Isaiah 9:14-16 - The prophets taught lies and led the people to
err and be destroyed.
Ezekiel
13:22 - The lies of false teachers not only strengthen the hands of the wicked,
they also make the righteous sad. [Jeremiah 23:14,32]
Many
have been led to sin by the influence of people who lie and deceive. People who
go into error are still responsible, because they should check out what is
taught. But the false teacher is also responsible for the fact his lies led
people into sin. Meanwhile, some continue to do right, but they are saddened by
seeing others led into sin and by hearing teaching that says they are the ones
who are wrong.
What about you and me? Have we led other people to sin by telling
things that are untrue?
[Matthew
24:24; 1 Kings 13:8-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:9,10; Deuteronomy 11:16; Jer.
27:14-16; Amos 2:4; Zech, 10:2; Acts 13:6-10; 1 Timothy 4:2]
C.
Lying Leads to Loss of Respect and Confidence.
===============================
Who can trust someone who is known to tell lies?
Psalm
40:4 - Those who love God do not respect those who turn aside to lies. People
want friends they can trust and rely on. If you want good people to respect and
trust you, don't lie.
Psalms
101:7 - He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies
shall not continue in my presence. Good people cannot afford to continue to
associate with liars, and surely cannot tolerate it in their own homes.
Jeremiah
9:4,5 - People could not trust even their own brother because they would lie
and deceive. A liar is not trustworthy. You never know when he's lying.
Young
people need to learn this lesson early. If you lie to your parents about where
you go or what you do, it ruins your relationship. Some complain, "Why
don't you trust me?" "I only told one lie." That's all it takes
to destroy trust. After that they never know when we are lying.
Have you ruined other people's trust in you by telling lies?
D.
Lying Alienates from God and Condemns Eternally.
=================================
Proverbs
12:22; 6:16-19 - Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal
truthfully are His delight. Remember that lying is twice in the list of things
that God hates.
Psalms
5:6 - God will destroy those who speak falsehood. He abhors the bloodthirsty
and deceitful man. God is true and cannot lie (Titus 1:2). When we lie, He
cannot fellowship us. We separate ourselves from Him.
Revelation 21:8 - All liars will have part in the second death,
the lake of fire.
Revelation
21:27; 22:14,15 - He who makes lies will in no wise enter into the holy city.
But everyone who loves and makes a lie will be outside the city.
Lying
is the common cold of spiritual diseases. It is probably the most common sin
committed by men, including Christians. As a result, many people consider it
minor. They speak of "little white lies." But no lie is little or
white. Unlike colds, lies are deadly: spiritually deadly. They will eternally
damn those who do not repent.
If we
want spiritual fellowship with God, we must love truth, speak truth, and remove
lying and deceit from our lives.
[Isaiah
59:1-4; Romans 1:29,32; Proverbs 19:5,9; 21:28 Psalms 5:6; 55:23; Zech. 8:17;
5:4; Ezek. 13:6-9; Psalms 58:3]
[God
cannot lie - 1 Peter 2:22; John 14:6; 1:14; 16:13; Romans 3:4; Numbers 23:19; 1
Samuel 15:29; John 17:17; Heb. 6:18; Isaiah 53:9]
IV. Overcoming Lying and Deceit
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Consider some steps we should take to help avoid being guilty of
lying or deceit.
A. Love Truth and Hate Lies
=================
Psalms
119:104,128 - Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every
false way. All Your precepts concerning all things I consider to be right; I
hate every false way.
Psalms 119:163 - I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law.
1 Corinthians 13:6 - Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but
rejoices in the truth.
You and
I must develop a strong commitment about lying. Don't just mildly dislike lies,
but actively hate the practice. If we continually remind ourselves of the
terrible consequences of lying, this should motivate us to avoid lying and to
oppose it in others.
B. Fill Your Heart with Truth
=================
Matthew
12:34,35 - For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man
out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man
out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. We speak according to what
is in our hearts, so we need to harbor only truth in our hearts.
Philippians 4:8 - Finally, brethren, whatever things are true ...
meditate on these things.
Psalms
15:2 - The one who abides in God's tabernacle is he who speaks the truth in his
heart. In order to speak truth with our mouths, we must speak truth in our
hearts.
Psalms
51:6 - You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will
make me to know wisdom.
To be speakers of truth, we must fill our hearts with truth,
especially with God's word.
[Proverbs
12:5; 26:24; John 8:32; John 3:21; 2 Tim. 4:2-4]
C. Stay Far from Falsehood.
=================
Do not
dally with falsehoods. Do not consider repeating such things. Refuse to have
anything to do with them.
Exodus 23:7 - Keep yourself far from a false matter.
Proverbs 4:24 - Put away from you a deceitful mouth, And put
perverse lips far from you.
Proverbs
30:8 - Remove falsehood and lies far from me. Don't see how close to error you
can get; stay "far" from lying.
We must
both fill our hearts with truth and reject lies and deceit. Don't harbor
falsehood in your heart and it cannot be expressed in your speech.
D. Avoid People and Influences Known to Lie or Deceive.
===================================
Often
we end up telling lies because we associate with liars, we listen to their
lies, and we learn to imitate their evil.
Proverbs
17:4 - An evildoer gives heed to false lips; A liar listens eagerly to a
spiteful tongue. When we listen to other people's falsehoods, we are tempted to
speak them ourselves.
Psalms
101:7 - He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies
shall not continue in my presence. [Cf. vv 4-7]
If we
are to keep truth in our hearts and avoid falsehood, we must take care whose
speech we listen to. Yes, we should help liars repent and be forgiven. But if
they refuse to repent and continue to speak lies, we must limit our association
in order to keep our own hearts pure.
Conclusion
======
Psalm
24:3-5 - Who will stand in God's holy place? Those who have clean hands and a
pure heart. Those who have not lifted up their souls to falsehood and have not
sworn deceitfully. This is the one who will be blessed by the Lord.
Lying
is truly an abomination to the Lord. He hates a lying tongue. What about you
and me? Do we have lying tongues such as God hates? Or are we such as can stand
before God holy because we have not accepted falsehood and deceit into our
hearts and lives?
Have you become a Christian and been forgiven of your sins?
(C) Copyright 2012, David E. Pratte You are free to keep copies of this material on computer and/or in printed form for your own further study. If you have any other requests about the use of this material, please read our copyright guidelines at www.gospelway.com/copyrite.htm.
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