It would be a better world if liars pants did catch on fire.
Part 2 0f 3
For instance, drunken liars are rare but people who always tell the truth are rarer still. Lying has become so woven into the fabric of our society that any serious conversation you read or listen to, you have to interpret between the lines. Modern day advertisers, revisionist historians, liberal op-eds and politicians are like eating peanuts; you have to shell each sentence and hope you can find a kernel of truth to even nibble upon.
Lying was so prevalent in Isaiah the prophet’s day that he said to its leaders; “…Since your refuge is made of lies, a hailstorm will knock it down. Since it is made of deception, a flood will sweep it away.” Webster defines a lie as: “a false statement made with intent to deceive.” That’s a very good definition, but let’s drop the line into the water a little deeper at this point and look at the Different Kinds of Lies
For instance, one form of lying could be called, “the Silent lie.
“You see, you can lie or spread falsehood without even opening your mouth by using a smirk, the wink of an eye, a curled lip, a lifted eyebrow, a nodding of the head to give a dishonest impression. Proverbs 6:12-13 describes this kind of lie when it says, “A scoundrel and a villain who…winks with his eye, signals with his feet, and motions with his fingers, who plots evil with deceit in his heart—he always stirs up dissension.”
But you don’t even have to do that; without moving a single muscle you can spread a lie. Just by silently listening to people say things about another person that you know are not true and not speaking up and coming to their defense is to bear false witness. It is validating a falsehood without saying or doing anything.
And then there is lying by Flattery
Proverbs 26:28 warns us of this kind of falsehood when it says, “A flattering mouth worker ruin.” Now, when I say “flattery” I am referring to the act of giving insincere praise….saying something to someone’s face that you wouldn’t think of saying behind their back. To a woman’s face you say, “That’s the prettiest dress I have ever seen!” but behind her back you would say, “She looked like a mess in that dress!” Or to your minister you might say, “Wonderful sermon, pastor.” but in the car on the way home you would say, “That’s the most boring thing I have ever heard.” Now, I know you guys never do that but I’m just using it as an example! Psalm 55:21 talks about this kind of lie when it says, “The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart. His words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.”
Now, we all love to be complimented. In fact man is the only “animal” I know whose head swells when you pat him on the back. But we must remember flattery is like perfume, nice to smell it, but dangerous to swallow.
And then….TRUTH ITSELF can be used to Infer a lie.
In John 8 Jesus is telling the Jewish religious leaders that He is the Son of God. And in response they were using truth to spread falsehood by saying, “We were not born of fornication,” and that was the truth but by their truth they were inferring that Jesus Was…. the illegitimate son of Mary and not the Son of God. Like a rhetorical man full of himself we can all use true statements to tell lies.
What Are The Dangers, The Consequences of LYING?
1. Well, first off…when we lie We Hurt Ourselves.
I Peter 3:10 says, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech.” When we lie we don’t Enjoy the life God has given us. We don’t Live the good life. Instead, we become suspicious of other people, wondering if they are truthful with us. We live our days in constant fear that we will be found out and we are usually forced to tell more and more lies to cover our deceitful tracks. Martin Luther said, “A lie is like a snowball. The longer it is rolled on the ground, the larger it becomes.” And no matter how good we are at “spin,” lies always catch up with us eventually. God warned us of this in Numbers 32:23 when He said, “You can be sure that your sins will find you out.” Lying destroys character and can become a habit. The more you lie the more easily you lie again and again and again
2. When we lie we also Lose The Trust of Other People
We are social beings. We need relationships to be trustworthy. We cannot possibly live in harmony with one another if we cannot trust one another. When the truth is not a “given” factor in any relationship, it’s standing on wobbly legs. It’s a house built over a sinkhole. This is true not only in our home but in our church as well. Writing to the church at Ephesus Paul said, “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body.” (Ephesians 4:25) When we lie we become our own worse enemy; and when spouses, physicians, politicians, and preachers and others that we want to be able to trust lie to us they knock the props out from under their own feet and thus become our worst enemies.
3. Last of all, but not least of all, when we lie We Push Ourselves Away from God.
Proverbs 12:22 says, “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful.” I am a reader of books and many times have seen the words inscribed over the entrances of libraries and universities; “You will know the truth and the truth shall set you free,” But I have yet to see the rest of John 8:32 inscribed over the same entrances; “Everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin,” Or even Verse 36, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
Too many are blind to the fact that Freedom and Truth found in the person of Jesus Christ. I’m glad it’s that simple and yet that profound.
God delights in our telling the truth.
Let’s strive to do that which is well pleasing in His sight.
In Part 3 of 3 we will answer the question; Is It Ever Wrong To Lie?
“Think About These Things.”
Pastor Bryant