We have been hearing quite a lot about lying during this political season. Accusations tossed too and fro from one candidate to the other. I believed a lesson in the rules of credibility were needed about now. And some people even believe “white” lies are perfectly acceptable. They are not. Lies are lies. You never read in God’s Word about “white lies”. Lying has become so common it is no longer looked upon as wrong but accepted as normal.
Sometimes you will hear people tell you “all is not black and white.” And then some will say “what they don’t know won’t hurt them.” Still others will tell you “there’s a lot of gray area out there.” You don’t read nor find any of these statements in His Word. When we become Christians the old man is put to death and a child of God is born. Therefore lying is prohibited by God in His Word and not to be indulged in by the Christian.
“Lie not one to another; seeing that ye have put off the old man with his doings . . .” (Colossians 3:9)
“But for the fearful and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars their part shall be in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8)
“Without are the dogs and the sorcerers, and fornicators and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone that loveth and maketh a lie.” (Revelation 22:15)
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth;, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:27
“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh as he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar and the father thereof.” John 8:44
When a person lies, they leave in doubt all other truths. Any lie told demonstrates a person’s willingness to be deceptive and plants a seed of doubt in the other person’s mind. Just as germs cause infections, lies kill credibility. In the discourse of human interaction trust must be built. Lies are not the basis for any relationship.
And just as in lying to others, listening to lies in the spiritual realm will lead ones soul to hell. Not only is the one which preaches untruth condemned, those who listen to the lies are condemned as well.
“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (I John 4:1)
“But though we or an angel from heaven, preach unto you any other Gospel other than that which we preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1-8-9)
“And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. That they all might be damned who believed not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
(II Thessalonians 2:10-12)
And the next problem one will have is trying to cover up a lie. Mark Twain once said, no one has a memory good enough to remember all the lies which it takes to cover up the former lies and in fact are nothing more than land mines waiting to be exposed at any time.
It sometimes is not easy to tell the truth, for no one wants to pay the price for having lied, but dishonesty will always cost a person, and though nothing good may come from admitting the wrongdoing, the situation gets worse if you don’t.
When we choose people to lead our states, and nation, let’s make sure they are vetted and vote accordingly, and not only vote for right, because it is right, but live it as well in our own lives.
“Aside from the fact that telling a falsehood depraves the teller and deceives the told, it is just too bothersome. You can tell the truth and forget it, but a lie keeps making demands. The naked truth needs no fig leaves to hide it, while a lie is in constant need of more clothing. The task goes on and on.
A lie looks like a little convenience for the perpetrator, but it requires more cunning and a better memory than the liar has; so, he loses.” ~ Leroy Brownlow
“How dangerous it is to believe a lie in religious matters. It does make a difference what you believe – the difference between heaven and hell.” ~ Farish
Eileen Light
These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren (Pro. 6:16-19).
“He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit” (Pro. 12:17).
False accusations are not new to humanity. Note just a few accounts of false accusations in Scripture and the resulting troubles caused by them.
Satan accused God of lying to Eve in the matter of eating the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:1-6).
Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce Joseph, and when she could not, she accused him of attempting to force her to commit adultery. Let’s not forget that Potiphar’s wife false accusation caused Joseph to spend time in prison (Gen. 39:7-20).
Even though Korah and his sons were given a special job of handling everything to do with the tabernacle, he was jealous of Moses and accused him of usurping authority given to the nation (Numb. 16:3) In verse 13 Korah says, “Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness, except thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?” (See all of chapter 16:1-50).
Saul falsely accused the prophet Ahimelech of helping his enemy, David (1 Sam. 22:11-16)
Joab falsely accused Abner of feigned allegiance to King David (1 Samuel 3:24-27)
Against Elijah by Ahab (1 Kings 18:17,18)
Gehazi, when he ran after Naaman, and misrepresented that Elisha wanted a talent of silver and two changes of clothes (2 Kings 5:20-24)
Against Naboth by Jezebel and her conspirators (1 Kings 21:7-13)
Against Jews, returned under Ezra (Ezra 4:6-16; Nehemiah 6:6-8)
Sanballat in trying to obstruct the rebuilding of Jerusalem ( 6)
Haman, in his conspiracy against the Jews because of his hatred for Mordecai ( 3:8)
The priests, the prophets and all the people spoke falsely against Jeremiah ( 26:8,11; Jer. 37:13, 14; Jer. 43:2, 3)
Amaziah the priest spoke against Amos (Amos 7:10,11)
Satan falsely accused Job of serving God for profit (Job 1:9,10; Job 2:4, 5)
Herod the Great spoke to the wise men, professing to desire to worship Jesus ( 2:8)
Those who “found” Mary to be with child, spoke against her to Joseph ( 1:19)
The multitudes falsely accusing Jesus of being gluttonous and a winebibber (a wino) ( 11:19)
The Scribes and Pharisees falsely accuse Jesus of blasphemy, when he forgave sin ( 9:2-6; Mark 2:7; Luke 5:21)
False witness against Stephen (Acts 6:7-15)
Against Paul (Acts 17:7; 21:28; 24:5, 6, 13; 25:2,7; Romans 3:8)
Against Paul and Silas (Acts 16:20,21)
These are only a few of the many examples we have in Scripture where false witnesses accused the righteous with devastating results. Authors of modern day fiction use false charges against the innocent as building blocks for suspenseful plots. For example, the books and films To Kill a Mockingbird and A Passage to India are constructed around such trials. So what’s to be done? There is a biblical solution to the problem of false witnesses against the innocent.
First, there are multiple passages in the Bible that show how vile a false accusation really is. If you do not understand from context, then just look at the other sins compared or listed with the phrase. Note the commands not to “bear false witness” (Exod. 20:16; Exod. 23:1; Lev. 19:11-20; Deut. 5:20; Psa. 101:5; Prov. 10:18; Matt. 15:19; Matt. 19:18; Matt. 26:59-60; Mark 10:19; Mark 14:56-57; Luke 18:20; Acts 6:13; Rom. 13:9). Revelation 21:8 is a strong condemnation for all liars.
Second, under the Mosaic Law there was a rather harsh punishment for the one who bore false witness.
If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot (Deut. 19:16-21).
Applying this Old Testament law did not stop all false charges, but it deterred the sin greatly; however, Christians have a new and better law in the New Testament. Christians are held to a higher standard (Matthew 5:17-48). Keep in mind too that the Jews under the Old Testament had both a religious law and a judicial law with the same officials doing the judging. New Testament Christians are often tempted to take their grievances against each other to the civil courts (unbelievers) when elders in the church have been given the duty of solving such issues between brethren.
Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 2 Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? 3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? 4 If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. 5 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? 8 Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren (1 Cor. 6:1-8).
An article about high profile false accusations in the media may be found online (http://godfatherpolitics.com/biblical-solution-false-rape-charges/).