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Danville Enlightener VOL. VIII, No. 25
Lies, Lying, and LiarsSenator Ted Kennedy said on Fox News, “We have 36 million Americans that are going to bed hungry every night. 36 million Americans! And 12 million of those are children!” But guess what? He told a whopper and if he had been Pinocchio his nose would’ve grown. I don’t know if he honestly thought he was telling the truth or whether he knew he was fabricating. Either way he told something that was blatantly untrue; something a majority of people do on a daily basis. Business men can lie without any remorse, “It is business.” Politicians will promise anything, and no one ever takes such promises seriously because, we conclude, “That’s politics.” Friends lie to friends because “A lie might bring a smile, while the truth will bring a tear.” Lying is so commonplace that one is suspect if he actually makes an effort to tell the truth. People lie about their age and weight. People lie on their résumé and on job applications. Some lie about sports accomplishments, others lie about who they know and even what they do on vacation. Some lie on golf scorecards, some lie to themselves in a game of solitary. Parents lie at baseball signups, kids lie to teachers. Many who lie are regular churchgoers who have successfully compartmentalized their lives; they do not mix church with the rest of their lives. The Bible does not allow us to treat the truth so cavalierly. We must be truth tellers in every part of our lives. “But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your yes, be yes, and your no, no, lest you fall into judgment.” (Jas 5:12). Paul wrote, “Therefore, putting away lying, let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” (Eph 4:25). God demands that his people be men and women of truth. We must not lie! Lie
and
lying
comes
from
the
Greek
word pseudos, which
means “a falsehood; to deceive.” Joseph Henry Thayer (Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament) defines it like this: “A lie, conscious and intentional falsehood, in a broad sense, whatever is not what it seems to be.” Therefore, a lie is told when one has either stated a falsehood or has said or done something that deceives another. Let’s examine lies, lying and liars. A person lies when he states something that is not true. In 1 Ki 13:18 an old prophet told another man that he was to visit in the old prophet’s home, but he was lying to him. The phone rings, and we tell the caller that _____ is not here, when _____ is sitting there. That’s a lie! We call in “sick” when we are not ill; instead we just wish to have a day off from work. That’s a lie! “Did you call John back” our spouse asks. Remembering that we promised to call, and feeling ashamed that we didn’t, we say: “Oh, uh, yeah, but he wasn’t home, I just got the answering machine, but I didn’t leave a message.” That’s a lie! Being deceptive in business practices. “Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel,” (Prov 20:17). God intends for all men (including and especially Christians) to be honest in business. We may enjoy success in business by being deceitful but God says we will suffer the consequences of business deception. When God brought judgment upon the nation of Israel, one reason was for their dishonest business dealings (Amos 8:5). Therefore, if I wish to buy and sell, I must be completely honest. In selling a car, a Christian can no more “roll back” an odometer than he can conceal an oil leak. If I sell my home I cannot tell perspective buyers that the basement is always dry if it leaks during extremely rainy weather. Some lie by hiding truth in order to create deception. “Whoever hides hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.” (Prov 10:18). Whether it is slapping someone on the back pretending that we are friends while harboring malice, or concealing from the IRS certain income that has been paid to us in cash — it is lying pure and simple. Attributing a belief or motive to someone. “And why not say, let us do evil that good may come?; as we are slanderously reported,” (Rom 3:8). Some were attributing to Paul a belief that was not his. He said it was slanderous to do that. We might make implications about someone that twists truth and allows harmful rumors to be initiated or continued. In Paul’s case some accused him of loose and immoral living, because he was teaching salvation by grace. Often, someone will attribute to another a position that is not believed by twisting his or her words. An example of this might be, claiming that a sister does not believe that fornication is wrong because she did not rebuke another who was living in sin. We are guilty of lying when we slanderously attribute to another a position that is not believed. Perhaps we sincerely make an application to something we hear, but unless the one has stated that as his belief or position, then we do not have the liberty to accuse him of believing it. If we do, then we have lied. The Bible tells us that God does not (cannot) lie (Titus 1:2). Furthermore, the Bible says that God hates lying (Prov 6:17). Being untruthful is a serious matter. There is no such thing as little “white” or “black” lies, and certainly no shades in between. The Bible tells us that liars will be lost at the judgment day. “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Rev 21:8). The consequences of lies in this life are bad enough, but the consequences of lies will be worse in judgment!
-- jrb
"As I See It" A preaching colleague visited our assembly one Wednesday night. He and his wife came to see their grandson. I watched as they held the baby, I could see the pleasure on their faces. As a grandfather of ten (soon to be eleven) I knew the feeling and the joy. This is also something I observe at school functions, ballgames and at the Mall; grandparents with grandchildren bridging, as only they can, a generation chasm larger than the Grand Canyon. “Children’s children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father,” (Prov 17:6). As a young Christian I knew what the verse said; I even taught it in Bible classes, but it wasn’t until I became a granddad that I appreciated the value of God’s design. Grandchildren and grandparents bring so much mutual joy. Grandparents can do what they did not think they could do as parents, spend valuable time with their grandchildren. Take the time to talk about the wonders of God’s creation, “Why, look at that lazy ole sun, just rolling around heaven all day. Would you like to be the sun?” Grandchildren need their grandparents more than they need some neighborhood friends, video games and movies. Grandmothers are just antique little girls and granddads are gray haired little boys. Children need more of the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, Cheese Nips, root beer floats and magic carpet stories. In bygone times several generations of a family often lived in the same house or at least on the same parcel of ground. Today, it isn’t uncommon for some grandparents to see their grandchildren only once or twice a year. While such may be a necessity it is tragic. Grandparents and grandchildren, together create a chain of love linking the past with the future. God intends that grandparents bestow upon their grandchildren the strength and wisdom that time and experience have given them. Grandchildren bless their grandparents with a youthful vitality and innocence helping them stay young at heart. AS I SEE IT, families need each other for love, support and help in serving God. God did not intend for humans to be solitary creatures like the Leopard. Instead He made us part of a wonderful family unit and regardless of our age we are valuable to the family. |