What About Lying?

"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)

"Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us…" it's my obligation to declare to you the truth of this article as outlined by our Lord and God.

All people lie. Some reasons for lying? (1) to get out of something you got yourself into—by denying responsibility or consequences. (2) to bring innocent people into trouble by being a false witness, which results in a devastating situation (3) to purposely spread an untruth. Many believe it's ok to lie, or to "tell little white lies" this is an old wives tale, and we are to have nothing to do with that. There are no little white lies. All lies are lies and black from the pit of hell. It's an oxymoron to say there is good lies.

Its definition

"To tell an untruth." (T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford Press, 1986, p. 265)

"A falsehood uttered or acted to deceive." (Webster's Dictionary, G & C Merriam Co., 1961, p. 485)

Hebrew: Kachash, Kaw-khash – to lie, to deceive. Greek: Pseudos, psyoo-dos - conscious and intentional falsehood, in a broad sense, whatever is not what it seems to be, of perverse, impious, deceitful precepts. As we can see a lie is nothing but a deception and a falsehood—an untruth. Anything that is not of truth is false. The following are the truths from God's word about lying.

God divided the Light (truth) from Darkness (error)

Genesis 1:3,4,14,18

Satan is the originator of lies

Genesis 3:1,4

The first lie in the Bible from man

Genesis 3:3

Second lie in the Bible from man

Genesis 4:9

"And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent: for he [is] not a man, that he should repent." (1 Samuel 15:29)

See also: Exodus 6:5-8; Numbers 23:19; Deuteronomy 6:10; 7:8,13; 9:5.

People especially non-believers lie

"Let the lying lips be put to silence; which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous." (Psalms 31:18)

Exodus 8:29; Joshua 2:4,5; 9:4,11; Judges 11:13,15-23; 1 Samuel 19:13-17; 2 Samuel 1:6-10; 15:7-10; 1 Kings 13:18; 14:2,5; 20:38-40; 21:13; 2 Kings 5:22,25; 18:25,29; Nehemiah 6:8,12; Job 11:3; 13:4,7; 21:34; 24:25; 31:5; 36:4; Psalms 4:2; 5:9; 10:7; 12:2; 28:3; 36:3; 38:12; 52:2,3,4; 116:11; 119:69; 120:3; 140:3,9; 144:8,11; Proverbs 10:11,18; 15:5; 17:20; 18:6,7,21; 19:1,22; 26:24,25,28; Isaiah 28:15,17; 30:9; 32:7; 36:10; 57:4,11; 59:3,4,14; Jeremiah 6:13; 7:8; 8:10; 9:5; 16:19; 20:6; 40:16; 51:17; Ezekiel 21:29; Daniel 2:9; 11:27; Hosea 7:1,3; 10:13; 11:12; Amos 2:4; 8:5; Jonah 2:8; Micah 2:11; 6:12; Nahum 3:1; Habakkuk 2:18.

It is a command not to lie

Exodus 20:16; 23:1,7; Leviticus 19:11,12,13,36; Numbers 30:2-15; Deuteronomy 5:20; 23:23.

"Lying lips [are] abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly [are] his delight." (Proverbs 12:22)

Proverbs 617,19; Isaiah 7:9,10,28; 9:3,5; Jeremiah 13:25; 23:32; 27:14,15; Zechariah 8:17.

Abraham Lied

Genesis 12:10-20; 20:3,5,9-13

Lot's daughters lied

Genesis 19:31

Isaac lied

Genesis 26:7-10

Rebekah lied

Genesis 27:8-13

Jacob lied

Genesis 27:19,24,36

Laban lied

Genesis 29:21-28; 31:7

Rachel lied

Genesis 31:35

Jacob's sons lied

Genesis 34:13,16; 37:20,31-35; 50:17

Tamar lied

Genesis 38:14,19

Potiphars wife lied

Genesis 39:11-18

Aaron lied

Exodus 32:22-24

Delilah lied

Judges 16:6-15

Saul lied

1 Samuel 13:11,12; 15:9,15,20,21

David lied

1 Samuel 20:5-7; 21:1,2,8,13; 27:10-12

Hushai's counsel helped David, but he still lied

2 Samuel 17:5-14

The Lord's prescription for lying

Leviticus 6:2-5

Holiness means that there be no lying of the believer

Leviticus 11:44,45

There are lying spirits

1 Kings 22:22,23; 2 Chronicles 18:21,22

God will judge those that lie

"Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man." (Psalms 5:6)

"By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood." (Hosea 4:2)

See also: Psalms 59:12; 63:11; Proverbs 13:3; Jeremiah 29:31,32; 50:36; Malachi 3:5

Those that speak truth get praised

Psalms 15:2; 17:1

Our desire should be to please God in our words.

"I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me." (Psalms 39:1)

"Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously." (Psalms 119:29)

See also: Psalms 19:14; 34:13; 119:43, 104, 128, 163; 120:2; Proverbs 4:24; 8:7,8,13; 16:13; 23-28; 23:16; 30:8; Isaiah 63:8

False witnesses are liars

Psalms 27:12; 35:11; Proverbs 12:18; 14:5; 19:5,9; 24:28; 25:18

One is blessed if he does not lie

Psalms 40:4

Men speak lies right from the womb

Psalms 58:3

People lie to God

Psalms 78:36; Isaiah 59:13; Hosea 7:13

Nothing good comes from lying

Proverbs 12:19; 17:4,7,20; 18:21; 29:12

Believers in God should hate lying

Proverbs 13:5; 14:5; Jeremiah 7:4

Adding to God's word makes you a liar

Proverbs 30:6

Prophets lied

"Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and [am] a witness, saith the LORD." (Jeremiah 29:23)

See also: Jeremiah 23:14,25,26,32; 27:10,14,15; 29:9,21,31; Lamentations 2:14; Ezekiel 13:9,19; 14:9; 22:28; Zechariah 5:4; 10:2; 13:3

Lies are connected as rebellion with God

Jeremiah 20:15,16

"He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true." (John 3:33)

See also: John 14:6; 2 Corinthians 1:18; Ephesians 4:21; Colossians 1:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:12,13; 1 Timothy 2:4; 1 Peter 2:22; 2 John 1:2,4

"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." (Titus 1:2)

See also: Hebrews 6:18; 1 John 2:21;27

Denying Christ makes you a liar

1 John 2:22.

Jesus tells the truth

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18:37)

Satan is a liar and the father or originator of it

"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)

See also: Matthew 4:9; John 8:55; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10

People lie especially non-believers

Matthew 5:11; 15:19; Luke 19:8; John 7:12, 47; 8:55; Acts 13:10; 24:5-7; Romans 1:29; 1 Timothy 1:10; 4:2; 6:5; 2 Timothy 3:3,7,8,13; 4:4; Titus 1:10,12,14; 3:3; 1 Peter 3:10; 2 Peter 2:1,13; 1 John 4:1,20; Revelation 2:2; 3:9

Peter lied

Matthew 26:70,72,74; Mark 14:68;70;71; Luke 22:57,58,60; John 18:17,25,27

Paul says he does not lie

Romans 9:1; Galatians 1:20; 4:16; 1 Timothy 2:7; Titus 1:1.

Ananias and Sapphira lied to God

Acts 5:3,4,8

What you speak says a lot for it comes from the heart

Matthew 15:11,18,19; 12:34,35; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 6:8; 13:7

We must be careful not to lie God will judge us

Matthew 12:36; 1 John 1:6,8

False witnesses are liars

Matthew 19:18; 26:59,60; Mark 10:19; 14:56,57; Luke 3:14; 18:20; Acts 6:13; Romans 13:9

False teaching is lying

"And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, [and said], Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." (Acts 15:1)

See also: Romans 1:25; Galatians 3:1; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; 2 Timothy 2:18

We are warned not to be deceived

Galatians 6:7; Ephesians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:3; 1 John 3:7; 2 John 1:7; Revelation 13:14; 18:23; 19:20; 20:3,8

We are to speak truth

Ephesians 4:15,25; 5:9; 6:14; Philippians 4:8; 2 Timothy 2:25; Titus 2:3; James 3:14; 1 Peter 2:1,2; 3:10; Revelation 14:5

If we say we have not sinned we make God a liar

1 John 1:10; 5:10

Not keeping God's commands makes us lairs

1 John 2:4

Still what to lie? Listen to what God says will be the end of you if you do.

"But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)

"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)

"For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." (Revelation 22:15)

Early Church

"Never will I consent to conceal my beliefs, nor shall my opinion be at war with my tongue." (Synesius, to his brother)

"Since then by lying eternal life is lost, never for any man's temporal life must a lie be told." (Augustine, on lying)

Today

"At the moment a subject makes the decision to lie, before even uttering it, there’s a milliseconds-long burst of blood flow. Those bursts are read by the sensors and show up as spikes on a laptop computer. One day, Chance said, the headband might not be needed at all. Perhaps one would need only point a sensing device at people — making it possible to test someone’s truthfulness without their knowledge." (MSN.com, June 6^th, 2003)

Conclusion

So what have we discovered as the conclusion of this matter? People lie and as a built in sin nature people have become very good at it.

1. Both Old and New Testaments verify that God is true and cannot lie.

2. Both Old and New Testaments verify that satan is the originator of lies.

3. Both Old and New Testaments verify that people lie and it's wrong.

4. Both Old and New Testaments verify that we are commanded not to lie.

5. Both Old and New Testaments verify that God will judge those that lie.

This is very strong. We cannot simply say just because we're saved we don't need to worry about lying. We can't say well I don’t have to tell the truth to unbelievers, or I don’t owe the nonbelievers the truth. Put away all the stupid questions and scenarios about if so and so came to your house and had a gun and pointed it at your wife or child, etc. The point is we must me truthful we must not lie period!

Amen?

Comments or Questions? E-mail us

Home