A liar. This is a title no one wants, yet we have been guilty of this sin at some point in our lives. It is the one sin that we emphasized to our boys was not acceptable. If they were caught lying, the punishment would be much greater than if they had told the truth. The truth may be painful for the moment, but it is far better than the outcome of a lie.
Lying is a sin that brings with it other relational problems. If you have lied to someone, the trust in the relationship is broken. Trust can be regained, but it will take time. If you have been lied to by someone, even though you want to trust what they say, you find yourself questioning everything they tell you. If the lie hurts us deeply, we are hesitant ever to trust again. Our internal protection mode kicks in, and we build a wall between us and the other person to avoid getting hurt.
In scripture, we find the first lie in the garden. In Genesis 3:4, Satan inhabited the serpent and spoke to Eve. “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:” God had forbidden them to eat of the fruit of this tree, but Satan lied to entice Eve to eat what God had told her not to eat. In John 8:44, Jesus speaks to the Jews. They were full of pride and did not accept Him as Messiah. He calls them a child of the devil and proclaims that the devil is the father of liars.
John 8:44 “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.”
In I John 1:6, John writes, “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:” Many deceive themselves and live a lie. They convince themselves that they are going to Heaven when they do not have fellowship with God. They do as they wish and are in darkness. They lie to themselves.
In I John 4:20, we see another evidence of living a lie. “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” This brother can be anyone, and if you say you love God but hate someone, you are living a lie.
When we are living the opposite of what the Bible teaches, we are false professors of Christ. When we practice any sin as a habit in our lives, we deceive ourselves into believing we are in right standing with God. God is pure and holy and commands us to be as He is. We are to be holy and live to please Him, not ourselves. While we are not perfect and will never be on this side of Heaven, our attitude and desire should be not to sin. When we brush off sin as if it is no big deal or use the excuse nobody is perfect, we convince ourselves of the lie that it is okay.
God never approves of us lying to ourselves or others. He hates all lying. There are other ways we lie, such as flattery. This is saying something to someone’s face that we don’t believe but would gain their approval. Some lie by exaggerating. This is embellishing a story to make it more exciting or to gain attention. We can also lie by saying nothing. When someone is talking about someone, and you know their accusations or explanations are not true, we lie by not speaking up for the truth.
Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
Proverbs 6:16-17 “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.”
Think about your life. Do you lie by covering up your sin, embellishing the truth, being silent, exaggerating, or to make yourself look good in someone’s eyes? Examine your habits and desires. Are they in accordance with the Bible, or are you lying to yourself about living to please God? In this new year, why not have your own “come to Jesus” meeting and be brutally honest with yourself?
