Lies, lies and lies (II) Lies we tell each other

Apart from type of scenario where we are redirecting Nazis away from the Jews we are hiding, we need to take not telling lies, very seriously. The Lord does, for “lying lips are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 12:22). I suspect that 99.9% of all lies are based on self-interest, on making ourselves look better than we are, or trying to cheat somebody out of something. Telling lies is destructive of relationships, of trust. It separates us from each other, and it brings confusion. It is the very opposite of the openness, transparency and innocence that Adam and Eve experienced in the garden. It’s doing the Devils work, for he is the father of lies (John 8:44), and all lies ultimately have him as their source. It’s hypocritical to pray kingdom of God come, and then to tell lies. It is sin, and like all sin, it separates us not only from each other, it separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2).

There are many ways to distort the truth. There is a reason that in a court of law we swear to tell not only the truth, but the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The middle part it is necessary, because omitting part of the truth, can so distort the truth that it does not resemble the truth at all. If the police ask you if you were at the scene of an accident, and you tell them “I was in Florida that week,” but you were only in Florida for part of the week, and you were in fact at the scene of the accident, you have essentially told a lie. In fact by not speaking up and we need to, we can tell lies without even opening our mouths. We can also tell lies by preventing the truth coming out (hiding like Adam and Eve in the garden), and it’s all an abomination to the Lord!

I include myself when I say, that I believe that we have all practiced deception at some level, at some time or other. But the Lord requires that we practice truth even in the inward parts (Psalm 51:6). We will look at that in more detail tomorrow. In the meantime, Paul warning against the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming, admonishes us to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4: 14, 15). This is far easier said than done, and bringing the truth to light can be costly. We read that men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil (john 3:19). But if we are to walk in the light with each other, if we are to have fellowship with each other, then we need to walk in the light as He is in the light. And when we do this, the blood of Jesus Christ keeps on cleansing us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Father, one of the pictures that I have of the kingdom of God coming on earth as it is in heaven, is of Adam and Eve in the garden before the fall. And there, there was not even a trace of deception. And if we are to cooperate with You in bringing the kingdom down-to-earth, it needs to be reflected in our walking in the truth. Thank You Lord that You have provided the way to make this possible. In fact, as we lose our lives in You, we truly find life, and health, and peace, and hope, and joy. In other words we find Your true life (Matthew 10:39). And I give You all the honour and glory and praise again this morning Lord, in Jesus Name Amen