IT'S NOT WORTH IT: LYING

Hello beloved saints, I welcome you once again to the month of July. May God’s glory be revealed in your life in Jesus name. I will be sharing with you on what I titled “LYING” 

All through the Bible, there are scriptures that discuss the topic of lying. Some explain how certain people lied, others talked about the consequences of lying. I will like to say lying can be one of the easiest sin to commit. One little sentence leave the lips and all is well again, but it creates more chaos than we could imagine. Other time you can get away with a little lie (here on earth; not before the throne). 

Lying is nothing new. In fact, it is what introduced Adam and Eve to the very first sin. In Genesis 2:16-17 the Bible says, “And the LORD God commanded the man saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” But in Genesis 3:1-5 the Bible says, “Now the serpent (Satan) was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, we may eat the fruit of the tree of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” You will discover something here that a lie is of no truth and every lie has its consequences. 

Christ exposed the fact that all lies originate from Satan (John 8:44). It was Satan who lied to Eve and brought death into the world. This lie carried sin, pain and destruction to become reality. “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed unto all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). One lie can cause many problems for both the one being lied to about and the lair himself. A lying tongue can destroy the effectiveness of another person’s life. Just one conversation can do irreparable damage. Though the lying tongue is but for a moment (Proverbs 12:19), it’s effect can last a lifetime and maybe for generations. 

It is so important that we keep our tongues in subjection. We need to think before we speak. Ask yourself, how is what am about to say going to impact God’s kingdom? Am I going to defame someone’s character? Will what I say help this person and be pleasing to the Lord? “Having your conversation honest among the gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may be your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1st Peter 2:12) 

The two main reasons people lie are usually rooted in either fear or pride. Fear is the first reason. We are afraid of the consequences if we tell the truth. Yielding to fear shows a lack of truth in God to take care of the situation. If we yield to God and do it His way, He will usually give us favour with those that we fear. The other reason is pride. We are prideful and concerned about what men will think of us (desiring man’s approval instead of God’s approval). 

Beloved, lying is not of the new creation no matter how you try to measure it. In Ephesians 4:22-25, the Bible says, “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the Spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: For we are members of one another.” Lying is of the old man (the old nature). 

Lying is listed in 1st Timothy 1:9-11 as something practiced by the lawless. Furthermore, the Bible also listed the sin of lying as one that can lead a Christian to hell along with some other grievous ones. Revelations 21:7-8 says, “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL LIAR, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.  Jesus called Himself the way, the truth and the life (John14:6), and He expects those who follow Him to be people of truth. The truth is to be expressed in love, offering hope to those seeking redemption from the lies of the world. 

You might say, but I have been lying, I even lied yesterday. Go ahead, ask God to forgive you and turn away from it. Train yourself to speak the truth always through you allowing the word of God to renew your mind by giving yourself to studying and meditation of God’s word. 

God bless you. See you next month.