Hey!, Wanna See Some Sin?
"Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet and show my people their transgressions and . . . their sins." Isa. 58:1.
22. Lies
22. 16b. Does God lie?
Does the Bible show lying to be acceptable?Contents:
Page 1
Paradise Lost
God is aware of the extent of lying in the world.
God condemns lying.
God condemns deceit, deception and falsehood.
God condemns social lying (flattery) and "little white lies".
God condemns "lying just for the fun of it."
God condemns religious liars.
False Prophets and Lying Prophets.
The Bible on Self-Deception.
How do most people feel about lying?
What does God expect us to do about lying?
The Bible Defines Lying.
A lie in any language.
The punishment for lying.Page 2
Examples of lies and the results.
The Causes of lying.
The Results of lying.
The arguments from atheists.
A valid objection by atheists.
The Bible on Truth
How to stop lying.
Conclusion
----------------------------------------------------------PAGE 2
Examples of lies and the results:
Lying to God:
Ananias and Sapphira, "You have not lied unto men but unto God." Acts 5:4, also 1-11. They fell down dead when confronted by Peter.
Lying to others:
Lying for personal gain, Lev. 6:1-7, a sin, requiring repayment to the victim of 120% of the value, and a sacrifice to God of repentance ("sacrifice of broken and contrite spirit", Psa. 51:17).
Theft by lying, Amos 8:1-14, falsifying weights and inflating currency values, " . . . I will never forget any of their works." "And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs in lamentations: . . . and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day." Amos 8:5, 7, 10.
See also Pro. 20:23.Lying to get a "bargain":
"Utterly worthless! says the buyer as he haggles over the price. But afterwards he brags about his bargain!" Pro. 20:14 NKJV.Lying by false promises:
"Whoso boasts himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain." Pro. 14.
"And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbor; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, says the Lord." Zech. 8:17.
"When you vow a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he has no pleasure in fools: pay that which you have vowed. . . . Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin." Ecc. 5:4-6.
Lying for, or on behalf of others:
"In the same day also will I punish all those . . . which fill their masters's house ....[by] deceit" Zeph. 1:9.
Scientific lying:
". . . avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. . . ." 1 Tim. 6:20.
[Note: This does not condemn all science as false. It only points out that some ideas, opinions or theories are "falsely" called "science", e.g, the theory of evolution.]"For the invisible things of him [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: . . . but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. . . .
Professing themselves wise, they became fools, . . . Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, . . ." Rom.1:20-22, 25, also 19-32."The fool has said in his heart, There is no God . . ." Psa. 14:1, 53:1.
Philosophical lying:
Lying by vanity of higher education using the authority of impressive sounding titles and doctrinal degrees.
"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col. 2:8.
Government (political) lying:
"Wherefore hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men, that rule this people . . .
Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; [in time of war] it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves:" ["we have bought peace by treaties and trade agreements"].
"And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand: when the [war comes] you shall be trodden down by it."
". . . for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth." Isa. 28:14-15, 22. See also 1-29.
Religious lying:
Religious hypocrisy and God's punishment upon it. Jer. 7:1-34. " . . . the land shall be desolate." v.34.
"Then the Lord said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name; I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart."
"By sword and by famine shall those prophets be consumed." Jer. 14:14-15."How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yes, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;". Jer. 23:26.
"Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, says the Lord, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all says the Lord." " . . . I will forsake you, says the Lord." "And as for the prophet and the priest, . . . I will punish that man and his house." Jer. 23:32-34.
"For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." " . . . whose end shall be according to their works." 2 Cor. 11:13,15.
"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders: . . ." Mat. 24:24.
"And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:" Gal. 2:4.
In other words, people who lie about their beliefs in order to infiltrate a congregation so that they can attempt to deceive others with false doctrines."But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." 2 Pet. 2:1-2.
For example, look at the arguments that atheists use. Some of their arguments involve the fallacies of human "religious traditions". They also correctly point out the hypocrisy of so-called "Christian" behavior by Priests, teachers and laymen including hatred of others, child abuse, and killing "in the name of God". They accurately point out contradictions between human "doctrines" and actual scriptures, but they claim this discredits both the false teachers and the scriptures. Much the behavior and teaching of what is considered "mainstream Christianity" serves only to give God and the Bible a bad name. And God inspired Peter to write that. It is documented by God's word as a truth.
Religious lying to obtain money and goods:
Naaman, commander in chief of the Syrian armies, came to Elisha the prophet, to be healed of leprosy. After the healing, Elisha refused to accept a generous amount of gold, silver and clothing that was offered. Gehazi, a servant of Elisha, followed Naaman and lied in order to obtain part of the treasure. He also lied to Elisha about it when he returned. The result? He and his family was cursed with leprosy "for ever" (2 Kings 5).
Nations who lie when they claim to be righteous or "Christian", or pretend to repent:
"The Lord said also unto me . . . Have you see that which backsliding Israel has done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there has played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things Turn you unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and give her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went a played the harlot also. And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, says the Lord." (Jer.3:6-10).
Lying by silence:
"I was dumb with silence, I held my peace, even from good: and my sorrow was stirred [Heb. troubled, afflicted]." Psa. 39:2.
Deceit by divorce or separation:Divorce or any form of "putting away a mate" simply because one is "displeased" is called "dealing deceitfully".
"If she please not her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nations he shall have no power, seeing he has dealt deceitfully (898) with her." Ex. 21:8.deceitfully, 898: bagad, to cover (with a garment), fig. to act covertly: by impl. to pillage: deal deceitfully (treacherously, unfaithfully).
Women were considered property and had limited rights. This was the existing culture, and not a situation created by God's laws. Marriages were arranged and dowries were paid. If the husband became unhappy with the marriage, he was forbidden by law from selling her into slavery. If he took "another wife" (v.10), he was forbidden from "diminishing" her food allotment, her clothing budget, or refusing to satisfy her sexually or to refuse any of her rights as a wife including childbearing [see the account of Jacob, Leah and Rachel].
"If he take him another wife: her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish." Ex. 21:10.Even though a marriage partner was "bagad" or unfaithful in the keeping of the marriage vows (to cherish and love, in good times and bad, sickness and health, in poverty or wealth), they were forbidden to "put away" their mate, or to deprive them of anything they would have enjoyed otherwise. This applies equally to men and to women. Wives are not to do this to their husbands.
Lying by telling a "half-truth":Why do we always call them "half-truths"? They are also "half-lies". Why not "truth/lie" or "lie/truth", or half-truth/half-lie? Is is because we think that the truthful half justifies the lying half?
God, Adam, Eve, Satan and lying
God told Adam and Eve, concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, "in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die." (Gen. 2:17).
Satan (the "father of lies" ) told Eve, "You shall not surely die: For God does know that in the day you eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." (Gen. 3:4-5).
Adam and Eve had the option of obeying God's laws and living forever.
In verses 6-7, Eve,deceived by Satan, used human reasoning to justify breaking God's law, and made the choice to disobey, to sin, and the result was that she came under the death penalty on that day. Adam, who was not deceived (1 Tim. 2:14), made the same choice. Deception or not, the penalty is the same.
Saying, "The Devil made me do it." is a futile excuse.Did God tell a half-truth, half-lie since they did not physically die on the day they broke the law? The answer is no, because they both became "dead man walking" as the term is used for death-row inmates on their walk to the death chamber. So God told the truth, since they both became "dead" immediately upon sinning.
On another level, they did die in the same "day". Prior to the Genesis Flood, people lived for hundreds of years, up to 969 years for Methusalah. "But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." (2 Pet. 3:8). Based on the chronology given in Genesis, Adam lived 930 years and Eve, less than that. So they both died, "in that day".
On yet another level, their "life" in paradise ended the same day with their exile to a land of thorns and to survival by their own sweat.Satan told several half-truths/half-lies. The first was, "you shall not die". They are both dead. He lied. But they did not die immediately, so to them, at the time, it may have seemed like the truth. The second was that, by eating the fruit, they would become "as gods, knowing good and evil". The truth was that they already were "as gods" having been "created in his image". If they had chosen to obey God, they would have continued to be "as gods" in their righteousness. If they had chosen to obey God, they would have continued to be "as gods" in that they would have been given eternal life. The third lie was in his "subtly", the deception that he was concerned about their best interests when his true interest was in destroying mankind. The fourth was in his flattery, appealing to her vanity, which resulted in her relying on her own human reasoning (v.6) as being superior to relying on the wisdom in God's laws. The fifth half-lie was that by eating, they would gain knowledge of good and evil. The fact is they already had knowledge of good. Everything they knew and experienced prior to meeting the serpent was "very good" as described by God himself (Gen. 1:31). The sixth half-lie was the implication that they needed knowledge of evil to become "as gods". The tree of life was included in God's instruction "of every tree in the garden you may freely eat . . .". The truth is that they did not have to have the knowledge of experiencing evil to become "as gods". Christ's example of a sinless life demonstrated this truth.
Abraham and Pharoah
Abraham told a half-truth/half-lie about his wife who was also his half-sister (Gen. 12:10-20). The results? Pharoah thought she was single and was going to take her as a wife or concubine (v.15). God brought "great plagues" on Pharoah and his household. Abraham lied out of fear of Pharoah. Because of his lie, he endangered Pharoah's life and earned his wrath. He had Abraham and his family thrown out of Egypt. God didn't have to punish Abraham for lying. His sin brought enough trouble upon himself. Sometimes all God has to do is watch, until we repent, and then he has to deliver us from ourselves.
Abraham and Abimelech
Two half-truths do not equal a whole truth. And sometimes we do not learn from our mistakes. When Abraham moved to Gerar, he and his wife both told the king that she was Abraham's sister (Gen. 20:2).
Sarah was "taken" by the king. God promised to kill the king and his whole household unless he released Sarah. God also "closed all the wombs" of the women in the king's household.
The story is the same as before except that this time the ruler was on speaking terms with God. After the king gave Sarah back to Abraham, along with gifts and money, and after God spared their lives and healed them, the ruler graciously offered to let Abraham live anywhere in his land.
Isaac and AbimelechLike father, like son? When Isaac moved back to Gerar with his wife, Rebekah, he told the same lie as his father, except that in this case, it wasn't even half true. When Abimelech discovered it he angrily explained the risk that Isaac had brought upon the kingdom. Isaac had incurred the king's wrath by his lying.
What is the point of preserving these stories for us? They serve as lessons that even if you and God are speaking on a daily basis, and he is using you as a key person in his master plan for the world, if you knowingly sin, even a "little white one", then you may have to suffer the consequences. Just because God doesn't immediately squash us, doesn't mean he approves of our lying.
Lying by an evasive answer:
When God asked Cain, "Where is your brother?", Cain responded with a question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen. 4:9), a pretension of innocence and of ignorance of the murder. He was given a limited "protective custody" in the form of a curse on any one who would kill him. He lived as a fugitive and was apparently killed anyway, by Lamech (Gen. 4:23-24).
Lying by fraud and deception:
Jacob made a legal but shrewd purchase of his brother's birthright. Dissatisfied with this, his own mother conceived a plot for him to also steal his brother's blessing by deceiving his father (Gen. 25, 27.) What were the results? Was Jacob blessed for his fraud and deception, for his lying and stealing?
1. Jacob had to flee the country with just the clothes on his back to prevent being killed by his brother (Gen. 27:41-42).
2. Jacob, arriving in a foreign country broke, was deceived by his own uncle, Rebekah's brother, Laban, into marrying the wrong woman, Leah. He had to work a total of 14 years to get the one he originally wanted, which was Rachel.
3. Jacob "hated" Leah (see "Deceit by divorce or separation:" above). As a result, God gave Leah children and made Rachel barren (Gen. 29:31).
4. Having two wives resulted in a childbearing competition which got ugly (Gen. 29:32-30:3) and involved the wives' handmaids bearing children by Jacob. This would have further increased the domestic strife within the household (see Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, Gen. 16:4-6), as there were now four women competing for Jacob's attention for themselves and for their sons.
5. Every time Jacob began to prosper in his employment under Laban, Laban would change his wages. This happened ten times in twenty years (Gen. 31:7, 41). The last time it was at Jacob's suggestion and appeared to greatly benefit Laban, but because of Jacob's knowledge of selective breeding and God's help, it benefited Jacob far more than Laban. But this only served to provoke Laban to distrust and perhaps to begin to hate Jacob (Gen. 31:1-2, 5).6. At God's instruction and out of fear of Laban, Jacob packed up his family, his tents, and with his servants, "fled" the country with his rightful livestock. So once again he is a fugitive from someone wanting to "hurt" him (v. 29).
7. When Jacob decided he wanted Rachel, he didn't consult God, and because of his circumstances he had to indenture himself as a servant to her father (Gen. 29:1-20). God allowed him to being tricked into marrying Leah instead. Jacob's response, another unilateral decision to continue his servitude for another seven years for Rachel. One result of these unilateral decisions was that Rachel stole her fathers idols, and placed them all in danger. In fact the idols were the only stolen property that justified Laban's pursuit of Jacob.
8. Because of his and his mother's defrauding his brother, he had lived in fear of Esau for twenty years. When he returned and heard Esau was coming out to meet him with an army of 400 men, he was afraid that the fear was still justified. He separated out five herds of goats, sheep, camels, cattle and asses and sent them ahead a gifts in an attempt to soften the reception. He then put the rest of his herds, wives and children ahead of himself, and Rachel and Joseph behind him (Gen. 32-33). He was prepared to sacrifice everything except Rachel and Joseph. His whole family was in this predicament now because of his defrauding his brother.
9. In the very next installment of Jacob's life, Dinah his daughter by Leah, is raped by Shechemites. Jacob's sons, led by Simeon and Levi, sons of Leah, deceive and kill all the men of Shechem, destroy the town, seize all the cattle and carry off everything of value, including the women and children as captives. This puts Jacob and his family in danger of war with the rest of their Canaanite neighbors, "I shall be destroyed, I and my house." (Gen. 34:30). God advises them to leave town and move elsewhere. At this point, Jacob orders them all to give up their idols, a family practice perpetuated by Rachel (see No. 7 above).
10. Rachel dies giving birth to her second son, Benjamin (Gen. 35:16-19).
11. Reuben, a son of Leah, has sex with his father's concubine Bilhah, the handmaid of Rachel, an act considered as incest, and as showing a great disrespect of his father (Gen. 35:22).12. Joseph, the son of Rachel is Jacob's favorite and this fact, plus his divinely inspired dreams which show him being exalted far about his brothers and his father serve only to earn his brothers' hatred. They faked his death, sold him into slavery and deceived his father about his death (Gen. 37). Jacob grieved over Joseph for years and thought he was going to lose Benjamin too, before learning that Joseph was still alive. Of course, this discovery also revealed that all his other sons had been lying to him all these years.
All of these trials and often life-threatening problems can be traced back to Jacob's deception of his father. Jacob did receive blessings, but they were in spite of his lying and deception, not because of them. Why was his blessed at all? Because he legally obtained the birthright from Esau, who thought, at the time, that it was worth less than a serving of beans. Also because of Abraham's faith and obedience and God's promise to continue his covenant with Abraham's descendants. He was also blessed because he did obey God's commands and eventually made his family give up idolatry. How much easier would Jacob's life have been, and how much more would he have been blessed if he had not practiced lying and deceit, and led his family in righteousness from the start.
David's lying and deception
David lied to the priest to get food (1 Sam. 21:2). He lied to the king of Gath about the people he had killed on the edge of his kingdom (1 Sam. 27). He was not punished by God for these lies, but neither did the lying resolve his problems. In fact they only served to place him in greater danger.
He tried to deceive Uriah, a loyal and dedicated soldier, in order to cover up his affair with Uriah's wife Bathsheba and the resulting pregnancy. When that didn't work, he arranged to have him killed in battle. In this case, the lying and deception resulted in public scandal, the death of his son by Bathsheba, and his grief over the child's death.
David did other unrighteous acts, none of which resulted in blessings. In the Psalms of David, we also see his repentance and his determination to avoid sin. It was because of his repentant attitude that he was blessed. "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me." (Psa. 51:2-3).There are other examples of lying in the Old Testament. When carefully considered and properly understood, they all serve as examples of what not to do.
Lying to protect the lives of others
Rahab the harlot
This account is often used by "Christians" to attempt to justify lying. It is used just as often by atheists to attempt to discredit the Bible and the concept of a righteous God.
Joshua sent two spies to check out Jericho and the land around it. They somehow end up in a whorehouse, the house of "Rahab the harlot". The king of Jericho hears about them and their mission and orders Rahab to turn them over to him (Jos. 2). There are a lot of unanswered questions here.
Why were they in a whorehouse? If they hadn't been there, perhaps the whole episode of lying, hiding and escaping could have been avoided. Why didn't the king just send men to the house and seize the spies? Was it because the nature of her "business" required that she had guards to protect her "girls" and her customers' privacy, and her business was not easily accessed without permission? Was it because she was a prominent local "business" which the king was reluctant to offend by words or actions? She mentions her "father, mother, brothers and sisters and all that they have" (v.13). She hides the spies on the top of her house, which had to be tall enough that they were not seen from the upper windows of other buildings. This does not appear to be a part-time street walker, this seems to be a "pro" with an established and respected "house".She also knows how to protect her "clientele". She knows how to deceive the king. She knows how to effectively hide the spies. She knows how to get them outside the walls, even with the gates shut. She knows how long the king's men will search the countryside for them, where they can safely hide in the meantime, and when it will be safe for them to travel back to the Israelite camp. Obviously this is not the first time she has done this. Perhaps this is why the spies went to her house, and not for personal entertainment.
Rahab is knowledgeable of political events. She is familiar with the events of the Exodus and the conflicts of Israel with other nations during the 40 years since. The rumor is that no nation can defeat the God of Israel. She is a smart and successful business woman. Perhaps that is why she hid the spies in her house before the gates were closed and waited until an all out search was under way before attempting to negotiate with the spies for herself and her family.
After the gates are closed and the countryside is being searched, she offers to help the spies escape in exchange for the lives of herself and all her family and their property. At this point, if they refused, she could have simply said she found them hiding in her house or that they had somehow forced her to lie and she would have lost nothing. If they agreed to the deal, going out secretly, and Israel didn't take Jericho, she still had lost nothing. If Israel did take Jericho, she had everything to gain.The deal was made, the spies escaped and when Jericho was destroyed, the agreement was honored with Rahab and her family spared (Josh. 6:17, 22-25). She was still dwelling in the land when the book of Joshua was written down (v.25). Since the agreement was only for their escape, this indicates that she had given up harlotry (punishable by stoning, Deu. 22:21) and the local customs of idolatry (Josh. 6:17-18).
The tone of her statements, "the Lord your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath." also indicates a voluntary repentance which leads to blessings from God and to life.
In any case, this is a story of a lying whore who, in effect, extorts an agreement from Israelite representatives who are trapped and under duress. It is not evidence that God condones or blesses people who lie. If she repented, and the preservation of her name would suggest that, then none of her sins matter any more, and this is a story of her conversion.
If she didn't repent, but simply used her "street smarts" to escape death, then it wouldn't be the only time the Israelites were suckered into an agreement that conflicted with God's instructions about dealing with the natives in the land.
The Gibeonite Deception
". . . for the children of this world are in their generations wiser than the children of light." (Lk. 16:8).
"And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by Jordan near Jericho saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When you are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, . . ." (Num. 33:50-52).
The Gibeonites of Canaan, who may have heard of Rahab's success in making a deal, disguised themselves as travelers from a far country, who had been sent to make a peace treaty with Israel. The "princes" of Israel, who failed to ask God's advice in the matter, were deceived and made the agreement. Three days later they discovered the deception, and again, without asking God's advice, chose to honor the fraudulently obtained agreement, because of their personal "honor" (sic).
Joshua demanded of the Gibeonites, "[Why] have you beguiled [deceived] us [with your lies]?" A better question would have been, "How could we have been so stupid as to get into this predicament?" The answer being that casual conversations involving actions contrary to God's law or instructions can lead, through human reasoning, to sin. (See Eve and the serpent).
The Common Factor
While many spend time attempting to justify lying for various reasons, including scriptural accounts where the end seems, by a too casual reading, to justify the means, something is being overlooked in all these accounts. In every case, the situation in which lying seemed to be the best or only choice, the participants could have avoided the situation entirely, had they been closer contact with God and obeying him more consistently.
A Radical Excuse
In more than a few discussions on "religious" forums, the question becomes, "Would you lie to save the lives of your own family?". The context usually includes the Jews hiding from Nazis in WWII and New Testament, prophetic accounts of future religious persecutions. What would you do? But again, a better question is, "Why are you in this predicament?".
Christ instructed, "But when they persecute you in this city, flee you into another, for verily I say unto you, You shall not [run out of places in which to hide] until the Son of man be come [return]." (Mat. 10:23). Prior to and during WWII, some Jewish people made this choice, even though they rejected the New Testament. Christ was a prophet who gave a warning, and when a "watchman's" warning is ignored, our blood "is upon our own head", or, our suffering is considered to be our own fault (Eze. 33:4).
In the context of the persecutions of the "end times", Christ spoke of being "accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass . . " (Lk. 21:36). And of a place of protection for some (Rev. 12:14). But not for everyone (Rev. 3:14-18).
In the meantime, if we are tempted to lie, Paul said God would always provide a way out of it. "There has no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Cor.10:13).
In view of God's promises, if authorities with death warrants are knocking on our door, we probably have some spiritual problems far greater than deciding on whether to fib or not.
The Causes of lying and deception:
Lying is a part of our (socially and culturally influenced) human nature, and it must be overcome and replaced by our imitation of Christ. As discussed elsewhere in these articles, it is caused by fear, hatred, and greed, all elements of human nature (Gal. 5:19-21).
"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." (Psalms 58:3).
Children learn lying from their parents.
". . . are you not children of transgression, a seed [the progeny] of falsehood?" (Isa. 57:4)."For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness; All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." --Christ, (Mk. 7:21-23).
"But now you also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:". (Col.3:8-10).
Lying, particularly self-deception, can be inspired by Satan (see Eve and the serpent, Gen. 3).
Prophets, religious teachers and leaders can be inspired by "lying spirits", demons or angels who followed Satan, and who are allowed by God to work through humans (1 K. 22:22) for the purpose of punishment of the wicked.
"You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (Jn. 8:44).
The lack of spiritual conversion is associated with deception. "For we ourselves also were sometimes . . . deceived . . .". (Tit. 3:3).
The deception of the "whole world" is caused by the "Babylonian" system. ". . . for by your sorceries were all nations deceived." (Rev. 18:13). As the rest of Rev. 18 shows, the Babylonian system is the world's system of business and trading, which is based on greed. Deception and lying are accepted as part of "doing business", as other articles in this series show.
At the end of the world as we know it ["teotwawki"] there will be a cooperative effort between the "Babylonian system" and a great "false prophet" who works miracles which "deceive" the world (Rev.19:20).
Satan contributes to this deception (Rev. 20:10).
The Results of Lying:"Seven Results of Lying:
1) You will attract liars into your life and business dealings.
(Prov 17:4 KJV) A wicked doer gives heed to false lips; and a liar gives ear to a naughty tongue.
Prov 17:4: Flatterers, especially false teachers, are welcome to those that live in sin.2) You will lack understanding.
(Psa 119:104 KJV) Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.3) You will never enjoy permanent success.
(Prov 12:19 KJV) The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Prov 12:19: Verse 19. If truth be spoken, it will hold good; whoever may be disobliged, still it will keep its ground.
(Prov 12:19 NIV) Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
(Prov 21:28 KJV) A false witness shall perish: but the man that hears speaks constantly.
Prov 21:28: Verse 28. The doom of a false witness is certain.4) You [may be exposed to spiritual] bondage and failure.
(Gal 2:4 KJV) And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:5) You will eventually be punished.
(Prov 19:5 KJV) A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaks lies shall not escape.
Prov 19:5: Verse 5. Those that tell lies in discourse, are in a fair way to be guilty of bearing false-witness.6) You will become a fool.
(Prov 10:18 KJV) He that hides hatred with lying lips, and he that utters a slander, is a fool.
Prov 10:18: Verse 18. He is especially a fool who thinks to hide anything from God; and malice is no better.7) Your lies will always come back to haunt you.
(Psa 7:14 KJV) Behold, he travails with iniquity, and has conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
(Psa 7:15 KJV) He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
(Psa 7:16 KJV) His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate.
Determine today to speak the truth!"
http://mcu.edu/papers/destiny.htm
8. Lying leads to worse crimes.
". . . for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood." (Hosea 4:1,2). One crime leads to another and becomes so widespread that the blood of one crime over laps the blood of another so that the whole land is covered in blood.
"Be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners [Gk.ethos, moral habits]" (1 Cor. 15:33). In other words, lying leads to the corruption of other morals.
The arguments from atheists:
From an atheist's web page:
"Let's look at the root of Christianity: the bible. I don't accept the Bible as a moral guide because it sanctions lying and deception. In many cases, lying is commanded by God, or God himself makes people lie. In other cases, liars go unpunished, or are even rewarded."
"Lying for God", Kenneth Harding, 2001, http://www.mbdojo.com/~rssl/lyingforgod.htmlSome of Mr. Harding's proposed proof texts are addressed above. Below the remainder are examined.
1. "If the prophet be deceived when he has spoken a thing, I the Lord have deceived that prophet." (Ezek. 14:9).
Ezekiel was a priest and prophet among the captives of the southern tribes of Judah, after they were taken to Babylonia as prisoners of the Chaldeans (Eze. 1:1-3). This was a punishment by God for their idolatry (Jer. 11:17).
In chapter 14, the elders of Israel (Judah) come before Ezekiel to "inquire of God". God tells Ezekiel to tell them that "I the Lord will answer him that comes according to the multitude of his idols: that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols: . . . "
God does not bless people who practice idolatry. Through Ezekiel, he told them that as long as they remained unrepentant, their "deceived" prophets (v.9) might be telling them things which were not true and if that were the case, then it was part of God's punishment upon them. The "deceived" prophet would also share in the punishment (v.10).
2. "0 Lord, thou have deceived me." (Jer. 20:7)
The Heb. word pathah, translated here as deceived, also has the meanings of entice, allure and persuaded. Other versions have this as, "O Lord, you have enticed me and I was persuaded: [to become your prophet, but this is too hard for me]". Jeremiah was a young man who often, as in the case here (Jer. 20) suffered imprisonment, harsh treatments and beatings, plus frequently having his life threatened. He sometimes felt sorry for himself and even seemed to do some whining upon occasion.
The context does not indicate in any way that he was accusing God of lying to him.3."Wilt thou [God] be altogether unto me as a liar?" (Jer. 15:18).
The full text of this verse is, "Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuses to be healed? will you be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?" (Jer. 15:18).
Notice that Jeremiah is not accusing God of lying, he is asking a question. This is after a monologue in which he mentions the good times and the bad times, or ups and downs of his being a prophet (vss.15-17). He asks if God will be like a river that fails when it is needed most, such as during the stressful heat of summer. God replied, ". . . If you return . . .", i.e. "do what I command", [then I will protect you.] (Jer. 15:19-21). Jeremiah, like all of us, sometimes had problems with faith and he suffered the consequences-- a lack of immediate healing, a feeling of being deserted, and doubts about himself and his calling. He wasn't a "bullfrog" as the song goes, but sometimes he was, like us, a spiritual weenie.
4. "God shall send them strong delusion that they should believe a lie." (2 Thess. 2:11).
The full context for this begins with Paul telling the Thessalonians in verses 1-3, don't get hysterical as though Christ were coming at any moment now. Don't be deceived, ". . . for that day shall not come . . ." until after a great "falling away" and after the "false Christ" sits in the Temple claiming to be God (vss. 3-4).
In verse 7, he tells them that this "mystery of iniquity", a false system of Christianity, is already in place and working. Also in this verse, ". . . only [God] who now [allows this to happen] will [continue to allow it to happen] until [the false Christ is removed] . . .".
Verse 8, At that time, shall the "Wicked [one] be revealed, . . . [whom Christ] shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Verse 9, The same Wicked one, "whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders [great miracles],
Verse 10, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. "
Verse 11, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: "
Verse 12, "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."Everyone has a choice, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both you and your [descendants] may live:" (Deu. 30:19).
God doesn't play games with us regarding his offer of eternal life, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted [peirazo, tested in the sense of enticed] of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death." (Jas. 1:13-15).
God does test our faith to prove whether or not we will obey him. " . . .God did tempt (nacah) Abraham . . .". [Heb. nacah, 5254, to test, prove, try].When, in God's judgment, some people have demonstrated that they are not going to repent, eventually God gives up on them. "And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them." (Rom. 1:28-32).
In such cases, God gives people the freedom to demonstrate the full extent of their rebellious and evil nature. God doesn't make people evil, but he allows them to make that choice. God doesn't deceive people but he does allow them to choose deception, which begins with self-deception or delusion. Sometimes he even provokes the situation. In Ex.3:19, he told Moses up front, that, "I am sure the king of Egypt will not let you go, [not even when I bring "heavy" curses on him]". After Pharaoh refused to release them, God "hardened his heart" (Ex. 7:13). This accomplishes two things. It allows people to demonstrate beyond a reasonable doubt and in full public view, whether they have chosen good or evil. It also allows God to demonstrate his response to evil and to demonstrate his power to the world, "And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." (Ex. 7:5).
5. "In speaking about the promised land, God says: "Doubtless ye shall not come into the land, concerning which I aware to make you dwell therein, . . . and ye shall know my breach of promise." (Num. 14:30-34)."
This strong statement from God is a response to the Israelites whining (Num.14:1), complaining (v. 2,), self-pity (v.3), rebellion (v. 4), and their unanimous decision ("all the congregation") to kill Moses and Aaron (v.10). They had broken the covenant they agreed to in Ex. 24:7. God's response is, "You have broken your promise, now you will know my breach of promise. All of you over the age of 20, (except Joshua and Caleb) shall die in the wilderness and you shall not inherit the land." (Num. 27-38).
Actually this was part of God's promise of what would happen if they failed to keep their part of the covenant (Lev. 26:14-33).
6. "God commands Moses to deceive Pharaoh (Ex. 3:18),"
There is no "Thou shalt deceive" in this account. God instructs Moses that his first request of Pharoah be in the diplomatic and gentle form of, "let us go, we ask you, three days journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he punish or kill us.".
Pharaoh was never deceived about the extent of what was being asked, even though the request was very diplomatic in form. In Ex. 10:11, after seven plagues, he offered to let only the adult men go while the children (and mothers) stayed behind to insure that they would all return to Egypt. In verse 24, after the the eighth plague, he offers to let them take the children, but they must leave their herds and flocks behind.
Moses was diplomatic up until their last meeting, but he was never deceptive.7. ". . . [God] rewards the midwives for their deception (Ex. 1:15-20)".
Sometimes it's just a matter of looking down the wrong end of the gun barrel. "And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God [more than Pharoah], that he made them houses [blessed and established their heritages]" (Ex. 1:21).
The blessing was for fearing God and obeying him in not "killing" the infants. How they chose to deal with Pharoah and his orders was up to their discretion. The lying was their choice. Could God have protected and blessed them if they had refused Pharoah to his face? In view of what he soon did to the whole nation and to Pharoah, there is no doubt that he could have protected them. They had enough faith to obey the law of not killing, they just didn't have enough faith to tell Pharoah the truth about it. But the statement is clear, the midwives were blessed for fearing God not for lying to Pharoah.8. ". . . [God] instructs Samuel to deceive Saul (1 Sam. 16:2)."
Again, there is no "Thou shalt deceive" in this account. God tells Samuel that one of Jesse's sons will be king in place of Saul, who has disqualified himself (1 Sam. 15:26-28). In chapter 16, Samuel is told to take oil, which indicates the new king will be anointed. Samuel is afraid of Saul, and not without some justification, since Saul was ready to kill his own son over the breaking of a foolish vow which Saul had made during a battle with the Philistines (ch. 14).
In view of Samuel's fear (a lack of faith), God points out to him a reasonable and true purpose for his trip, to offer a sacrifice. Samuel never encounters Saul on this trip. When the community elders meet him, in fear of God, because everyone is aware of God's displeasure with Saul's actions, they are anxious to know if something bad is about to happen (1 Sam. 16:4). Samuel reassures them by repeating his purpose, "I am come to sacrifice unto the Lord . . . come with me . . ." (v.5). A sacrifice always served some purpose. Everyone knew that Saul was to be replaced. For Samuel to show up unexpectedly to host a sacrifice had significant implications. If there was any doubt, it disappeared when Jesse began his parade of sons before Jesse, with each one being rejected with, "neither has the Lord chosen this one." (v.9).
Finally, David is brought in, Samuel anoints him and then he leaves town.There was no deception. There was no attempt to deceive. No one was deceived.
9. "David, Elisha, and Jeremiah, three of God's holiest men, were liars 1 Sam. 27; 2 Kings, 8:7-15; Jer. 38:24-27)."
This account of David is explained above. The reference in 2 Kings 8 is explained above and it was not Elisha that lied but Gehazi, as Mr. Harding correctly mentions in another reference to 2 Kings 8.
In Jeremiah 38, the princes of Judah asked the King for permission to kill Jeremiah because his prophecies were consistently "bad news" for the nation. Of course it was bad news because that was God's response for of the idolatry of the people and their leaders. In verse 5, the King, in order to appease them and try to maintain some kind of control over the nation, says in effect, "He's all yours.".
But instead of killing him outright, they put him down a well in the dungeon, where he sank into the mud and was left to starve to death. One of the King's servants pleaded with the King, who instructed him to rescue Jeremiah.
The King then met privately with Jeremiah for his unreserved advice. Jeremiah, responded with, "If I tell you, you'll probably kill me." The King promised to spare his life and to keep him out of the hands of the princes.
Jeremiah tells him the truth, that if he does not surrender to the Chaldeans, the nation will be defeated and Jerusalem burned. This is the same message for which the princes already wanted to kill him (vss. 1-4) and for which they had left him to starve. The King keeps his promise to spare his life, but advises Jeremiah that if he doesn't want to get killed, he shouldn't repeat the prophetic part of their conversation to anyone. But the fact is that this message had already been made publicly (vss. 1-4).
He further advises Jeremiah that if the princes hear about this conversation, and if they interrogate him, that he should repeat only the part about the King's promise that he would not be imprisoned again in "Jonathon's house" to await his death there.
The princes do interrogate him and are satisfied with his answers. There is no mention of lying or deception. Jeremiah withheld certain information at that time, but it was nothing that he had not already said to them (vss. 1-4).God promised Jeremiah protection from the start (Jer. 1:8, 17-19). He also warned him that if he lacked faith, he would have problems (v.17). And Jeremiah had problems often because of his fears. That is why he was imprisoned and left for dead. That is why he was in this predicament between the King, the princes and death. But God never instructed him to lie. And there is no statement to the effect that he did lie.
10. "Paul used deception and boasted of it. He says: "Being crafty, I caught you with guile." (2 Cor. 12:16) "Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews." (1 Cor. 9:20) "I am made all things to all men." (1 Cor. 9:22) "For if the truth of God has more abounded through my lie unto his glory, why yet am I also judged as a sinner?" (Rom. 3:7)"
We could examine each of these references in detail, but in the same manner as all of the previous scriptures offered above, they are taken out of context here in an attempt to prove a lie, that the Bible teaches and approves lying.
Paul relationship with the Corinthians was one-way (v. 15). He gave, they took. They didn't appreciate his sacrifices or his suffering, even when it was on their behalf. They never contributed to helping him financially or otherwise (vss. 14-16). They esteemed other, questionable "leaders" above Paul (v.11-12; 13:3). He wrote, "the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved." (v.15). His attitude was one of ready, and willing self-sacrifice for them, "I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;" (v. 15). In this context, he emphasizes, "I did not burden you;".
The rest of this verse in the KJV reads, "nevertheless, being crafty, I caught you with guile." The Greek word translated here as "nevertheless" is alla which means "other things, i.e. contrariwise" or as we would put it, "otherwise". The meaning here is "I did not burden you, [alla] otherwise, being [panourgos] shrewd, I caught you with [dolos] a trick.". Paul anticipates this allegation [see JFB] and he answers it with a question, "Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? In verse 19 he answers himself, "we do all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying."When we quote scriptures out of context simply to prove our personal opinion, we have begun to practice self-deception, we have begun to attempt to deceive others, or we have done both.
A valid objection by atheists:
From an atheist's web page:
"The following passages are from The Bible, by John Remsburg, circa 1901."
"The primitive Christians, accepting the Bible as infallible authority, naturally regarded lying for God's glory not a vice but a virtue. Mosheim in his Ecclesiastical History says: "It was an established maxim with many Christians, that it was pardonable in an advocate for religion to avail himself of fraud and deception, if it were likely they might conduce toward the attainment of any considerable good."
Dean Milman, in his History of Christianity says: "It was admitted and avowed that to deceive into Christianity was so valuable a service as to hallow deceit itself."
Dr. Lardner says: "Christians of all sorts were guilty of this fraud."
Bishop Fell writes: "In the first ages of the church, so extensive was the license of forging, so credulous were the people in believing that the evidence of transactions was grievously obscured."
M. Daille, one of the most distinguished of French Protestants, says: "For a good end they made no scruple to forge whole books."
Dr. Gieseler says they "quieted their conscience respecting the forgery with the idea of their good intention."
Dr. Priestley says they "thought it innocent and commendable to lie for the sake of truth."
Scaliger says: "They distrusted the success of Christ's kingdom without the aid of lying."
That these admissions are true, that primitive Christianity was propagated chiefly by falsehood, is tacitly admitted by all Christians. They characterize as forgeries, or unworthy of credit, three-fourths of the early Christian writings.
The thirty-second chapter of the Twelfth Book of Eusebius's Evangelical Preparation bears this significant title: "How far it may be proper to use falsehood as a medicine, and for the benefit of those who require to be deceived." Bishop Heliodorus affirms that a "falsehood is a good thing when it aids the speaker and does no harm to the hearers." Synesius, another early Christian bishop, writes: "The people are desirous of being deceived; we cannot act otherwise with them." That is what most modern theologians think.
With Dr. Thomas Burnett, they believe that "Too much light is hurtful to weak eyes." That the methods employed in establishing the church are still used in perpetuating its power, a glance at the so-called Christian literature of the day will suffice to show. Read the works of our sectarian publishers, examine the volumes that compose our Sunday-school libraries, peruse our religious papers and periodicals, and you will see that age has but confirmed this habit formed in infancy. Every church dogma is a lie; and based upon lies, the church depends upon fraud for its support. The work of its ministers is not to discover and promulgate truths, but to invent and disseminate falsehoods. In the words of Isaiah, they well might say: "We have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.""
"Lying for God", Kenneth Harding, 2001, http://www.mbdojo.com/~rssl/lyingforgod.html
These quotes, if they are accurate, make a valid point but not the one the web page author proposes. What these quotes show, is that by God's standards, and by the principles set forth in scripture, these people are not "Christians", they are simply liars.
This in no way discredits the Bible, nor demonstrates God as a promoter or rewarder of lying.The people referred to above are simply liars who give God's truth a bad name. Peter makes reference to them, "But there were false prophets also among the people even as there shall be false teachers among you . . . And many shall follow their pernicious ways by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned [lying] words make merchandise of you [use you as a cash machine]: whose judgment . . . and their damnation [is not far off]." (2 Pet. 2:1-3).
People who lie in the name of doing God's work will not go unpunished.
"Cursed be he that does the work of the Lord deceitfully (7423), . . ." Jer. 48:10.
["deceitfully, 7423: remiyah, remissness, treachery: deceit, false, guile."]
The Bible on Truth:
"For the perfecting of the saints, . . .
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: . . .
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things which is the head, even Christ:" Eph. 4:11-15."Lord, who shall abide in your tabernacle: who shall dwell in your holy hill? He that walks uprightly and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. He that backbites (slanders) not with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against (disgraces) his neighbor." Psa. 15:1-3.
"Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that has clean hands, and a pure heart: who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation." Psa. 24:3-5.
God the Father, the Author of Truth, John 17:3, 1 Jn. 1:5God's Son is the Incarnation of Truth, John 1:14, John 14:6
God's Spirit is the Revelation of Truth, John 14:17, 16:13
God’s Word is the Inscription of Truth, John 17:17, 1 Cor. 2:10ff
"But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil." (Mat. 5:37).
"But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and [your] nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." (Jas. 5:12).
"Maybe Christ didn't like the idea of a double standard for truth where we try to drag God in on our side to make our lies sound more sincere."
http://www.s-t.com/daily/10-98/10-11-98/a10op037.htm
How to stop lying:
1. Acknowledge the sin to ourselves, and in our prayers to God.
"For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me." Psa. 51:3. (See all of Psa. 51 for an example of a repentant attitude.)
Think about the extent to which lying is a part of our lives, individually and collectively. Study the scriptures that explain God's hatred and intolerance of all forms of lying. Meditate on how often we lie to others and to ourselves, especially with "little lies" and "flattering lies".
2. Realize that sin comes from within.
"For as [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he:" Pro. 23:7.
"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts,covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man." Mk. 7:21:23.
3. Overcoming sin requires learning to control our thoughts. It requires that we resist doing something simply because "everybody does it".
"And be not conformed to this world: but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God." Rom. 12:2.
4. Pray daily for God's help in overcoming.
"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer." Psa. 19:14.
5. When we are tempted to sin, we must substitute right thoughts in place of wrong ones."Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, . . . honest, . . .just, . . . pure, . . .lovely, . . . of good report; if there be any virtue, . . any praise, think on these things." Phil. 4:8.
6. Determine, with God's help to change and overcome.
". . . I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress." Psa. 17:3.
"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." Psa. 39:1.
7. Think before you lie, and choose to tell only the truth.
"Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and you upon earth: therefore let your words be few."
"Suffer not your mouth to cause your flesh to sin; neither say you before the angel, that it was an error (Heb.- a mistake, inadvertent transgression, done in ignorance, unaware or unwittingly) wherefore should God be angry at your voice , and destroy the work of your hands?" Ec. 5:2, 6.
In other words, don't lie and then try to deceive God about it afterwards because it will only provoke him further."The heart of the righteous studies to answer: but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things." Pro. 15:28.
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" Jas.1:19.
8. Avoid the company of liars.
"Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in my integrity: I have trusted also in the Lord; therefore I shall not slide. Examine me, O Lord, and prove, me; try my reins and my heart. For thy lovingkindness is before my eyes: and I have walked in your truth. I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers (Heb. alam, to veil, conceal, blind, secret, i.e. deceive by secrets or lies) I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked." (Psa. 26:1-5).
9. Rejoice in the benefits of living with truth instead of lies.
"Whoso keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles." Pro. 21:23.
"A man has joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!" Pro. 15:23.
"For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile." 1 Pet. 3:10.
10. One of the main reasons for lying is fear. Do not fear.
"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love." 1 Jn. 4:18.If we trust completely in God, then we should not lie out of fear:
"The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid." Zeph. 3:13.
Society approves of lies and earns God's condemnation:
Jer. 5:25-31" . . . your sins have withheld good things from you. For among my people are found wicked men: . . . As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses of full of deceit (4820): therefore they are become great, and [grown] rich. . . .
An [amazing] and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will you do in the end thereof?"Jer. 9:2-11 "O that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, says the Lord.
Take you heed every one of his neighbor, and trust you not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. Your habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them: . . .
Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaks deceit: one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in heart he lays his wait. Shall I not visit them for these things? says the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such an nation as this? . . . I will make the cities desolate, without an inhabitant.""As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understands, there is none that seeks after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that does good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open [grave]; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Rom. 3:10-18).
"Know you not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived . . . " (1 Cor. 6:9).
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap." (Gal. 6:7).
"We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error." 1 Jn. 4:6
Deception and deceit are the actions of fools. " . . . the folly of fools is deceit." (Pro. 14:8).
Conclusion
"We all roar like bears and mourn sore like doves; we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation but it is far off from us. For our transgressions [sins] are multiplied before you [God], and our sins testify against us; for our [sins] are with us; and as for our iniquities [sins], we know them; In transgressing and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. And judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yes, truth fails; and he that departs from evil makes himself a prey: and the Lord saw it , and it displeased him that there was no judgment." Isa. 59:11-15.
In other words, we are all "outraged" by all the lying in the world. We all "mourn" the death of truth, whining like somebody died. The solution is beyond our reach "because of all our sins". And "we know we have sinned".
We think up lies to tell, and we tell lies so sincerely, "from the heart".
Truth "lies dead in the street", dying out, and those who "depart evil" by speaking the truth "make themselves prey", exposing themselves to anger and hatred, to harm, to persecution, and to death.God sees that there is no justice, no truth and God is not a "happy camper", to put it mildly.
The fact is, that God is merciful. Mercy is the act of God making an exception to his own laws when we repent. But only he has the right and the power to do that. With that in mind, we read of some individuals in scripture who lied or deceived someone and there is no mention of immediate punishment. In most of these cases, the natural results were, in themselves, a punishment. God doesn't always have to rain down fire and brimstone, or do it immediately. No man in the Bible was perfect except for Christ and Christ did not lie: ". . . neither was any deceit [Heb. fraud, deceit, false, guile, treachery] in his mouth." (Isa. 53:9).
No one other than Christ, had perfect faith. David said he didn't, even though God considered him "a man after my own heart" (Acts 13:22). Sometimes God, in his great patience, gives us time to change, as he did with Jacob.God's great mercy and patience should not be confused for approval or even tolerance. Unrepentant liars will not be given eternal life.