Ex 20:16: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
This command includes all forms and ways of lying. Lying is intentionally giving false witness and it is a sin. There is nothing like a ‘small lie’ or a ‘big lie’ in the eyes of God. All liars and lies are the same (with same intensity).
Forms of lies
- Direct lies
There are many ways in which a man can lie. In courts, people are lying, giving false witnessing to attain injustice, perverting justice by siding with their people or showing favoritism.
- Slandering
Slandering is another way of lying. It is speaking falsehood about another person. Leviticus 19:16 Do not go about spreading slander among your people.
- Gossip and rumors
Spreading gossips and rumors is forbidden. Exodus 23:1 Do not spread false reports. Do not help a wicked man by being a malicious witness.
- Flattering
Flattering is lying and it is a sin. If someone or something looks bad or is wrong, stand with the truth, do not flatter. Half-naked and nude picture are filling up the social media, like Facebook and twitter, people looking for flattering ‘sweet nothing words’, and people are ready to flatter you and this is all wrong and a sin. If you are part of all this, it is a sin run away from it.
- False Gospel
There are a lot of people who are out their teaching and preaching a false gospel. We should be careful with who we associate with and the so-called ‘men of God’. Many of them are spreading lies, preaching a different gospel not the truth.
Let us stop lying to ourselves. If you are a Christian, live like a Christian and not being a Christian in the day and in the night you are partying with the devil.
The Lord denounces lying as the work of the devil. You are of your father the devil, . . . there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies John 8:44.
Lying is to be condemned. It is a profanation of speech, whereas the purpose of speech is to communicate known truth to others. The deliberate intention of leading a neighbor into error by saying things contrary to the truth constitutes a failure in justice and charity.
Truth sets free
Jesus has taught us that only the truth will set us free (John 8:32). If this be the case then anything which distorts the truth leads to bondage. The eighth commandment calls us to love the truth and to love one another by proclaiming the truth and witnessing to it in sincerity with mutual respect and love.
God hates lying and He warns us of it. Leviticus 19:11-12 Do not lie. Do not deceive one another. Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God
Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
True Christian, Christ-like, must always fight to stand, witness and be dedicated to the truth as Jesus did. Since we have been born again, put on the new self, no lying should be heard from us.
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator Colossians 3:9-10.
Be blessed.
