The human love affair with lying …

Humanity has bought a lie about lying — the idea that it sometimes has positive applications.

We don’t look at lying like God does; instead, we often apply a “cost-benefit analysis” to lying, reasoning that sometimes there are benefits to lying that may actually outweigh the cost. For example, if we can tell a lie to avoid “hurting someone’s feelings,” we think there is benefit for doing so, and no real (or “serious”) cost. I once had a minister and a men’s ministry leader tell me I should “enhance” (lie on) my resume!

We exercise this faulty reasoning to such a degree that many of us have deeply ingrained into our lives a practice of deceit. Lying has become a way of life. The book, The Day American Told the Truth, reported that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents, 75 percent to friends, 73 percent to siblings, and 69 percent to spouses. Falsehoods can roll off our tongues with ease, like some of these famous American “fibs” …

– The check is in the mail.
– I’ll start my diet tomorrow.
– We service what we sell.
– Give me your number and the doctor will call you right back.
– Money cheerfully refunded.
– One size fits all.
– This offer limited to the first 100 people who call in.
– Your luggage isn’t lost, it’s only misplaced.
– Leave your resume and we’ll keep it on file.
– This hurts me more than it hurts you.
– I just need five minutes of your time.
– Your table will be ready in a few minutes.
– Open wide, it won’t hurt a bit.
– Let’s have lunch sometime.

We know none of these are true, but we lob them from our mouths anyway, thinking they’re far more convenient than trying to accomplish something with the truth. Lying is certainly a partner to laziness, as we employ lies in an attempt to cover not only what we’ve done but shouldn’t have, but also what we haven’t done, like the people in this story …

A minister told his congregation, “Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17.” The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, the minister asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had read Mark 17. Every hand went up. The minister smiled and said, “Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying.”

We can be so addicted to lying that it’s not the lying we regret when caught, it’s the getting caught we dislike.

What’s the problem with lying? Let’s look at a few things …

Lying is sin. Period. That’s all the reason we need to rid lying from our lives. Let’s take a moment to look at just a few scriptures referencing lying:

“There are six things the Lord hates — no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family,” Proverbs 6:16-19.

“The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth,” Proverbs 12:22.

“So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body,” Ephesians 4:25.

“For the Scriptures say, ‘If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies,'” 1 Peter 3:10.

“But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars — their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death,” Revelation 21:8.

Lying has evil intent. Jesus taught that we should speak the truth in a very clear and concise manner, and anything other than the truth is of evil:

“Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one,” Matthew 5:37.

Being a liar is incompatible to being children of God. It’s one thing to occasionally fail and sin by lying, but to have a practice of lying is not the behavior of a disciple of Jesus …

“Jesus told them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, because I have come to you from God. I am not here on my own, but he sent me. Why can’t you understand what I am saying? It’s because you can’t even hear me! For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies. So when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe me! Which of you can truthfully accuse me of sin? And since I am telling you the truth, why don’t you believe me? Anyone who belongs to God listens gladly to the words of God. But you don’t listen because you don’t belong to God,” John 8:42-47.

There is no good purpose to lying. Our intent when lying is to deceive and/or manipulate. We cannot achieve any good or righteous thing by lying.

“The godly hate lies; the wicked cause shame and disgrace,” Proverbs 13:5.

Lying, as with any sin, is something that we must confess and repent of. Even with a life-long habit of lying and deceit we can come to Christ an be set free from slavery to this sin:

“But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness,” 1 John 1:9.

“Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” John 8:31-32.

The truth of Christ will set you free to be a truth-teller!

Scotty