Exodus 20:16 Living Bible
16 “You must not lie.[a]
Word of God for the Children of God
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Quotes from Our first President of the United States George Washington:
https://www.mountvernon.org/george-washington/biography
“I hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is the best policy.”
Farewell Address to the People of the United States | Monday, September 19, 1796
“Truth will ultimately prevail where pains is taken to bring it to light.”
Letter to Charles M. Thruston | Sunday, August 10, 1794
“Still I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain (what I consider the most enviable of all titles) the character of an honest man.”
George Washington to Alexander Hamilton | Thursday, August 28, 1788
Every command of Scripture serves not only as an instruction for our lives but also as a reflection of who God is.
The command against adultery is rooted in His faithfulness.
The forbidding of murder flows from the life-giving Lord.
And so it is with the ninth commandment against bearing false witness, which comes from the promise-keeping God of all truth, who does not and cannot lie (Numbers 23:19).
What does the Lord have in view when He instructs us not to bear false witness?
It is surely safe to assume that this commandment concerns any form of speech that is far less than truthful.
There are many ways we fall short.
We do it by outright deceit, when we provide false information or withhold the truth in some way.
We do it when we participate in rumors, spreading gossip about others.
We do it by slandering and flattering others.
We do it when we exaggerate the truth, give false impressions, and are careless with the facts. All of this falls short of the divine standard.
In a Court of Law …
According to Maryland Code, Criminal Law §9-101, a person commits the crime of perjury if they “willfully and falsely” make a statement about a “material fact” after taking an oath or any other affirmation under state law.
What is the penalty for perjury in Maryland?
§1621 specifies that those found guilty of perjury may be imprisoned for up to five years or fined according to the statutory guidelines. These guidelines allow for fines of up to $250,000.
A vital component of fighting against the temptation to lie is to understand why we lie in the first place.
The source of lies is none other than Satan himself, about whom Jesus says, “When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Deceit was his strategy in the Garden of Eden, when he approached Eve with a lying tongue.
Tragically, we are often driven by the same motives as the Evil One when we lie: pride, hatred, and fear. We lie out of pride when we want others to think highly of us. We deceive out of hatred because we want to tear down someone else.
We speak untruth out of a fear of the consequences that we think would result from the raw truth being known. In all of this, we lie because in those moments we love ourselves more than we love God and our neighbors.
The reality is that God hates deception (Proverbs 6:16-19).
Proverbs 6:16-19 Living Bible
16-19 For there are six things the Lord hates—no, seven: haughtiness, lying, murdering, plotting evil, eagerness to do wrong, a false witness, sowing discord among brothers.
In order for us to walk in the truth, we must crucify our pride and be more concerned with what God thinks of us than with what someone else thinks.
We must put away malice and pursue love for others, committing to never speaking slanderously or spreading gossip.
And we must fight an ungodly fear of man, replacing it with the fear of God, who came in flesh, declared Himself to be “the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
The Lord Jesus has given His people His Spirit of truth (John 15:26), who empowers us to walk in the truth and put away falsehood.
Only by His power are we increasingly conformed into the image of Christ and ever more reflecting the character of the God who gave the 9th commandment.
Consider now in which situations and in what ways you are most often tempted to bear false witness.
On this first day of Lent consider, pray about how will the immutable truth about Jesus, His saving gospel, His indwelling Spirit motivate you to speak differently from now on—to speak the whole truth, as a follower of the truth?
In the name of God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Pray …
Psalm 15 Living Bible
15 Lord, who may go and find refuge and shelter in your tabernacle up on your holy hill?
2 Anyone who leads a blameless life and is truly sincere. 3 Anyone who refuses to slander others, does not listen to gossip, never harms his neighbor, 4 speaks out against sin, criticizes those committing it, commends the faithful followers of the Lord, keeps a promise even if it ruins him, 5 does not crush his debtors with high interest rates, and refuses to testify against the innocent despite the bribes offered him—such a man shall stand firm forever.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 