Saturday, August 13, 2005

Exhortation-To Tell the Truth

Prov 12:19 19 The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

The lip of truth, or the truthful lip shall be established but the lying tongue, or a liar, is but for a moment. Be sure your lie will find you out.

Be wise with your tongue. Lies are not comely for the saints. We often deceive ourselves before we deceive others. We think telling a technical truth is not a lie but we are greatly mistaken. An attempt to deceive is a lie. If you are deceiving those to whom you have placed a trust of honor then you are sinning. A twisting of truth to your parents is a sinful lie. Children, when your mother asks if you cleaned your room and you answer yes, are you telling the truth or spinning it again? Picking up one shirt in a messy room is not the same as cleaning your room. The fact that you cleaned one thing does not make your technical truth, the truth. This is a lie. Did you do your homework? Well, starting on it but not finishing it is not the same thing. If you know that your mother means “Did you finish your homework?” and you are trying to spin starting your homework into answering the question yes, then you are getting too good at telling lies. These same kinds of truth spinning are also lies when told to your teacher.

A lie to a boss is a sin. He says, "Did you guys get that project done that I asked you to do?" If your mind immediately begins to find ways to answer yes, when the answer is no, then you too are prone to telling lies. Better to answer, "We are not done yet" than to say “Yes” and intend to get done before he checks up. You men and boys, particularly, need to listen. Do not make excuses. Do not deflect your responsibilities. Just because you may get away with it with mother or with a naïve boss, does not mean that you get away with it. God sees all from heaven. He even sees into your heart. He knows you in your inmost dwelling and most secret place. What do you do there? Do you honor God in your thoughts and in your secret deeds? If not, do you then try to spin the truth to your mother, father, spouse, boss, or even to God?

Spinning the truth is a modern political euphism for telling lies. All such lies are sinful. Do not do this.We must be known as Christians, indeed, followers of our Messiah in true integrity. Too many Christians are very busy about keeping up appearances of righteousness while all the while nursing a secret precious sin. Nursing a precious sin will make you ugly, hideous and inhuman. But forsaking the sin for Christ’s sake will give you cleanliness, peace and rest, and put you on the path of that most precious possession, a good name.

No comments: