I Swear To Tell The Truth . . . Or Do I?

Daily Bread

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The Scriptures say,

Psalm 118:24

“This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it”

And so we do just that, setting our hearts to “rejoice and be glad in . . . the day which the LORD has made.” Blessed be His name!

In his letter to the church at Ephesus note what the apostle Paul instructed the believers to do,

Ephesians 4:25

“Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor’“

Pretty clear instruction, would you not agree? New Testament counsel to the believer in Christ is to be “putting away lying” and in turn, “speak(ing) truth with (our) neighbor.” What they had been doing, “lying,” they were to “put away,” they were not to do it any longer. Believers are called to speak the “truth” with those around them.

Yesterday, as I watched the Today Show, I listened to a couple of counselors speak on the matter of, “How To Effectively Use Lying As A Skill.” These so-called experts in their field were explaining to anyone watching the program that a person can “use fibbing to move forward.” In other words, to get what one desires or to get to where one desires to be, say a job or position or some other goal, a person should use lying in a calculated manner to achieve his or her objective. They went even further by saying within their presentation that, as long as one looks at it as, “It’s a lie, but it doesn’t really hurt anybody,” well, that is lying responsibly.

It was interesting to note that one of the Today commentators seemed a bit hesitant, or at least I perceived her to be. She noted that maybe this practice might if used too often and too much, cause a loss of one’s “moral center or moral compass.” The counselors stated that it can be a slippery slope if, as one is using lying to achieve their objectives, they start to use lying so much that it becomes hard to separate what is true and what is not.

Worldly Counsel

As I listened to the speakers tout their theories I felt a twinge of sorrow for those who are not in Christ, who do not use or believe the Word of God. For this type of counsel certainly appeals to the fallen nature. People will note what is being said and they will put it to practice. And why not? Aren’t we being told that, in effect, it really is okay?

Did you hear that? The culture of our fallen world runs smack dab into the commandments of God. Man and God clash! Dr.John Morris writes that “we do well to recognize that we are in enemy territory.” We who belong to Christ seek to do His will and not the will of those who are not in Christ, and in “enemy territory” that is continuing to decay at a rapid pace, lying is not an acceptable practice for the Christian. We must be on the alert, on our biblical toes . . . for the world around us is showing the truths of God’s judgment as the downward beat goes on . . .

Romans 1:28-29

“And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness . . .”

We need to constantly be aware that our nation, the world, does not “see fit to acknowledge God any longer.” Thus, “God (gives) them over to a depraved mind,” and the result of this is that they “do things which are not proper.” Depravity sets in motion all kinds of “unrighteousness” (Romans 1:29-32), for it is to be noted that without the counsel of Scripture mankind becomes his or her own compass in determining what is right and what is wrong. And left to his or her own counsel . . . judgment is inevitable.

Have a good day brethren . . . and as you walk beware of the depraved counsel of the world! Know the Word of God that you may be able to counter its lies with truth!

Read: Is It OK to Lie (like Rahab did) to Bring About Good?

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