Proverbs Pt. 24 God hates lying. Put your Trust in the LORD God of Truth!

We enjoyed a blessed day with our church family and were spiritually refreshed by the faithful preaching of God's Word and being able to lift our voices together in praise to God. 

Proverbs 6:16-19  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17) A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19) A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. 

A lying tongue. The list of seven sins relate to what we learned about the "naughty" person who has a forward heart that is ungovernable. This specific sin is mentioned four times in the book of Proverbs. The first item on this list that God hates is the sin of pride. I pointed out that the sin of pride is why Lucifer was expelled from heaven. A lying tongue is also connected to Satan. 

We all know what a lying tongue refers to. It refers to a person who frequently tells lies. This person is happy to tell you what you want to hear even if it is false. Their lies cause chaos, confusion and distrust among those people who hear the lies.

Lying tongues are all too common in our culture. Human Resource professionals report that up to 88% of all job applicants lie on their resumés! A professional Psychiatric institute estimated from a survey that an average American tells about 2 lies per day. Prospective college students frequently lie on their applications to enhance their chances of being accepted into a school. 

U.S. News & World Report detailed the impact of lying upon a persons health. Lying is thought to trigger the release of stress fighting hormones which in turn, cause migraines, higher blood pressure, lower back pain and a reduced ability to fight infections.  

Satan is the father of lies.

John 8:42-44  Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. 43) Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. 44) Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

If you remember from our studies in John's gospel, Jesus condemned the Pharisees as being descendants of their father, the devil. They would not hear the clear teaching of Jesus and they rejected Him from being their Messiah. Jesus pointed out that they cannot understand what He said to them because they cannot hear His word. They cannot hear the words of life and truth from Christ because the devil is their father. 

Satan has a lying tongue. He is the father of lies according to the Lord Jesus Christ. Genesis 3:1-5 contains the account of the lies he used to snare Adam and Eve in sin. First, he questioned what God said and planted seeds of doubt in Eve's mind. Second, he changed the truth into a lie by contradicting what God said would happen if they ate the forbidden fruit. Third, Satan compounded his lies by insinuating that God was holding back something from Adam and Eve that was good for them. If they ate the forbidden fruit they would become like God. 

Lying Wonders of the Devil 

2 Thessalonians 2:9-12  Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10) And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11) And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12) That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

Paul wrote about the last days in his letter to the church at Thessalonica. He detailed the reign of the AntiChrist who will be propagating the lying wonders of Satan. Lying is mentioned four times in this passage. We see that there will be deception, lies and resistance to the truth. People will strongly reject the truth of God's Word and it will be so bad that He will send a strong delusion so that all who reject Divine truth will believe the lies. 

Liars deny that Jesus Christ is God in the flesh.

2 John 1:7  For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

The apostle John gave specific tests to determine if someone was speaking for God or not. The test was if they taught that Jesus Christ had come in the flesh. If they did not confess this truth, then they were liars and of the spirit of anti-Christ  (See 1 John 2:18-27). 

Liars will abound in the last days.

2 Timothy 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

This text begins with the phrase "that in the last days, perilous times shall come." It will be a time when evil men and those who seduce people away from the truth of God's Word will gain increased influence and their lies and deceptions will spread everywhere. Deceit, deception and seduction based upon lies will be there main tool. 

God cannot lie.

Titus 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; 3:9  Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;

Our eternal hope is built upon the fact that God cannot lie. He is the God of all Truth. We read that three times in the Bible He is called "the God of truth." 

Hebrews 6:18  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:

The promises of God are immutable, meaning that no man can alter them and God will not change them. The writer of Hebrews, like Paul, tells us it is impossible for God to lie. 

Numbers 23:19  God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? 

God is not man therefore, He cannot lie because what He says is what He will do. 

Jehovah El Emeth: The LORD God of Truth!

Psalm 31:5  Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

This divine name is only found one time in the Bible and it is connected with King David experiencing much trouble. David's distress and misery changed when He cried out to the  unchanging Jehovah. Jehovah is the God who inhabits eternity and who dwells with those who have humble hearts and contrite spirits. Jehovah always keeps His promises and always does what He said He will do. Therefore, we commit ourselves to the God of all truth. 

Thoughts to Ponder...

As always, the Word of God contains the powerful antidote to the poison of lying. We will look at a few texts to help us understand how to battle against this sin. 

God does not tolerate liars.

Psalm 101:7  He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight. 

We need to see lying as God sees it. This text shows us that the deceivers and liars will not be permitted in the presence of God. 

Lying is of the "old man" that we must put off. 

Colossians 3:8-11  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him: 11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all. 

Paul used a pattern of putting off the "old man" things and to put on the "new man" created when we were born again. Paul specifically tells us to put off filthy communication out of our mouth's and this would certainly include lying. Paul then commands us "Lie not to one another" because we have put off the old man and his deeds. Lying is part of the old man that we must do battle with each day until the Lord calls us home. 

Replace lying with God honoring words.

Psalm 19:14  Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.

This is the prayer of the Psalmist and it is a good prayer for us too. I pray that the Lord will help us guard against filthy communication in our speech and that we will seek to have words and thoughts that are pleasing to our Lord and Savior. May we strive to let our light shine into a culture that is filled with lies, that people might be drawn to God through our witness. 

Bob