You are only as good as your word

Oh! What a tangle web we weave when we practice to deceive. This week I would like to start by asking the question, do you lie? Before you answer, give this question a lot of thought. First, let’s examine the different ways that a person can lie. These are in word, deeds, and actions. What we may see as something else can simply be a lie in disguise. For example, we may lie without meaning to do so, because at the time we mean what we say. You meet a person and fall in love and tell them “I will never leave you or I will never hurt you. You may be sincere at the time, but you eventually do one or both. Was this a lie? You may say “It was the truth when I said it, so if I lied it was not intentional”. That may be true, never the less it turned out to be a lie. You did not keep your word and in the eyes of the other person you are only as good as your word.

Have you ever done something to deceive another person? If so, you were lying in your deed. We are born with sinful actions in our nature. Even a child learns to deceive at an early age. This occurs without thinking, it is in their nature. They know how to lie without being taught. If left to themselves they will find a way to do something wrong and when confronted, to avoid punishment, they will lie. I have often heard of the imaginary people children make up to avoid getting punished. Such as, I don’t know, some body, they or who, did it or made me do it.

Now an example of lying by action; have you ever broke something that belong to your mother or to a friend and didn’t tell them? That deception was a lie in action. There was no motive or word, only action that left them to blame whoever except you. As a whole we lie daily, when we go to work we put on a different face not our real one. Just to please our boss or coworkers simply to keep our jobs. We pretend to like someone when in reality we don’t. Isn’t that lying? When asked do we lie we say no. Isn’t that a lie? By now you hopefully get the point.

As children of God we are not suppose to be liars, because of the spirit of truth. Even before the Holy Spirit was given the law spoke against lying. Thou shalt not bare false witness. Col 3:9-10 says do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him. So liars have no part in the kingdom of God but are of Satan’s kingdom. So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty James. 2:12. As Christians we are suppose to be ensamples of Gods nature and not do things as the world does. Our lives should say something to people. When we lie and are backbiters, what kind of statement are we making to the world about the church?

Brothers, let us practice what Paul taught in James 12: Above all do not swear, either by heaven or earth or by any other oath. But let your Yes be Yes and your No be No, least you fall into judgment. By all means be careful what you speak and how you live. You never know who is watching you and trying to be like you. Especially our leaders in the faith, we are watched closer than any others. Now, may the grace of God and His mercy keep you in your living, learning and speaking. In the Precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

And for this reason God will send them delusions that they should believe the lie. 2Thess. 2:11