Lies.
Nobody likes them, but everyone has told one [or many] during their lives. What does scripture say about it?
Let’s begin with the Ten Commandments. Most people are familiar with them, or at least know of the concept…
Exodus 20:16
16 “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
This verse prohibits a particular type of lie; bearing false witness against another.
Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are detestable to Elohim,
but those who act faithfully are His delight.
Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to one another. After all, you have taken off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self that is being renewed in knowledge, according to the image of the One who created him.
Leviticus 19:11
“You are not to steal. You are not to lie. You are not to deceive one another.”
Proverbs 19:9
A false witness will not go unpunished,
and one who breathes lies will perish.
This is just a small sampling of scripture pertaining to lies and deceit.
There are many more to search out if you so desire.
But let’s move on to some really SERIOUS stuff.
We are given a warning about who will NOT be in the Kingdom of heaven. This warning comes in Revelation 22, the final chapter of the written word.
Revelation 22:15
But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
Will a few white lies keep someone out of the Kingdom of heaven?
If unrepented and unforgiven, yes, because the wages of sin are death. We need our Messiah to cover our iniquity through His sacrifice, so that we might be forgiven.
But this statement/warning seems to be pointing to an overall concept or lifestyle, not a lie or two here and there.
What does it mean to love and practice a lie?
This bit of scripture, which I have quoted often recently, is mind-boggling, and ties right into this.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
19 O Lord, my strength and my fortress,
My refuge in the day of affliction,
The Gentiles shall come to You
From the ends of the earth and say,
“Surely our fathers have inherited lies,
Worthlessness and unprofitable things.”
20 Will a man make gods for himself,
Which are not gods?
What if this is true?
What if we’ve been taught nothing but lies?
Scripture says this will occur, and is occurring.
Will we continue to love and practice the lies?
Or will we dig into scripture and find out the truth?
This is a big deal.
If our mainstream Christian doctrine is made up of lies, unprofitable and worthless…
Whoa…
Where does that leave everyone who loves and practices these lies?
I can’t be right about this, can I?
Am I stretching too far here, tying two verses together with horrific consequences for millions, even billions of people?
Let’s look at another reference regarding lies on a life scale:
1John 2:3-6
The Test of Knowing Him
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
This is another bit of scripture that I have quoted frequently.
Again, this is HIGHLY IMPORTANT.
Can you pass this test?
If you cannot pass this test, then you are a liar and the truth is not in you.
Do you keep His commandments?
Do you walk just as Messiah walked, which is by following Torah instructions, the law?
I don’t write these articles to criticize anyone.
I don’t write them to tell people they are wrong.
I write these to point out what I’ve learned in scripture.
I am simply bringing these things to your attention.
It is not my responsibility to tell you what to think or what to believe.
You must do that for yourself.
I write these articles to give you some things to ponder, study, and to pray about…