Not so long ago, when someone made a statement of questionable veracity, those listening might let it slide as a possible misstatement or simply a difference of opinion. Today, whenever someone disagrees with someone else it is common to hear (or read) the cry, “Liar!”
Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word.’
John 8: 54-55
So who gets to decide who is a liar and who isn’t? To accurately tell if a person is lying one has to know two things. First, was the statement made actually false, and second, did the person making a false statement make it knowingly? To my knowledge, only two people can ever know with certitude if a person was making a false statement intentionally. That would be the person who made the statement themselves, and someone who knows their innermost thoughts. This second party to knowing the truth is God. No one else on the planet can truly know what was intended when the statement was made.
Interestingly, Jesus does not hesitate to accuse the Jews of being liars. Over and over again we are told by John that Jesus knows men’s hearts. Even when a person has blinded themselves to the truth, down deep they know, and so does their God.
Q: How does it feel to you to see Jesus call someone a liar?
Somewhat convicting, because he knows my heart and knows I’m motivated often by my own self-interests
I agree with Rob, it is so easy to distort what we tell or not tell for our own image. It is convicting and a good reminder.
He knows the thoughts and intentions of the heart. That is always a good truth to remember and apply.