Do not lie to each other …
Summary: Deception is the art of obscuring the truth. It is also the hallmark of Satan (John 8:44). There is no place for deception in the Body of Christ.
Isn’t it interesting that Paul needed to tell the Colossians that they shouldn’t lie to each other?
Just because we go to church doesn’t mean we leave the “tent” of our bodies at home (2 Peter 1:13). All the things about our “earthly nature” that Paul has been talking about go with us. When we walk through the church doors on Sunday morning, our spiritual fleas of “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language” still cling to our flesh.
Just going to church doesn’t change that.
Apparently, in addition to all the rest, we also bring the flea called deception.
When I think about lies and believers, the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) comes to mind. The story is set in the early days of the young church. People were filled with the Holy Spirit, and the Bible says that “God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4: 33-34).
To put this into a modern context, imagine you have heard about Jesus. You join with other believers, but not in a church like we see today. Maybe it was in a home or perhaps a public park. No church building means no overhead. Anything people give is used to help people instead of a place.
A man named Joe owns a piece of property and sells it for $300,000. When the sale closes, he brings the money and gives it to the church leaders. Joe doesn’t get his name on a plaque because there isn’t any church. He just gives the money. End of story, except that, of course, people appreciated what he did.
Ananias and Sapphira see what he does and how people react. They, too, sell a piece of property. Their property is worth more than Joe’s, so they keep some of the money and give the rest to the church.
This is okay. Nobody is going to complain about anything they do with their own money. But, for some reason, they want the glory that goes with giving everything.
And so they lie. They tell the church this is like Joe’s contribution. It is all the money they got from the property … only it wasn’t.
When Ananias drops off the contribution, instead of glory, he gets a word from the Lord. Peter says:
“Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” (Acts 5:3-4)
Don’t lie to God. He takes a dim view of it. He doesn’t want us to lie to each other, either.
Application: When it comes to God’s family, honesty is the best policy.
Food for Thought: Are “white lies” okay in church?
Are “white lies” okay in church?
White lies are a gift from Satan. Jesus tells us, there is only truth and there are lies.
Matthew 5:37, All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Thanks Ron!
Matthew 5:37 is so hard!!
Er … yes.
I think people tell “white lies” because they feel that they are safeguarding someone elses feelings. I think really what they are doing is masking their own insecurity to be able to relay the truth in a kind way. Easier said than done, but it is possible to bear true witness in a kind way. It benefits the giver and the receiver, both grow in grace and knowledge.
Ephesians 4:15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
1 John 4:10-12 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
Thank you, Chris!
Kindness and love are two very important guideposts for Christian living!
This was covered well by R2T2and CH. I think CH is right in that sometimes a little lie feels ok, or even more Christian, than telling a truth that could potentially hurt someone’s feelings. But lying is not from the Lord. The source is the father of lies (John 8: 44). So we need to learn to “tell each other the truth in love” (Ephesians 4: 15).
Ephesians 4: 25: Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.
Thank you, Rich!
Satan is the “father of lies” and we have to be very wary of his influence.
Are “white lies” okay in church
Are lies OK for the church? Are lies of deception ok? What if the church is no longer how it is today? What if it is all underground and being persecuted like in China? If our pastors and others are having a meeting in your house hidden in a secret room and an official came and knocked on your door would you give them up? Or would you lie and protect what’s left of God’s bride? Asking for a friend.
Good questions, Tim.
Your friend, in my opinion, would be doing the right thing to protect others in his house. There are a number of reasons people resort to a lie. Oddly, in the scenario your friend suggests, protecting God’s people brings glory to God. That sounds like a good use of deceptive words. In other cases, such words can be used to bring glory to ourselves or gain other benefits. If our actions put ourselves above others, then we are in conflict with the Greatest Commandments (Matthew 22: 37-40).