It is a man’s integrity that sustains him when he is slandered. Even his enemies, though likely to glory in his downfall, will first be faced with the evidence of his goodness before passing judgment.
By contrast, every lie a liar tells us yet another millstone he hangs around his own neck.
As brethren, we may ignore liars, but the enemies of the church mock our naivety. The worldly man may not care about his lies, but he most certainly cares about those tolerated by the church.
You have never seen godly church leaders sitting around playing: “My liar is bigger than your liar.” They, like Jesus, care about the liar’s soul. In fact, they go to bed heart sore because they have known some of these recidivist liars for years, and have yet to see a sign of repentance.
We may be reluctant to broach the subject, but scripture deals with it as a whole-body-issue:
“So you must stop telling lies. Tell each other the truth, because we all belong to each other in the same body” (Ephesians 4:25).
It is the truth that cleanses, frees, and propels the soul heavenward. It is lying that defiles enslaves, and drives the soul into hell. However, this is never a solo mission either way. Statements of truth or lies cannot help but affect everyone—we are in the same body.
To the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, it mattered not that “grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). Despite the evidence, they refused to believe in him. So, Jesus told them that they were liars like their father, Satan:
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
O to be so bold!
There is no place for lies in the Christian.
John Staiger
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