The Ninth Commandment: The Value of Truthfulness
THE DEVIL IS THE FATHER OF LIES
When the Devil speaks his native language it is comprised of lies, see John 8:44. He is the author of the lie and the lying spirit and has been lying to mankind from the very beginning. He convinced Eve that she would not die, but become immortal, even if she disobeyed God. See Gen 3:4. Mankind still believes that our fate is either heaven or a lifetime in hell, but not the second death. However Christ said in John 3:16 that one either works thru Christ or his fate is to perish. (See also, 1Tim:6:16)
Other scriptures showing that the dead will stay dead until Christ comes back in the resurrection, John 5:28-29, 1 Cor: 15:50-56.
Truthfulness is part of the ‘way of life’ for Christians. Truth is important to God. Every word of God is pure and true. See Prov 30:5 and John 17:17 and Numbers 23:19. God expects truth to permeate our lives and thereby protect our relationships with God and fellow man.
LYING ABOUNDS AND IS APPLAUDED IN THIS WORLD
The leader of the U.S. Senate during 2012 election bragged that his intentional lie about someone not paying taxes helped to swing the election. He was proud of his lie. This is a new age where truth is fallen in the streets and few care. Planned Parenthood responded to the video revelations of their selling of baby parts in a grisly manner by hiring a top Public Relations agency. The clever deception of the agency with the help of the biased media has probably saved their government bacon and deceived the public. Successful misdirection and deceit are celebrated in this society! See Isa 59:9-11 and in Isa 6:9-10 people are blind to truth and live in darkness lies and false propaganda. Full truth will come in the new age with the reign of the sons of God, see Isa 11:9.
DISHONESTY DESTROYS RELATIONSHIPS AND GOD HATES IT.
Dishonesty undermines our relationship with God and fellow man. This is why it is one of the six things God hates most. See Prov 6:16-17 and 12:22. Lying in some regards is worse than stealing. Lying accompanies others sins like an evil ointment. Stealing just takes material things while the liar creates injustice and misery destroying reputations. The liar also destroys himself spiritually with God. God set in strong penalties in His law for lying witnesses. See Deut 19: 15, 19-21. Whatever evil the lie was going to deliver to the victim was given to the lying offender. The perjurer suffered the penalty he intended for the innocent victim of the lie. Lying to prosecutors or in court is often not prosecuted as in the Duke Lacrosse case. (Exodus 23:2-3, Prov 19:5.) Justice is often perverted by bias based on majority feelings, influences and bribes which are forbidden by God’s Law.
Lies destroy justice and marriages and friendships.
LIES CAN FACILITATE GENOCIDE
On a more apocalyptic scale, “The broad mass of a nation…will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one.” These are the words of Adolph Hitler. He blamed the Jews for the German loss in WWI. This was a big lie. He blamed all economic problems on Jews another big lie. He knew people were anti-Semitic and would love to have someone to blame. He further lied to the nation by telling them they were superior to others, the master race. This lie led Germany to total disaster. See Jer 9:3. The sad thing is that similar lies are still being propagated on low information populations around the world presently. Does it pay to be completely honest in politics today? I wonder? God never lies, see Deut 32:4.
