Introduction:

    1. Lying seems to be a way of life for many people.

         a. They lie at the drop of a hat.

         b. The book, "The Day America Told the Truth" says that 91% of those surveyed lied routinely about matters they considered trivial, and 36% percent lied about important matters; 86% lied regularly to parents, 75% to friends, 73% to siblings and 69% to spouses.

    2. This commandment is not just about lying. It is more specific. It is lying  … "against thy neighbor."

    3. At one time or another all of us have…

        a. Told a half-truth

        b. Told a "little white lie"

        c. Gossiped not knowing the facts

        d. Insinuated a half-truth about someone

        e. Twisted the truth

        f. Discredited or slandered about someone

       g. Sought to escape blame by skirting around the truth

        h. Stretched the truth in order to boost ourselves

        i. Held back the truth, so as to place the blame elsewhere

   4. Think of all the troubles that have arisen from lying, deception, and false witness:

        a. Divorce                                                             

        b. Job loss

        c. Severed relationships

        d. Pain and hurt

        e. Failure                                                               

        f. Bankruptcy

        g. Vengeance                                      

        h. Retaliation                                        

        i. Abuse

        j. Suffering                                          

        k. Imprisonment                  

        l. Death

I.    The Definition of Lying – Jn 8:44

A.  It's Origin –

        44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

1.     From the devil itself

2.     Father of something =  the originator of the thing

3.     Jesus speaks the truth, so it stands to reason that the devil is a liar

B.  It's Operation

1.     The OT forbids telling lies

a)    Pr 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

b)    Le 19:11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

2.     This is not just an OT prohibition

a)    Re 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

b)    Eph 4:25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

c)    Acts 5:1-10 – Ananias and Sapphira lied to God

3.     We lie to others

a)    We tell things that are not true

b)    We twist or stretch the truth

c)    Half-truths and manipulations are an art-form for some people

4.     We lie to ourselves

a)    We may rationalize and excuse things about ourselves

b)    "O what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive."

5.     We lie to God

a)    The greatest lie is to say we don't need Jesus

b)    In doing so, we made God a liar

c)    Many convince themselves that they are ok

C.  It's Outcome

Mt 12:37 For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. 

1.     By our words we will be judged

2.     Damage and devastation

a)    Ps 52:2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully.

b)    Our words can cause great damage and devastation

3.     Survey the long-term damage

a)    After a major disaster, people arrive to survey the long-range damage

b)    If only we could survey the damage done by lies - Ja 3:5

II.  The Description of Lying

A.  The Cruel Lie – Ps 101:5

        5 Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.

1.     These are the intentionally malicious and destructive lies

2.     God hates slander - it is a devilish sin

a)    Peter warns us that the devil is an enemy that roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour

b)    "devil" is translated in our NT from the Greek work "diabolos"

c)    In Rev 12:10 Satan is identified as the "accuser of the brethren"

d)    Satan is an expert slanderer as seen in the book of Job

3.     Slander is a dangerous sin

a)    It destroys the object of the slander - Gen 39

b)    It destroys the originator of the slander

4.     Talebearer - Prov 26:28

           28 A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it; and a flattering     mouth worketh ruin.

a)    Telling something without checking the facts in the matter

b)    "They say"; "someone said" -- Gossip / rumor cause great harm

5.      Flattery - Prov 26:28

a)    Words spoken to manipulate others

b)    Words spoken to use others

B.  The Cowardly Lie

1.     This is the lie that is told to escape consequences and protect oneself.

2.     The boss walks up and says, “How’s that report coming along?” You are no where near being finished but you say, “I am finishing that report right now.”

3.     A creditor calls about a missed payment. You are in a financial pinch and have already “robbed Peter to pay Paul.” Yet you tell the creditor; “The checks in the mail.”

4.     The motive for these cowardly lies is fear

a)    Fear that the boss will discover incompetence

b)    Fear of having to admit financial inadequacies

C.  The Conceited Lie

1.     This is a lie told to inflate ourselves and impress others

2.     Someone is changing jobs and the market is very competitive so that person pads his resume in order to look better than he is

3.     The motive for this lie is insecurity

4.     A Christian who tells the conceited lie has a lack of trust in God that He will provide

5.     We feel that we have to take things into our own hands

D.  The Calculated Lie

1.     This is the lie that involves manipulating others

2.     Remember the last car you bought? The sales person had to go to the back and ask the sales manager if he can make the deal. Then the manager came out of the back room and there was a tag-team effort to sell you the new car.

3.     Here is manipulation for greed

E.  The Convenient Lie

1.     This lie is told when it is going to take time, effort, or energy to tell the truth

2.     The motive for this lie is laziness or fear

III. The Defeat of Lying

A.   Love the Truth – 2Thess 2:10

10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

1.     The lie is of the devil, the truth is of God

2.     In one of Sam Jones' meetings a lady came forward and said that she wanted to put her tongue on the altar. Jones knew that she had a problem with gossiping and he said to her, "The altar is about 12 feet long. Put as much as you can on it." There are some who need to put their tongues on the altar and it would require a rather large altar.

B.  Learn the Truth

1.     Become committed to the truth

2.     Before the truth can set us free, we must know it

3.     We can know the truth through God's word

4.     In the home of John D. Rockefeller hung a large mounted fish on a wall. Beneath the fish were the words, "If you had kept your mouth shut you would not be here."

C.  Live the Truth – Eph 4:25

        25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.

1.     People need to see Christ in us

2.     "You are the only Jesus some will see" - Put off lying

3.     Dave was dramatically converted ß

a)    What Dave did was difficult, but it cured him.

4.     The worst kind of lying is living a lie - 1Jn 1:6

a)    A person who says that he is a Christian, but he really isn't. He is living a lie.

           b)   Dave was dramatically converted. A few weeks later he was closing a deal with the manager of a large company. The customer turned to Dave and said, "Dave, tell me which of these products company x bought from you." The difference between the price of the products was substantial and the loss of commission would be great. Before he realized it, he had lied. He told the customer that the rival company bought the more expensive product. Believing Dave, the customer placed a very large order for the product. They shook hands and Dave packed up his briefcase to leave. Dave was no longer alone, he had the Holy Spirit living in him. "You told a lie, Dave." His conscience said.  Dave felt miserable in spite of having closed the big deal. "Go back and make it right." Dave couldn't stand the thought of going back to the customer and admitting he had lied. A day went by. The next day, Dave made an appointment with the customer. "My life has been changed recently by Jesus Christ. I have been a colossal liar. I'm sorry, but I lied to you the other day. The company you asked about bought the cheaper item. Please forgive me. I understand how you must feel, so I am willing to cancel this contract. You may not want to do business with a company that would employ a fellow like me. But in case you do, I'll send you another salesman. As you can imagine, the customer just sat there with his mouth open catching flies. He was speechless. But to make a long story short he kept the contract and was deeply moved by Dave's testimony.