Why is it we humans are so good at lying? Okay, maybe we’re not all good at it, but we all do it. Perhaps we don’t think of it as lying, but I don’t think any are innocent of “stretching the truth”, “exaggerating the details”, or “fudging the numbers” at some point in our lives. Lying seems to be a human obsession. My hope is those who choose to recognize Jesus as Lord and accept His gift of new life will not be in the habit of lying.
As Christians, we must speak truth whenever we open our mouths. We do it because God commands it (Exodus 20:16) and because being truthful brings Him glory (Proverbs 12:22). God is not a man, and therefore He cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). If we are to be holy as He is holy (1 Peter 1:16), then truth is always the only option for us.
Even if lying is no longer a problem for us, how many are in the habit of saying things like, “I swear to God” or even the inoffensive, “I promise” to mark the sincerity of our words? Jesus instructs us not to do that (Matthew 5:34). He made it very simple for us. He said we must let our “yes” be “yes”, and our “no” be “no” (Matthew 5:37). In other words, speak truth. What we say should need no qualification or buttressing for it to be seen as truth. Followers of Jesus follow through on what they say because that’s what God’s Word demands of us (Colossians 3:9-10).
Jesus never fails to keep a promise and never fails to be there when we need Him (Deuteronomy 31:6). He is trustworthy in every way (2 Thessalonians 3:3). That He shows us love in this way is one of many reasons we love Him so much. Every human will let us down at some point. Every false god will fail to show up. But not Jesus. He is faithful and true (Revelation 19:11), an ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Jesus is more than truthful. He is the de facto truth (John 14:6).
When we lie, we look like Satan, not like God. The Devil is the father of lies, and everything he speaks is a lie (John 8:44). No genuine follower of Christ ever wants to be associated with Satan, so why are we so willing to engage in his trademark habit? Jesus is truth and Satan is lies. That is the core of who they are. When we lie, we are identifying ourselves with the Devil, not Jesus (1 John 2:4). That statement alone should cause us to speak truth on every occasion.
On the flip side, when we speak truth, we look like Jesus. We honor the Lord by putting Him before any selfish reasons we might have to say something that isn’t true. Pray that the Lord will keep you from the temptation to lie (Matthew 6:13) and He will protect you from such desires (John 17:15). A lie has no place on our lips (Ephesians 4:25). Don’t dishonor the name of Christ by ever speaking anything but the truth. It may not always be comfortable, but rejoice in knowing the Lord will honor those who honor Him (1 Samuel 2:30).