Lying to the Lord
Lying has been around nearly as long as man. We don’t know for sure how long Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. But we are told that Satan lied to the first couple as soon as he could. In Gen. 3:4, he added the word NOT to God’s Command to make it a lie. Satan lied to deceive Eve, and in verse 6, she succumbed to the temptation. Additionally, she gave the fruit to her husband, and he also ate it. They both sinned in eating of the fruit because God had Commanded them to not touch or eat the fruit. It is worth pointing out in the New Testament, in 1Thess. 5:22, what God Commands His people today. There we read, Abstain from all appearance of evil. Had Eve stayed away from the tree, perhaps she would have been less likely to partake of the fruit and sin.
From the Genesis account, we see the origin of sin and the effect it has on the lives of those who participate in it. Initially, for their sin, Adam and Eve were expelled from their earthly paradise home. They had separated themselves from God physically and spiritually by their sin. Satan lied, and in essence murdered Adam and Eve. In John 8:44, as Jesus spoke to the Jews, He said about Satan, He was a murderer from the beginning, and he is a liar, and the father of it. Lying and murder originated in the Garden of Eden and has had a negative impact on humanity ever since.
Interestingly, when God inquired about their sin, they didn’t openly deny the sin, but they made excuse. In Gen. 3:12-13, they blamed others for their own sin. Adam tried to shift the blame to God Himself because God gave him Eve as a wife. Eve sought to lay the blame on the serpent. Years ago, I was taught something interesting about excuses. I was taught “excuses are nothing more than the skin of a reason, stuffed with a lie ”. This definition of excuses makes sense as we consider Luke 14:16-24. Jesus told the parable of the great supper. Those who were bidden and didn’t want to go made excuses. We don’t know if the “reasons” they gave were valid or not. But in making excuses, they possibly lied rather than simply saying they did not want to go to the banquet.
In Judges chapter 16 we see from the life of Samson that withholding the truth is, in fact, a lie. Samson, a judge of Israel, made many mistakes. Delilah, a woman in the valley of Sorek whom he loved, enticed him to discover the source of his great strength. On several occasions, he told her various false ways his secret could be revealed, toying with her. We have no written record of God directing Samson to withhold the secret of his strength. But in his efforts to protect the secret of his strength, he lied several times. In verses 10 and 13, Delilah said, “thou hast mocked me, and told me lies”. These lies, and many of Samson’s actions were not sanctioned by God and his mistakes cost Samson dearly.
Also, those who teach “man-made doctrine” are lying. In Prov. 30:5-6, this is substantiated. Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 6 Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar. In 1John 4:1, Christians are warned to “try the spirits whether they be of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”. And in 2Pet. 2:1, the false teachers “privily” brought in “damnable heresies, (lies), even denying the Lord that bought them” and “bring upon themselves swift destruction.” Regrettably, all that follow their lies will suffer destruction in Hell for eternity also.
Sadly, many have made the mistake of lying to God. In Gen.18, the Lord appeared to Abraham. There, He told Abraham that he and Sarah were to have a child in their advanced age. Sarah overheard and laughed within herself. In Gen.18:15, we read of Sarah’s denial. Then Sarah denied, saying, I laughed not; for she was afraid. And he said, Nay; but thou didst laugh. Perhaps she failed to realize that God sees all and knows all. The Jews of old were made aware of this from the inspired writings of the third king of Israel in Prov. 15:3. The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. And, in Heb. 4:13, the Jewish Christians were informed of the same. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
With knowledge of this information, why would folks continue to lie to God? Do they not realize to ‘claim’ to love God and serve Him as His Word directs, and NOT DO as God Commands is to lie to Him? 1John 2:4 tells all Christians this very thing. The Spirit had the beloved apostle write, He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.Part of keeping the Commandments of God require that we remove lying from our lives. Among the directives given to the church at Ephesus, we find from Eph. 4:25, inspired Words that apply to all that fully obey the gospel and have become children of God. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Perhaps a reminder of the demise of liars is in order. Rev. 21:8, puts liars in the same category of those we consider to be vile offenders. All folks in this list have the same punishment awaiting. 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.
Why will you not obey the gospel today and do as 2Cor. 8:21 directs? Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. Don’t lie to the Lord or to men.
Dennis Strickland – Mooresville church of Christ
