God & Liars
Text:
John 8:44 “Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks …”
Theme:
We’ll be examining ways lying negatively affects the liar.
Introduction:
My seventh grade math teach, Miss Patten, had the class exchange homework papers so we could grade each others papers as she read the answers. After grading the papers and returning them to their authors, we were each required to read out our letter grade as she called our names. The score thus read was entered into she grade book. I had failed that particular assignment, and received an "x" as my score. However, I was to embarrassed to announce my real score, but to ashamed to announce anything else. So I compromised: I said, "x"; but I said it in such a way as to emphasize the "a" part of it, and minimize the "cks" part.
I never looked in her book, but I still wonder, “Was that an ‘A’ or an ‘X’?”
Define “Lie”:
1) a false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood
2) something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression
What is this (picture of polygraph)?
1) “Polygraph” = many writings (in this case, 3 chartings)
2) pulse, perspiration, respiration
3) since 1924
4) not routinely accepted, legally
Two initial conclusions:
1) Dictionary & machine prove: man lies & shouldn’t
2) Even our best technology is insufficient to accurately detect
We can’t trust the liar and we can’t trust the detector; what are we going to do?
The conflict between lying and honesty is really the conflict between God and Satan. The choice to lie is a choice to follow Satan; whereas, the better choice to tell the truth is the choice to honor God.
Proposition:
God sets a true standard and rejects all liars.
God Sets A True Standard
A.As Defined By Himself—
Num. 23:19 “spoken…make it good”
1 Sam. 15:29 “will not lie or change His mind”
not to David:
Psa. 89:35 I will not lie to David
Psa. 132:11 A truth from which He will not turn back
not to us:
Heb. 6:18 impossible for Him to lie
Promises are the basis of our relationship with God!
He Expects The Same Of Us—
Eph. 4:24–25 put on new self…therefore,…
God does not falsify or fib even just a little bit or tell a little white lie or partial untruth. He doesn’t beguile or de-ceive or delude. God doesn’t misguide us. He doesn’t misinform, maybe, just a little bit. He doesn’t falsely instruct or mislead. He doesn’t distort or exaggerate or misstate. No, what He says is true; and our friends, family, and fellow human beings should have the same trust in us, that what we say, they can believe, because we are becoming more like God.
A half truth is a whole lie.
Honesty is both openness and obedience to truth.
The size of the lie is not important. Sometimes we think if it is a small lie, a white lie, it isn’t as bad as a big lie. But they both are lies, no matter what the size.
A wealthy man was sitting next to an attractive woman on a plane. He turned to her and said, can I ask you a ques-tion? To which she said sure. He said would you be willing to go to bed with me for a million dollars. The women thought about it for a moment and said yes. “How about for $20” He asked? At this she sat straight up and said, “What kind of woman do you think I am?” “We have already established that,” was his reply; “Now we are just bickering over the price”.
When you lie you are establishing what kind of person you are. No matter the magnitude of the lie.
How God Reacts To Our Failure—
Deut. 19:16–20 malicious witness…same penalty
So, the penalty for lying, for example, at a capital murder trial would be the death penalty.
Prov. 6:16–19 God hates it (twice!)
Acts 5:1–6 Ananias lied & died!
Rev. 21:8 all liars in lake of fire; 2nd death
Point:
God expects us to be like Him in our relation to facts; always telling the truth without variation.
Satan Can’t Stand Truth
Pictures of Satan—
John 8:44 father of lies
Acts 5:3..filled Ananias’ heart to lie
What does it mean to be “the father of lies”?
Satan Is A Murderer—
John 8:44 a murderer from the beginning
Gen. 3:1–4 “not surely die!” but, vs. 19
Pervasive:
A 1991 research study titled, “The Day America Told the Truth” revealed that we are a culture of liars. This study reported that “91% of us lie regularly. The majority of us find it hard to get through a week without lying. One in five can’t make it through a single day-and we’re talking about conscious, premeditated lies....” The authors of the study concluded that “Lying has become a cultural trait in America. Lying is embedded in our national character. The majority of Americans today (two out of three) believe there is nothing wrong with telling a lie. Only 31% of us believe honesty is the best policy.”
“Murders” judgment:
Johnny Cockrum was sent to death row for the 1986 murder of a convenience store clerk. In 1990, his anger drove him to stab a fellow inmate. Sent to a lock-down wing, Cockrum faced “the Monster of hate and bitterness” that had ruled his life and cried out to God for forgiveness, asking Jesus to be his Savior. But that’s when his legal problems began. You see, his lawyers were fighting to appeal his death sentence by arguing that child abuse and drug use ex-cused his crimes. As a Christian, Cockrum believed that he had to start telling the truth. He told his lawyers, “You can’t lie anymore. I’m a Christian, and I won’t allow you to lie on my behalf.” When he tried to fire his lawyers, they went to the judge to prove that Cockrum was mentally unbalanced-because he wanted to tell the truth! The judge agreed.
“Murders” our integrity:
A situation in which lying seems somewhat natural is when we want to make ourselves look better. In 1993 the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey ran a help-wanted ad for electricians with expertise at using Sontag connec-tors. It received 170 responses claiming such expertise even though there is no such thing as a Sontag connector. The authority was trying to determine how many applicants falsify resumes.
Some estimates have placed the number of job applicant who apply for jobs with exaggerated or outright false re-sumes at 30%. These include non-existent degrees, false service records, and exaggerated accomplishments. That is lying to make ourselves look better.
“Murders” our credibility:
A SHEPHERD-BOY, who watched a flock of sheep near a village, brought out the villagers three or four times by crying out, “Wolf! Wolf!” and when his neighbors came to help him, laughed at them for their pains. The Wolf, however, did truly come at last. The Shepherd-boy, now really alarmed, shouted in an agony of terror: “Pray, do come and help me; the Wolf is killing the sheep”; but no one paid any heed to his cries, nor rendered any assistance. The Wolf, having no cause of fear, at his leisure lacerated or destroyed the whole flock.
There is no believing a liar, even when he speaks the truth.
“Murders” our children:
George Munzing, a minister, tells of a time he went to counsel a family about their son’s drug use. The father was distraught as he described the impact of drugs upon his relationship with his son. He said, “The thing that bothers me most about his being into drugs is the fact that drugs have made him a liar.” Moments later the phone rang and his wife went to answer. She came back into the room with the message that the call was for the father. He told her, “Tell him I am not at home.” Munzing then commented that drugs had not made the boy a liar; the father had.
Point:
Whenever anyone lies, he has proven himself to be an imitator of Satan!
So, we show our true colors—through words of discretion or deception—whether we are of God or Satan. Which do you choose to be?
