LYING: RIGHT OR WRONG?

In light of what is happening in our presidential election cycle and all the false things we are hearing, I felt it appropriate  to investigate the subject of lying.  Please read it with an open heart.

This article is taken from the website “What Christians Want To Know” and was written by Derek Hill.

What Does the Bible Say About Lying

by Derek Hill ·

All throughout the Bible, there are scriptures that discuss the topic of lying.  Some explain how certain people lied.  Others talk about the consequences of lying.  I would venture to say that lying can be one of the easiest of sins to commit.  One little sentence leaves the lips and all is well again.  We all fall prey to it on occasion and it sometimes creates more chaos then we could have imagined.  Other times you can get away with a little white lie (here on earth; not before the throne).  Lying is nothing new.  In fact, it is what introduced Adam and Eve to the very first sin.  So, let us start at the beginning after creation was complete.

Proverbs 6:16, 17 and 19 – There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue…a false witness who breathes out lies.

The Very First Lie

In Gen 2:16-17 God says to Adam, “you may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat it you shall surely die.”  Quick side note, creation was not finished here because God had not made Eve yet.  In Gen 2:18-23, the next passage, God then creates Eve from one of Adam’s ribs.  After this, creation was then finished.  In Gen 3:1-5 we are introduced to the serpent (Satan) and his very first temptation to Eve; now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.  He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘you shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”  And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.  For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”  This is also where we are introduced to Satan’s greatest weapon, the half-truth.  Satan knew that they would not die right that second, but he did know that they would die eventually and that was not part of God’s plan.  Adam and Eve believed the half-truth.  They indeed did not die that day, but they still died.

Are All Lies Considered Sin?

By certain events in the Bible, I am saying no.  How can this be?  Let us look at two examples as I explain.  Exodus 1:16-21 starts with the king of Egypt saying to two midwives, “when you serve as a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”  But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king commanded them, but let the male children live.  So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?”  The midwives said to Pharoah (here is the lie), “because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”  So God dealt well with the midwives.  And the people multiplied and grew very strong.  And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.  The fear of God is why the midwives lied.  They knew that murder was wrong.  They didn’t lie for selfish reasons; they lied because they feared God.

Joshua 2:1-21 tells the story of Rahab the prostitute and how she lied to save two spies that Joshua had sent to check out Jericho and other local areas of the land.  Her lie came from the same position as the midwives.  Verse 8b-9a says, she came up to them on the roof and said to the men, “I know that the LORD has given you the land, and that the fear of you (the spies) has fallen upon us.  She feared the spies because they had God with them, thus this also makes her fear God.  Her lie also was not for selfish gain.  It was the fear of God that drove her to this decision.  Anytime a person lies for the honest, true fear of God, I believe they will not be held accountable for it.  It is those that lie for other reasons such as: selfishness, lust, greed and all sorts of other human endeavors that the lie becomes sin.

When a Lie Becomes Sin

Lies become sin when any tiny hint of selfishness is there.  Acts 5:1-9 is a perfect example.  Ananias and Sapphira were a married couple that sold a piece of their property.  They kept a portion of the money back for themselves but they wanted to look good in front of others, so they lied and said they were giving all of the profit to the church. In verses 3-5 Peter says to Ananias, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land?  While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own?  And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal?  Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart?  You have not lied to men but to God.”  When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last.  Men in the church carried him out and buried him.  Later on Sapphira comes into the church knowing nothing about what happened to her husband.  Verses 7-10a says, after an interval of about three hours his (Ananias) wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.”  And she said, “Yes, for so much.”  But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?  Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”  Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last.  Their lies were built around a false pretense to look like generous, giving people to the rest of the church.  God does not accept this behavior.

Other Verses About Lying

Proverbs 6:16, 17 and 19 – There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue…a false witness who breathes out lies.

Leviticus 19:11-12 – You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.  You shall not swear by My name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.

Psalm 24:4-5 – He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully.  He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

Here is an article about Christian Hypocrisy I found on the website all about God. A good read.

Christian Hypocrisy – What is it?

Hypocrisy is “claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform; pretense.”¹ In fact, the ancient Greek word comes from the word for a stage actor or one who wears a mask. It is not necessarily the fact that they sin that makes them a hypocrite, it’s the fact that they don’t acknowledge it. They don’t admit that their lives contradict what they say. They are inauthentic and imposters.

Perhaps you have personal experience with a Christian hypocrite. I do. Perhaps you know someone who says one thing and then does another. They teach one thing and live the opposite. In a sense, we are all hypocrites. The term isn’t reserved for Christians. For example, Sue may call herself a vegetarian, but slip up now and then. A dentist may tell his patients not to eat candy, but then go home and enjoy sweets. We are all hypocritical occasionally. No one is perfect.
Christian Hypocrisy – Jesus’ Reaction
Combatting hypocrisy was a passion for Jesus. In fact, much of Matthew 23 is dedicated to this topic. Here are some excerpts:

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ‘The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see...

“‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

“‘Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.’”

Jesus took hypocrisy very seriously. Mark Mittleberg says, “Our friends naturally see Christians’ hypocritical behavior as being unacceptable. But they need help to see that Christ feels the same way.”² They need to see that they agree with Jesus on this one! Christian Hypocrisy – Some Pointers
When discussing Christian hypocrisy with an unbeliever, here are some pointers to consider:

• Many people who claim to be Christians don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Perhaps they are Christian in name only.
• A Christian is called to grow in faith and progress to being more like Christ. This doesn’t always happen instantly. Many Christians continue to struggle with temptation to sin. We are called to put on a new nature and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our lives (Ephesians 4:23-24). It is not hypocritical to fall. It is hypocritical to deny that you fell and pretend that you were successful.
• A Christian is called to live a life of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12). Be intentional about letting God change your heart.
• Christians should admit hypocrisy. All of us are hypocrites in some area. Be vulnerable, honest, and authentic with unbelievers. Acknowledge your sin and share how freeing God’s forgiveness is.

To conclude, we can learn a lot from this statement from Mark Mittleberg: “The primary issue regarding the validity of Christianity is not Jesus’ followers but Jesus himself—and what he offers to those who follow him. Ultimately we need to encourage our friends to put their faith not in Christianity—and certainly not in the flawed efforts of frail Christians—but in the powerful and proven person of Jesus Christ himself.”²

Footnotes:
¹ New Oxford American Dictionary, 2nd Ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005).
² Mittleberg, Mark. The Questions Christians Hope No One Will Ask. Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Who Is Christ? He Is Your Life, That’s Who

This is taken from Colossians 3:

 

 So if you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.

Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you’ll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.

And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.

 Don’t lie to one another. You’re done with that old life. It’s like a filthy set of ill-fitting clothes you’ve stripped off and put in the fire. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label on it. All the old fashions are now obsolete. Words like Jewish and non-Jewish, religious and irreligious, insider and outsider, uncivilized and uncouth, slave and free, mean nothing. From now on everyone is defined by Christ, everyone is included in Christ.

So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It’s your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.

Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

That is who Christ is in you.

Have a blessed day.

Pastor Robert Coutts

 
If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.

WHO CHANGED THE STANDARD?

DISCLAIMER: This message is rated PG for parental Guidance. Simply because I am going to be very straight forward and may use some language that the pious will find offensive. So for their sakes I warn you ahead of time…don’t judge me or what I say, rather listen carefully and take it to heart for how it is sent.

     This is just my little way of encouraging you as we start a new year.

I was reflecting on Ephesians chapter 5 and what follows is my take on it. We live in a time when a new generation is coming along that wants nothing to do with church, the things of God or God Himself. They want their own way. Unfortunately they are swaying some of the old stock believers into following them. So many things that were once taboo or unchristian are now acceptable. Well I read Ephesians Chapter 5 and I see it differently than this new generation because I just don’t believe God changed the standard. Here’s what I got out of it.

     God is pure, clean, good, mighty, loving, forgiving and so many other things and we are to do what God does. We are to be imitators of Him in every way. When we were growing up, our parents taught us many things and we imitated them. That’s what we are to do with God, be imitators of Him. Most of what God does is done because He loves us and He is motivated by love for us. If we stay close to Him He will teach us that love and how to share it with those around us. That is learning the love of God. Check out your Scriptures and see how Christ loved us, then go out and love others the same way. Christ never held back His love for us but rather poured it out abundantly and without measure. We ought to be doing the same with those we are constantly in contact with.

     Today, many have turned love into lust which is the cause of many a fall. So many caught up in the bonds of it and are trapped in affairs, pornography, adultery and end up in the ditch.

     Others have lowered their standards to the point that gossip is on their lips all the time. If you are a true follower of Christ, you will know that He has a better use for your tongue than dirty talk, idle jesting, foul mouth or gossip. That kind of crappy mouth should not fit a Christians lifestyle. Thankfulness and loving one another fits into our way of life better.

     Then there are those who just use religion for gain or use people for what they can get out of them. That is not a Christian way of life, it is worldly. You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them, the usual variations on idolatry, will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.

      Don’t let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don’t even hang around people like that.

     You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

     Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.

     Wake up from your sleep,  Climb out of your coffins;  Christ will show you the light!

So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!

     Don’t live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants. 

    As you enter a new year, keep in mind that we are closer to the second coming of Christ than we have ever been and it could be sooner than you think.

    It is time to get back to holiness and your roots as a born again Christian. Time to start fresh and make every effort to move forward and closer to Him.

     I hope this new year will be a blessing for you and you will find yourself totally sold out to Christ.

God Bless You,

Pastor Robert Coutts

If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.

HOW TO SAY THANKS ON THANKSGIVING

    I don't know about you, but I find  Thanksgiving to be one of the most difficult times of the year. I mean, other than saying, "we ought to be thankful," what is there to say?

   That is where the problem is I think. Giving thanks or really, being able to say thanks with a real sense that you are really grateful. It’s not something that you can just conjure up because it is the thing to do, you know, like your mom reminding you to say thank you when someone gives or does something for you. It’s those times when you say thanks that it really does not mean a thing because you were prompted to do it or the occasion called for it so you just did it out of habit.

    So how do we approach Thanksgiving? I can't say I've got the whole thing figured out, but I've found a few clues in Luke's story Luke 17:11-19 of the 10 lepers that's often the story we think about for Thanksgiving.

    Most of us are probably familiar with the story: ten lepers are healed; one returns, and it's a Samaritan no less. Okay, so one way to go is to lift up the Samaritan as an example. Trouble is, most of us hate examples like this, because they just make us feel guilty.

    What's more interesting, I think, is the fact that all ten were healed. All ten, even the nine who didn't return to say "thanks."

    So what made the Samaritan different? He noticed. That's pretty much it. Oh, I know, he returned to say thanks once he noticed. But I think that was kind of inevitable, or even almost involuntary. I mean, once you notice something spectacular, it's hard not to say something like . "I've got good news; the cancer is in remission"  for example.

    I think it was like that for the Samaritan: once he realized he'd been healed, he couldn't help but turn back and share his joy and thanksgiving with Jesus.

    Thanksgiving is like that. When it's genuine, it's spontaneous, even involuntary -- you recognize you've been blessed and can't help but sharing your joy through thanksgiving.

So the Samaritan turns back to say "thanks." He knows he's been given a gift and can't help turning around to saying something. And in doing so he's given a second gift, as he leaves his encounter with Jesus not only healed but also blessed.

    Blessed in his own recognition of healing, blessed at being drawn into deeper relationship with the one he thanks, blessed at hearing himself commended for having great faith.

    Imagine the difference that must have made in his life. He, a Samaritan, being commended by a Jewish rabbi for having great faith, faith sufficient to effect healing.

    That's the way thanksgiving always works -- in giving thanks for a gift given we are blessed again.

    So how does all this help us this thanksgiving?

Two things.

    First, after learning and understanding the teaching about the nature of gratitude and thanksgiving -- which is certainly worth doing, if briefly -- then you need to move to this issue of noticing. For those with eyes to see, God's blessings are all around us. And as we give thanks for them, we notice even more and are blessed yet again. We live in an age governed by a sense of "scarcity" and an ethos of "looking out for number one." A simple word of gratitude opens us up to world of abundance, mercy, and grace. It may seem a small thing -- noticing and thanking -- but it's the first step to setting in motion a cycle of gratitude and grace.

    Second, after we learn this, try modeling. That is, try noticing what God did. . Share  some of the things you're thankful for, some of the places you've encountered God's blessing. Even more, notice what God has done all around you. Tell your loved ones and friends  what you are thankful for about them, about your life together, and the world you share. Having been noticed with gratitude, they will find it easier to gratefully notice in return.

    This Thanksgiving, try some of this and watch the blessings flow, to you, and those around you. Above all…make sure you truthfully  thank God for everything He does.

    Blessed Thanksgiving! 

    

    Pastor Coutts

     If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.

IT'S TIME TO GET STIRRED UP!

Acts 19:21 says, “So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed.”

            Ephesus was an impressive city that stood proudly on the Crystal River, back in from the coast of the Icarian Sea. It had natural wharfs which made it the commercial centre of Asia for trade.

            It was the crossroads of Asia and the melting pot of mankind. In this city could be found every culture. There were every trade known to man, right down to the sorcerers who filled the people with awe.  Ephesus was called the “First Metropolis of Asia.”

            It was also here that one of the seven wonders of the world existed, “The Temple of Diana” with it’s hundred marble monoliths that displayed the art of Phidas and Scopas and Apeles. Later there was the theater built to seat nearly 25,000 people. Ephesus, city of wealth and culture and power.

            Then one day, into that city came a disciple of Jesus wearing tattered clothes and worn sandals. Paul.

            He found a handful of Christians and persuaded them to make a full surrender of their lives to the Holy Spirit and to deepen their walk with the Lord. Because of his bold delivery of the Gospel there came an awakening to a truth that jarred that great city of Ephesus. Demetrius rose up in defense of Diana and the mobs cried out, but the Gospel was firmly planted in Ephesus!

            The history of Ephesus is great. Countless nationalities walked through it’s streets; kings rode there; soldiers and conquerors and merchants alike all were there. But, nothing ever happened to it that could compare to what happened when the Gospel invaded it.

            Diana is gone, and so are the temples and the commerce. The desert covers  the Ephesian glory; but the Gospel that flowed forth from there still blesses the world!

            It’s big news when Christ’s Word comes in to stir us! Let His Word stir you today.

            Have a great day in the Lord.
            Pastor Coutts 

 If you have a comment, click below or email me at rcoutts60@gmail.com and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.