1

TL04. Be Authentic!
“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)
“There are times when it is necessary to lie!” some say. Let us see what
the Scriptures have to say about this statement:

REASONS WHY PEOPLE LIE

1. TO EXECUTE EVIL PLANS
“Behold, he travails with wickedness, And he conceives mischief, and
brings forth falsehood.” (Psalms 7:14 NASB)
Notice that those who conceive mischief and wickedness bring forth
falsehood.
A woman had sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. When she got
pregnant, she asked the guy to marry her. He replied, “I love you but I cannot
marry you. I’m already married!”
The man lied that he was still single so he could sleep with her.
Did the same thing happen to you? Were you the one deceived … or the
deceiver? …
Did you plan an evil thing? … Did you lie? …

2. TO HIDE HATRED
“He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads
slander is a fool.” (Proverbs 10:18)
You were angry with somebody, but when he asked you “Are you angry?”
did you respond, “No!”? But when you were with others, did you speak
behind his back, saying nasty things about him. Isn’t that lying? …
You may probably ask, “How can I avoid lying?” It may help if you
understand the following:

WHAT LYING CAN DO TO YOU

1. YOU WILL BECOME WORSE
‘“They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by
truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another;
they do not acknowledge me,” declares the LORD.’ (Jeremiah 9:3)

Are you a two-timer, having an affair with another? When your girlfriend
or wife asked you why you were late, what did you say? “I had an overtime?”
… When you spent your money for your mistress, and your wife asked where
the money went, how did you respond? … You were held-up? … Do you notice
how your lying has increased? … and you are becoming worse? …

2. YOU WILL ALSO LISTEN TO UNTRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE

“A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious
tongue.” (Proverbs 17:4)
 2
Do you like to spread rumors? … You also like to listen to rumors, right? …

3. YOU WILL HATE THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE HURT.

“A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.”
(Proverbs 26:28)
One guy got jealous of his wife. He invented a story and asked another
lady to send a text message saying she loves him. When the wife saw the
text message and she got angry with him, he even beat her.
Is there someone who wronged you? … Did you harm him in return? … Did
you hate him, planning to exact revenge? … But when he asked you if you
were angry, how did you respond? “Oh, it’s nothing!” Isn’t that lying? …

4. LEADERSHIP IS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR YOU

“Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool—how much worse lying lips to a
ruler!” (Proverbs 17:7)
“the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach
lies are the tail.” (Isaiah 9:15)
The prophets here who were leaders in Israel became the tail, no longer fit
for leadership.
As you lead in some ways, have you been using lies to gain favor from
your constituents? … If so, you are not fit to remain in that position!
Do you know a leader who is a liar, who does not do what he promises? …
Do you want to emulate such kind of a leader? … Then, do not be like him!

5. LYING BRINGS ONLY TEMPORARY PLEASURE.

“Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a
mouth full of gravel.” (Proverbs 20:17)
Were you able to deceive others and as a result, you caused them to act in
a certain way according to your desires? … What do you think will happen
when they discover your deception? … Will you still experience the sweetness
of your lying? …
In fact, not only will you lose the sweet taste, but you will also experience
terrifying things. Indeed …

6. FEARFUL THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU.

“You boast, ‘We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave
we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,
it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our
hiding-place. … As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after
morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.’ The understanding of
this message will bring sheer terror.”
(Isaiah 28:15,19)
Indeed, the leaders in Jerusalem experienced sheer terror. How about
you? Do you want to experience the same? …

WHAT YOUR LYING CAN DO TO OTHERS

1. YOU CAN DESTROY THEIR REPUTATION THOUGH THEY ARE FAR
 3
FROM YOU.
You are like a club that can smash, a sword that can wound and a sharp
arrow that can pierce even from a distance.
“Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false
testimony against his neighbor.” (Proverbs 25:18)
A leader was seen entering a hotel with someone who was not his wife.
The news spread among the members of a group he is leading. It was good
that one of the members had the courage to talk with him, and clear things
up. The leader said, “That woman is my sister. I accompanied her because
she’s applying for a job in that hotel!” Yes, his reputation was almost
destroyed because of partial knowledge of the situation!
How about you? Have you destroyed someone’s reputation because of
what you shared about him? … Have you asked for forgiveness for what you
have done against him? …

2. SOME, ESPECIALLY THE POOR, CAN EXPERIENCE PAIN,

DESTRUCTION OR DEATH.
“Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who
deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”” (Proverbs 26:18-19)
“The scoundrel’s methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to
destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.”
(Isaiah 32:7)
In the Philippines, I have observed that the poor are the ones who are
spending time and little money to run after the so-called ‘hidden wealth’ of
former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. As a result, the poor became
poorer, living a more difficult life. What makes it worse is that those who
should have been spending full-time in the Word and in prayer have joined
them!
How about you? Do you believe you can get easy money? … Did you
cause others to also expect it? …

3. EVEN PEOPLE CLOSE TO GOD CAN BE LED TO WRONGDOING.

“Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the
LORD. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless
lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people
in the least,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:32)
Have you joined a group which claims to have visions from God but whose
leader has a questionable character? … If so, you have received a lie! Stop
being with that group, unless the leader is replaced by someone close to God.

4. YOU WILL DISHEARTEN THE RIGHTEOUS AND ENCOURAGE THE

WICKED.
“BECAUSE YOU DISHEARTENED THE RIGHTEOUS WITH YOUR LIES, WHEN I HAD BROUGHT THEM NO
GRIEF, AND BECAUSE YOU ENCOURAGED THE WICKED NOT TO TURN FROM THEIR EVIL WAYS AND SO SAVE
THEIR LIVES,”
(EZEKIEL 13:22)
A neighbor boasted before our friends how he had sexual intercourse with a
homosexual. I suddenly walked out … After a few days, he confessed to me
he felt ashamed when I walked out. God moved in my life at that time that I
would not encourage him to remain in the evil way of sodomy.
 4
How about you? Have you encouraged one by just laughing at his evil
way? … You have lied—you said it was just okay when you knew it was not! …
As you mingle with the righteous, are they getting disheartened because
you hid the information they need? … If so, you have lied to them!

5. THOSE WHO REMAIN AS SERVANTS OF THE LEADER WHO

CONTINUES TO LISTEN TO YOUR LIES WILL ALSO BE LYING TO PLEASE
HIM.
If a leader leads based on incorrect information, he is a blind person leading
other blind people. The result will not be good for those who are under his
leadership (Matthew 15:14). If he continues to listen only to what he wants to
hear, even if they are lies, those who remain as his servants will eventually
become wicked, lying also to please him.
“If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.” (Proverbs
29:12)
Did this happen to those who followed the leader you deceived?…
Now that you have seen the evil results of lying, you probably would want
to avoid lying. For such to happen, it would be good for you to know the ways
you may have lied.

WAYS YOU MAY HAVE LIED

1. SPREADING NEWS ABOUT OTHERS WHICH YOU HAVE NOT
PERSONALLY VERIFIED
In 1984, I received a photocopy of a story aired in a certain Donahue
program where a top executive of Procter & Gamble admitted that his
company was supporting Satanism. The unknown writer rallied the readers
not to buy products by Procter & Gamble. He says that the logo even had the
mark of 666—the number of the antichrist.
Since I did not agree with the interpretation of the antichrist and the
grammar of that ‘news’ article was poor, I corrected it and removed the
comment about the ‘666’. Then, I had our secretary type my corrected
version. I had it reproduced and gave the copies to others.
The following day, I asked our fellowship leader if he had read about that
‘news’. He showed me Procter & Gamble’s response. There, I saw the sheets
of paper where the Association of Broadcasters in the United States said they
had not had such kind of program. A Roman Catholic Bishop also denied the
accuracy of the rumor. Dr. Billy Graham said that the owner of the Procter &
Gamble had been supporting many who were spreading the Good News
around the world!
Having seen my contribution to the spread of a lie, I had Procter &
Gamble’s response photocopied and gave to each one to whom I spread the
rumor.
What was wrong with what I did? I spread news about others which I did
not verify myself.
“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to
him. … a false witness who pours out lies ….”
(Proverbs 6:16,19)
 5
How about you? Have you passed information which you are not sure of?
Then, you have lied!
In contrast to this, consider the following:

2. NOT TESTIFYING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

“If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public
charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will
be held responsible.” (Leviticus 5:1)
Have you witnessed something which could pave the way for righteous
court decision but you did not? …
Have you experienced assurance of eternal life? Have you shrank from
testifying? … Is it because you were afraid? …

3. LYING TO STEAL OTHERS’ PROPERTIES

“If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor
about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he
cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears
falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do—when he thus
sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by
extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or
whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full,
add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner….” (Leviticus 6:2-5)
“Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or
quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights…” (Leviticus 19:35-36)
Have you made known to the owner or the lost-and-found section that you
have found a lost property (Exodus 23:4-5)? …
Have you returned excess change? …
Have you borrowed something the owner was unaware of or has forgotten
that you borrowed it and failed to return it? …
Have you cheated on someone by hiding or misrepresenting some
information? What was the result? Did he pay more for the goods or service
you offered? … Did he sell less for the good or service you bought? …

4. GIVING ADVICE CONCERNING THINGS YOU ARE NOT CERTAIN OF

As a reaction to the advice of his friends, Job said:
“You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of
you!” (Job 13:4)
Have you given an advice concerning things you are not sure of? …. Have
you given counsels in life which you are not sure to be consistent with God’s
Word? … Then you also have lied.

5. NOT FULFILLING YOUR PROMISE

“Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this
comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)
“LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy
hill? …. who keeps his oath even when it hurts,” (Psalms 15:4)
 6
Have you broken a promise? … Have you promised to come to an
appointment at a certain time and did not come? … or, if you came, did you
appear late? … If so, you have lied! You cannot remain in God’s presence in
that condition!
“Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does
not give.” (Proverbs 25:14)
Have you promised to give something but did not give it? … If so, you have
lied!

6. SAYING THAT SOMETHING COMES FROM THE LORD WHEN YOU

ARE NOT SURE
Let us imitate the Apostle Paul:
“… we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use
deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by
setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s
conscience in the sight of God.”
(2 Corinthians 4:2)
Concerning Pashhur’s false prophecy, Jeremiah said:
“And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to
Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to
whom you have prophesied lies.”
(Jeremiah 20:6)
Have you quoted a verse and said, “that Book in such a chapter and verse
says …” when you were not sure of the reference? … Did you claim, “Thus
says the Lord …” or “She is God’s will for me!” when you were not sure of it?
… Ask now for forgiveness before you will be judged as Pashhur was judged …
and those who believed in you be affected too!

7. SAYING YOU ARE SURRENDERING YOURSELF TO GOD WHEN IT

IS NOT REALLY TRUE.
“In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with
all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:10)
If you have promised to return to God, when will you fulfill your promise?
If you don’t have intentions to do it, you have lied!

8. USING LIES IN JOKES

“Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who
deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”” (Proverbs 26:18-19)
A popular song says, “I started a joke which started the whole world
crying.” Like the author of this song, being a joker myself, I have experienced
that indeed, joking can hurt others.
How about you? In your joking, have you used lying? Have you
manipulated others to think in a certain way so they would act in the manner
you want them to? … Have you played with others’ emotions? … Have you
hidden things that are desperately needed? … Only when the person you’re
fooling becomes agitated will you say, “I was only joking!” … If so, stop using
lies when you joke! …
 7
9. CALLING A SIN WITH A DIFFERENT NAME
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for
light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.”
(Isaiah 5:20)
On November 5, 2005, I received this email:
When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas
Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they
heard:
“Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to
seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those
who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our
spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.
We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and call
it Pluralism.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded
laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists
and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-
esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it
freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it
enlightenment.
Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin
and set us free.
Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to
the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of Your Son,
the living Savior, Jesus Christ.
Amen!”
The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the
prayer in protest.
In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor,
logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding
negatively.
The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer!
from India, Africa and Korea.
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, “The Rest
of the Story”, and received a larger response to this program than any other
he has ever aired.
Have you committed any of the sins confessed by Rev. Wright? … Have
you called sin a weakness of your personality? … Have you been lazy and
called yourself phlegmatic? … Have you been impatient and called yourself
 8
choleric or goal-oriented? … Have you been worrying and called yourself
melancholic? … Have you been tactless with your words and called yourself
sanguine? …

10. EXAGGERATIONS
In order to make your story more acceptable to your listeners, did you add
details which are not true? … In reporting statistics, did you relay information
you were not really sure of, but you gave it anyway because they are
favorable for you or for your group or cause? …

11. ALIBIS AND EXCUSES

When you come late for an appointment, do you give the excuse, “Heavy
traffic!” when actually, you have not given enough time for yourself to come
at the right time? …

12. ‘WHITE LIES’

In a hospital, a father with severe cancer asked one of his children, “What
is my sickness?” “Father, it is just a minor one! We can now go home and rest
there!” That month did not pass and the father died without repenting from
his sins because his children did not tell his true condition and lied!
How about you? Do you use ‘white lies’? Did you say to yourself, “It is
okay to lie if it will benefit others!” You are wrong!
Did you say, “He’s not here!” when he was with you? … Did you instruct
another, “Tell him, I am not here!”…
If others are asking you to tell a lie: “If someone looks for me, tell him
that I am not here!”, then tell the one looking for him, “I’m sorry but he is
not available at this time! Bye!” That way, you will not be lying nor will you
be revealing that he is there.
When a person asked the whereabouts of another he intended to harm, did
you lie? … You do not have to! You can trust God to make you wise and
prudent as a serpent but innocent as a dove (Matthew 10:16). Respond in a
way that you would not lie nor reveal where the person is. For example, you
may not just give him complete information. You can divert the issue by
asking why he was looking for him. You may decide not to answer at all.
You might ask, “What about the lies of Rahab, Abraham, Isaac and David?”
Rahab was declared righteous not because of her lying but because she
received the spies and sent them away (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25).
Abraham’s lying was rebuked by a king and God Himself (Genesis 12:10-20);
Isaac’s by Abimelech (26:6-11). David said that it is part of the war to see
some die. That way, he tried to cover his murder of Uriah. But he did not
escape the prophet Nathan’s reproof (2Samuel 11:15-16,24-25; 12:9).
Indeed, God did not favor lying anywhere in the Bible! If you want to
receive favor from him, repent from your lying.
Check the box for the sins you have committed:
I LIED AND GAVE SATAN AN OPPORTUNITY (Ephesians 4:25-27) WHEN:
¨ I spread news about others which I did not personally witness (Proverbs
6:16,19)
¨ I did not testify about something which I have seen which could have
helped someone to whom wrong was done (Leviticus 5:1).
 9
¨ I did not testify about my assurance of salvation when an opportunity
arose.
¨ I found something lost and did not make it known to the owner (Exodus
23:4-5) nor surrendered it to the lost-and-found section.
¨ I did not return excess change.
¨ I cheated on a person by hiding some information. As a result, he paid
more for what I sold or I paid less for what he sold.
¨ I gave an advise concerning things I was not certain of (Job 13:14)
¨ I did not fulfill my promise (Psalm 15:1,4b). Examples: I did not come to
our appointment; I came late; I did not give the promised gift.
¨ I said something comes from the Lord when I am not sure (Jeremiah 20:6).
¨ I said I was surrendering myself to God when it was not really true
(Jeremiah 3:10).
¨ I used lies in my jokes (Proverbs 26:18-19).
¨ I called sin a different name (Isaiah 5:20).
¨ I exaggerated, adding details which are not true.
¨ I had alibis and excuses. Example: I blamed the traffic for being late.
¨ I used white lies. For example, I said, “He is not here!” when he was there
or I instructed another, “Tell him, I am not here!”
¨ I said, “Come back tomorrow!” when I had it with me (Proverbs 3:28)
Suggested Prayer: God, I shall allow your word to richly dwell in me
(Colossians 3:16) that I will be able to speak the truth alone. Help me.
“Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined!
For I am a man of unclean lips,
and I live among a people of unclean lips,
and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
With it he touched my mouth and said,
“See, this has touched your lips;
your guilt is taken away
and your sin atoned for.”
(Isaiah 6:7)

If you want to be forgiven in any of the sins listed here, you may write
me at equippers@msn.com. You may also want to read this 2 page
link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22396398/Do-You-Want-to-
Always-be-with-God-who-Reigns.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Who among you here have had negative experiences because of lying? …
What happened? ...
2. Read John 8:31-36. What do you see from these verses can help you
avoid lying?