Truth In Action Series

The story is told of how years ago a hard shell Baptist returned to

his community after visiting Jefferson, Texas, and he reported to his

neighbors that he had seen ice made there in July. It is claimed that

the first artificial ice in the United States was made in Jefferson.

When the word of this got back to the church he attended, he was

promptly charged with lying, and was going to be expelled from the

church. One of the brothers suggested, however, that in all fairness

they should make an investigation first. So the deliberating body

appointed this concerned brother to go to Jefferson and investigate.

When he returned he reported that as amazing as it sounded he

actually saw ice made there with the temperature nearly 100 in the

shade. The church voted to expel both members for lying.

They were certainly uncharitable and unfair in the this decision,

but they were wise to be so concerned about the matter of lying.

Oliver Wendell Holmes said, "Sin has many tools, but a lie is the

handle which fits them all." We generally think of Eve's sin of

disobedience as the first recorded sin of the Bible, but there is one

before that. The first sin in the Bible is a lie. It was the lie that they

would not die, as God said, if they ate of the forbidden fruit. The

significance of this is magnified when we go to the last chapter of

Revelation and discover that the very last sin named in the Bible is

also the lie. In verse 15 we read of those who are shut out of heaven,

and the last on the list is "Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie."

In between the first and last reference there are many texts

warning about the sin of lying. In Prov. 6:17 a lying tongue is

among the 7 things God most hates. In Prov. 12:22 we read, "Lying

lips are an abomination to the Lord..." Many were the miseries

suffered in the Old Testament because of lying prophets. Satan is

the father of lies, but man has been of considerable help in

multiplying them. It was so much a part of the pagan way of life,

out of which the early Christians came, that it was a sin yet wrestled

with in the church. Paul in Eph. 4:25 admonishes them, "Wherefore

putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor." A

Christian is one who must shed the rags of deceit and falsehood, and

be clothed in the garments of truth.

The Apostle John is very concerned about this matter because the

Gnostics, like many false teachers since, were masters at the use of

the big lie. John does not hesitate to expose them as liars, and warn

believers that if they follow this false doctrine, they too will be liars.

In verse 5 John laid down the fundamental concept of God that

becomes a standard by which to judge all truth and conduct. God is

light and in Him there is no darkness at all. In reference to the

current problem in that church it would mean-God is truth and in

Him is no lie at all. The Scripture clearly states it is impossible for

God to lie. He has nothing in common with a liar, therefore, a liar

cannot have fellowship with God.

Who then is the liar that John has in mind? He is the one whose

profession does not match his practice; whose claims do not coincide

with his conduct; whose words do not harmonize with his walk. The

man who says, "I have fellowship with God," but who walks in

darkness, is a liar, says John. The son of thunder has not lost his

forthrightness, but now it is under control, and serving the purpose

of warning believers in love. The danger is a real one yet today, and

it will be for our profit to do some self-examination on this matter.

We want to consider first the danger of the lie in our talk, and then

the demand for truth in our walk.

I. THE DANGER OF THE LIE IN OUR TALK.

John says, if we say we have fellowship with God, we are making

a great claim, and if we do not back it up with action, this is where

the lie begins. If the man who walks in darkness does not profess to

be in fellowship with God he is still a sinner not doing the truth, but

at this point, at least, he is not a liar. The lie that John is exposing

here is the one that is most dangerous, and we can see this by

considering what the Gnostics taught. They said that spirit is spirit

and flesh is flesh. God as Spirit is concerned only about the spirit.