A LYING TONGUE
“The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” (Proverbs 12:19)
The tongue is one of the smallest organs of the body; a world of evil among the parts of the body, restless evil, full of deadly poison. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell (James 3:5-6). The evil of the tongue works within and without. It defiles us on the inside and destroys our lives on the outside. It leaves everything scattered. Man is continually taming and has successfully tamed the creatures God has placed under his watch. The tongue cannot be tamed; it is wilder, more powerful and more elusive than any animal in the jungle. Its potential for evil is so great that God imprisons it behind a double jailer: the teeth and the lips. It is directly connected to the heart, and it is the heart that motivates and manipulates the tongue for good or evil, to bless or curse. In Matthew 12:35–37, Jesus said, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” But I say to you that every idle word men speak will be accounted for on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. “
When you go to your doctor, one of the first things he examines is your tongue. It tells him a lot about your physical condition. If it is coated, you probably have a fever. If it is yellowish, your digestive system may be out of sorts. A doctor can tell a great deal about your physical condition by looking at your tongue. Similarly, through a tongue examination, we learn quite a bit about a person’s spiritual condition as well. By examining the tongue of a patient, physicians find out the diseases of the body; philosophers find out the diseases of the mind; and Christians find out the diseases of the soul.”
A rudder will determine the direction of a ship in spite of its insignificant size in comparison to a great sea vessel. Likewise, the tongue will direct the actions and determine the direction of our entire body, despite the fact that it is one of the smaller parts of our person. Our lives are destined to go in some direction. The right word at the right time may open doors to great things that will set the course of your life’s work. On the other hand, the wrong word spoken at any time, even at an unsuspecting moment, may close doors, establish a reputation, and mark destiny for ill. Words can most certainly determine our direction. “Who is the man who desires life and loves many days so that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. ” (Psalm 34:12-13)
No human being can tame the tongue. It’s only the spiritually mature that can control their tongue. Most of the time, we find it difficult to control our speech. Words have a way of slipping off the tongue and past our lips before we even know it. “A fool’s mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.” (Proverbs 18:7); “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish” (Proverbs 19:9). “A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin ” (Proverbs 26:28). Sinning in our speech is easy, not hard. If we could just muzzle our mouth and tame our tongue, everything else would be simple by comparison.
Verbal sins can destroy a family or a congregation. They are motivated by mental sins such as arrogance, jealousy, bitterness, vindictiveness, implacability, hatred, mental adultery, pettiness, envy, guilt feelings, etc. All of these sins are focused on other people at one time or another. When someone reaches out to attack another person, the tongue is used to voice the inner mental sins that are already present. Such conversation can be direct and scathing, even vulgar, or it can be subtle, refined, and intellectual.
A lie is something falsely said with the intention of deceiving. To tell a lie is to avoid telling the truth. This is done by saying something untrue outright or by fudging the truth. To lie is to intentionally mislead others when they expect honest communication. To lie is to create a barrier between the truth that we are experiencing and the perception that others have of us. The temptation to do this is often born of an understanding that others will disapprove of our behavior. The Bible talks about people who “walk in lies.” God says: “I have seen a horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they also strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that no one turns back from their wickedness. All of them are like Sodom to me, and her inhabitants are like Gomorrah ” (Jeremiah 23:14). Some people tell lies occasionally, but those who walk in lies tell lies habitually and compulsively. They live under false pretenses.
People lie so that others will form beliefs that are not true. People tell lies for many reasons. They lie to avoid embarrassment, to exaggerate their accomplishments, and to disguise wrongdoing. They make promises they do not intend to keep. Many of us lie to our friends and family members to spare their feelings. Whatever our purpose in telling them, lies can be gross or subtle. Some consist merely of euphemisms or tactical silence. But it is in believing one thing while intending to communicate another that every lie is born. Of course, the liar often imagines that he does no harm as long as his lies go undetected, but the one lied to almost never shares this view. The moment we consider our dishonesty from the point of view of those we lie to, we recognize that we would feel betrayed if the roles were reversed. The opportunity to deceive others is ever present and often tempting, and each instance casts us onto some of the steepest ethical terrain we will ever traverse.
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God hates it when someone tricks another person or themselves into believing something that is not true. The world culture around us now will try to convince you that you cannot know what is true and what is false. Satan attempts to deceive us by saying that what is true for you is not necessarily true for everyone. That is a colossal lie. The truth can be known, and the truth is constant. Lies deceive and lead people astray. But the question remains, why do we lie? Where do we learn that terrible habit? Kids seem to pick it up early in life, and if we are not careful, it can become a way of life. Adults get even craftier and more deceitful in their lies. Humans are so warped in our own understanding of truth that we mistake lies for truth all the time.
One of the greatest problems for a liar is that he must keep track of his lies. Some people are better at this than others. Lies beget other lies. It must be continually protected from collisions with reality. When you tell the truth, you have nothing to keep track of. The world itself becomes your memory, and if questions arise, you can always point others back to it. You can even reconsider certain facts and honestly change your views, and you can openly discuss your confusion, conflicts, and doubts with all who come. In this way, a commitment to the truth is naturally purifying of error, but the liar must remember what he said and to whom, and must take care to maintain his falsehoods in the future. This can require an extraordinary amount of work—all of which comes at the expense of authentic communication and free attention. The liar must weigh each new disclosure, whatever the source, to see whether it might damage the façade that he has built. Whether or not anyone discovers that he has been lying, all of these stresses accumulate.
Tell enough lies, however, and the effort required to keep your audience in the dark quickly becomes unsustainable. While you might be spared a direct accusation of dishonesty, many people will conclude, for reasons that they might be unable to pinpoint, that they cannot trust you. You will begin to seem like someone who is always dancing around the facts—because you most certainly are. Many of us have known people like this. No one ever quite confronts them, but everyone begins to treat them like creatures of fiction. Such people are often quietly shunned for reasons they will probably never understand. The lies of the powerful lead us to distrust governments and corporations. The lies of the weak make us callous toward the suffering of others.
GOD HATES LIES
Lying in general is against God’s holy standard. In fact, God hates it. The second item on the list is a lying tongue. The LORD hates a lying tongue. “Lying is not just annoying to him, it is detestable.” A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. ” Proverbs 26:28)
There are two major forms of lying:
1. Concealment – Leaving out true information.
2. Falsification – the presentation of false information as if it were true.
All types of lies are categorized under these forms of lying.
TYPES OF LIES
There are a lot of ways to lie. Human beings have been very creative over the years in devising new ways to deceive.
1. EXAGGERATION
It is enhancing the truth by adding lies to it, overstating something to impress others. Exaggerations are things embellished or made to appear to be more than they really are. The person who exaggerates usually mixes truths and untruths to make themselves look impressive to others. An exaggerator can weave truth and lies together, causing confusion and even the liar. After a while, the exaggerator begins to believe his or her exaggeration. An exaggerator is a tragic person because he or she feels so little about themselves that they have to make up stories to look good to others. “Hear, O Israel! You are crossing over the Jordan today to go in to dispossess nations greater and mightier than you, great cities fortified to heaven “(Deuteronomy 9:1). It’s an exaggeration!
2. FALSE WITNESS
Lying about people, especially while under oath. It was done against Paul in Acts 25:7. “When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.” A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies will perish (Proverbs 19:9). “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” (Leviticus 19:11)
3. DISSIMULATION
Faking it, covering it up, hypocrisy. An example: calling in sick when not sick. “So, he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard” (1 Samuel 21:13). “Now therefore, call to me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let no one be missing, for I have a great sacrifice for Baal. Whoever is missing shall not live. “But Jehu acted deceptively, with the intent of destroying the worshipers of Baal.” (2 Kings 10:19)
4. WHITE LIE
A white lie is often called the least serious of all lies. People tell white lies while claiming to be tactful or polite. For example, it could be making up an excuse for not going to a party, or showing appreciation for an undesirable gift. But telling white lies after a while can cause conflict with others because, over time, they understand the insincerity. That is why white liars can lose their credibility. Patterns of white lies made over time can create distance between you and others and destroy your credibility. We incur all the problems of being less than straightforward in our dealings with other people. Sincerity, authenticity, integrity, mutual understanding—these and other sources of moral wealth are destroyed the moment we deliberately misrepresent our beliefs, whether or not our lies are ever discovered. While we imagine that we tell certain lies out of compassion for others, it is rarely difficult to spot the damage we do in the process. By lying, we deny our friends access to reality—and their resulting ignorance often harms them in ways we did not anticipate. Our friends may act on our falsehoods or fail to solve problems that could have been solved only on the basis of good information. Lieing is frequently an infringement on the freedom of those we care about. A white lie is simply a denial of these realities. It is a refusal to offer honest guidance in a storm.
5. FLATTERY
A lie, masquerading as encouragement, from a selfish motive to manipulate the hearer in order to achieve the flatterer’s covert purpose. It is insincere praise and gratification for one’s ego. Love never flatters others, and wisdom never desires to be flattered. God tells us “a man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet” (Proverbs 29:5). That’s what makes it evil. Whether or not flattering words have truth in them, their purpose is deception. But we all know that flattery can be much more subtle and slippery. We learn early to use flattery to grease the wheels of attempts to make ourselves look good or discredit, perhaps destroy, another’s reputation or influence. It is a seductive temptation because the short-term reward can appear appealing, but it will eventually wreak destruction. Flattery is what the adulterous in Proverbs 7 used to snare the young man and lead him away “as an ox goes to the slaughter” (Proverbs 7:21-22). The adulteress seduced him, but the man was “lured and enticed by his own desire” (James 1:14).
“Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts” (Psalm 12:2 NIV). This is the way flattery works on us. It seduces us because our pride finds it enticing, and if we take the bait, it wreaks destruction. Flattery is not love. It hates those who it hurts. “It a ruin.” The ruin could also point to consequences coming upon the one who flatters. “If a man digs a pit, he will fall into it; if a man rolls a stone, it will roll back on him. A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin. ” Proverbs 26:28).
6. BOASTING
This implies vocal self-praise or claims of superiority over others, a lie that hides the truth (James 3:14); stretching that story so much that it’s no longer a true story; in fact, it’s a tall tale, but here you are pretending that it’s God’s own truth. ” Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches” (Jeremiah 9:23 ESV). The best way to brag about yourself to others is probably not to brag at all. Let other people do the bragging for you. Don’t speak proudly or happily about what you have done or what you own. It is wrong to boast in oneself rather than in the Lord, taking credit for what only God can do. “Love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude.”(1 Corinthians 13:4) “But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil “(James 4:16). Don’t brag about tomorrow because you don’t know what the day will bring (Proverbs 27:1).
7. UNFULFILLED PROMISE
This is a failure to keep one’s spoken commitment or promise. A broken promise can be especially damaging when the person who made the promise had no intention whatsoever of keeping their word to begin with. Don’t make a promise you never intend to keep. Parents are notorious for this. We should be careful to not promise things we do not plan to deliver upon.
8. FABRICATION
Fabrications are things that are entirely made-up, telling others something you don’t know for sure is true. Fabrications are extremely hurtful because they lead to rumors that can damage someone else’s reputation. Spreading rumors is not only a lie but also stealing another’s reputation.
9. THE BOLD-FACED LIE
A bold-faced lie is telling something that everyone knows is a lie. It’s simple and sometimes cute for a little child to tell a bold-faced lie about not eating any cookies, even though there’s chocolate all over his or her face. As we get older, we try to be cleverer with our cover-ups. Some people never grow up and deal with their bold-faced lying, even though others know that what they’re saying is completely false. When people hear a bold-faced lie, they are resentful that the liar would be so belittling of their time and intelligence.
10. FRAUD
It is another expression of a lying tongue. Trying to deceive someone so that you can take advantage of them in some way.
Have you ever told anyone one of these lies? Do you ever wonder if you can get away with lying? The answer is no, really. You may be able to lie for a while, but in the end, it will come back to haunt you. What starts as a simple white lie over time can turn into a life-destroying habit. It’s important to know that there is freedom in living and telling the truth. It may be difficult at first, but as Jesus said, the truth shall set you free.
HYPOCRISY – ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA (John 8:32)
The lying tongue can be equated with being a deceiver. To deceive so as to mislead by a false appearance or statement. So, it is safe to say that hypocrisy is the same as a lying tongue. Hypocrisy can afford to be magnificent in its promises; it never intends to go beyond promise. It is a deliberate attempt to deceive someone. We don’t often view lying and hypocrisy as being the same. Nonetheless, both involve untruths. When we lie, we say something that isn’t true in the hopes that the hearer will believe it to be true. When we demonstrate hypocrisy, we claim beliefs that our lives fail to support. Truth is a big deal because God is the essence of truth; there is nothing false in Him. Untruth always has a detrimental effect on our relationships with God and with other people. We are in the habit of telling people what they want to hear; it doesn’t matter if it’s true or not. This attitude becomes a problem when we start believing that God doesn’t expect the truth. Therefore, many church-going people tell him what they think he wants to hear. Then they go out and live the way they want.
From Acts 4:36-37, we learn of the generosity of these early Christians, particularly that of Barnabas. Ananias and Sapphira were impressed by this and quite genuinely wanted to play their part, so they decided to sell a property or some land and give the money to the apostles for the Lord’s work. They sold their possessions and kept back part of the proceeds and fell into the sins of pretense, hypocrisy, deception, insincerity, lying, and unreality (Acts 5:1-2). Peter confronted Ananias with his crime. “How is it, Ananias, that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit… You have lied not to men, but to God?” It was a sin against God (Acts 5:3–4), and, of course, it was a sin against the church because it affected the church’s work. It was conceived in their hearts, where all sin begins (Acts 5:3). They invited the devil in; it was premeditated, deliberate, intentional, and planned; husband and wife were deception partners. They lied to God the Holy Spirit while attempting to make themselves look better than they were. It is the sin of hypocrisy. They succumbed to the temptation, abhorred the unconfessed and unforsaken sin.
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13):”If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9).
Hypocrisy is a destructive force within the community of God’s people. If Satan cannot destroy the church from without, he will attempt to destroy it from within. Ananias and Sapphira wanted the credit and prestige of sacrificial generosity without the inconvenience of it. So, in order to gain a reputation for which they had no right, they told a brazen lie. Their motive for giving was not to relieve the poor, but to fatten their own egos. In other words, they pursued the role of the modern-day hypocrite—they exhibited a public persona that their private lives denied. This is where many people in the church are today. In the church, hypocrisy happens when we try to make people believe we are more spiritual than we really are.
Ananias and Sapphira weren’t punished because they failed to live up to an ideal; they were punished for lying about the quality of their relationship with God. They were killed because they publicly claimed to be something they really weren’t. No wonder the church was scared. We should be scared, too. We live in a culture where people have completely disconnected their personal lives from their religious front. They aren’t bothered by their lack of support for God’s church. “They profess to know God, but in their works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.” (Titus 1:16).
SATAN-THE FATHER OF LIARS
Lying is demonic. Jesus told some Jews: “You are the children of your father, the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does.” He was a murderer from the beginning and a hater of the truth; there was not an iota of truth in him. When he lies, it is perfectly normal for him, for he is the father of liars. And so, when I tell the truth, you just naturally don’t believe it! ” (John 8:44–45). Jesus presents here a stark definition of two kinds of man. The one is of the truth and the other is of a lie. The one who is of God and the other is of the devil. The one who is of the truth is able to hear the word of truth; the gospel of salvation. But the other, who believes in lies, cannot.
When Satan lies, he speaks in his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. When we lie, we are speaking Satan’s native language. It’s music to his ears. And it’s detestable to God’s ears. Lies are what Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve. Bearing false witness is what Satan used in the courtroom to condemn Jesus to death. A lying tongue killed Jesus. “A lying tongue despises those it offends…” (Proverbs 26:28).
Love the Truth
Begin to love what is true just for being true. The most important reason God despises a lying tongue is that He is Truth. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6). Loving Jesus means loving the truth, and those who truly love the truth will love Jesus. Speak the truth in love. If we do that, it won’t be hate, it won’t be hurt, and it won’t be ruined. It’ll be a blessing. Speak the truth in love and keep your promises even if it hurts (Psalm 15). Your life will be unshakable where it counts.
John says: “I rejoiced greatly when brothers came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth ” (3 John 1:3–4). Walking in the truth means living according to the commandments of Jesus. Truth in the bible is a person with a personality. The bible’s truth is Jesus Christ. Jesus says: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6).
The word of God affirms this: “A good man hates lies; wicked men lie constantly and come to shame.” (Proverbs 13:5); “A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who speaks lies shall perish.” (Proverbs 19:9) It says: “All liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
God loves the mouths of truth but hates the tongues of lies. Always stand for the truth and always tell the truth, because God hates a lying tongue.
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but truthful dealing is His delight” (Proverbs 12:22).
James Dina (james@mountzionblog.org)
July30,2020
https://mountzionblog.org/a-lying-tongue/
Reference – Joseph Caryl’s “EXPOSITION OF THE BOOK OF JOB”
