By the help of the Holy Spirit, I would like to preach from the subject, “A LIE IS A LIE, IS A LIE”
My mom has a way of knowing when you are telling the truth or telling a lie. I think most mothers can tell if their child is telling the truth or telling a lie.
According to pyschologytoday.com, provided with the following description of what might constitute lying:
"We are interested in truth and lies in people's everyday communication. Most people think a lie occurs any time you intentionally try to mislead someone. Some lies are big while others are small; some are false statements and others are truths with a few essential details made up or left out. Some lies are obvious, and some are very subtle. Some lies are told for a good reason. Some lies are selfish; other lies protect others. We are interested in all these different types of lies. To help us understand lying, we are asking many people to tell us how often they lie."
Participants were asked how many lies they had told in the past twenty-four hours. Here are some of the key findings:
The average number of lies told per day was 1.65. This strikes me as surprisingly low. I have the feeling that many participants were lying about the extent of their lying!
Only 40.1 percent of the sample reported telling a lie in the past 24 hours.
22.7 percent of all lies were told by one percent of the sample, and half of all the lies were told by 5.3 percent of the sample.
After controlling for various demographic variables, not statistically significant sex differences were found in terms of the extent of lying (men = 1.93 lies; women = 1.39 lies). I should mention that evolutionary psychologists would have predicted this null effect, as one should expect that men and women are equally adept at lying albeit they are more or less likely to lie about sex-specific issues of evolutionary import (e.g., in personal ads/online dating, men tend to lie about their social status more often, while women tend to lie about their appearance more.
“He who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who speaks falsehood shall not maintain his position before me". Psalm 101:7
I.WHAT THE BIBLE TELLS US ABOUT LYING?
The Bible says in James 3:8, "But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.". The tongue can be the most wicked weapon on earth, so use it wisely and speak your words with caution. As Christians, we shouldn't fill our lives with deceit.”
A) GOD DOES NOT LIE. Numbers 23:19 tells us that,
“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?". In the first place, there is no limit in God because He is powerful filled with love and mercy prevents Him to do any such thing and that’s lie. On the second place, God cannot be tempted to lie and will not catch God in a lie. Remember that Pharisees and other so-called religious leaders tried to catch Jesus in a lie many times, but I bet you while the truth is looking for them in the face; a face that will not lie. 1 Samuel 15: 29 proves the point, “Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that should change His mind.”
B) GOD CANNOT CHANGE. I don’t know about you, but I truly believe that God is absolutely committed and resolute about His plan for man. Here’s proof from the Word of God: Psalm 102:27 27But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
Hebrews 13:8 8Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Psalm 90:4 4A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, or like a watch in the night. Psalm 90:2 2Before the mountains were born, or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God. James 1:17 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
C) GOD WANTS US TO TELL THE TRUTH. Lying is such a temptation we human do struggle day to day. There is no such thing as a little “white lie” because lies have no lies. Remember this, Proverbs 12:22 “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy”. ILLUSRTATION: A young boy was called to the principal's office. Waiting for him was his teacher. “Son, you are in big trouble. You cheated on this reading test and we have to punish. Cheating will not be tolerated,” said the principle. The boy was being a very good steward.
“Nuh uhh. I didn’t cheat,” replied the boy.
“Yes, you did. The proof is right here on the test. You copied off Johnny’s test. You put the same answers down as him,” responded his teacher.
Thinking as fast as he could the boy said, “Johnny cheated off me.”
“No, the proof that you copied off Johnny is right here on the test,” she said as she pulled out two tests and put them in front of little Richie.
“On Question four which asked what Sally did at the park, Johnny wrote down, ‘I have no idea.’”
“And on question four you wrote, ‘neither do I,’”
II.THE CONSEQUENCES FOR LYING. One of those consequences is that liars will
A) Get caught because of what Proverbs 19:19, “A False witness shall be punished, and a liar shall be caught.” The old saying goes, “if you do the crime, you do the time.” Playwright Tennessee Williams was once said, “The only thing worse than a liar is a liar that's also a hypocrite!
B) Dishonesty is NOT the best policy. When you are dishonest to someone it tends to bite you not a good way but sometimes a BAD way. Proverbs 21:6-8 from the Living Bible tells us that, “Dishonest gain will never last, so why the risk? Because the wicked are unfair, their violence boomerangs and destroys them. A man is known by his actions. An evil man lives an evil life; a good man lives a godly life.”
I would encourage those who do not know Jesus at the pardon of your sins to don’t listen to the lies the devil is telling you because he “is the father of lies” according to Scripture. Don’t listen to the garbage the devil feeds you about what you are doing is bad or people are going to laugh at you when you do, ALL LIES!
Before we give the invitation, I would like to share with you a poem wrote back in February,2020.
A Lie, Is A Lie, Is A Lie
A Social Commentary
Where is the truth?
Hiding in plain sight
With neon lights,
Brightly Shinning.
Where is the truth?
Hidden behind a big desk
Where it is seen at best---
With two eyes dressed in a suit and tie.
Where is the truth?
Wrapped around a red, white and blue flag
Attached to a set of laws in a garbage bag---
Saying something and speaking nothing.
Where is the truth?
Around the necks of those who are free
Hanging like forbidden fruit in a tree
Saying nothing and talking loud.
Where is the truth?
Sweating in the noon day sun
Burning like a raisin one by one---
Talking from the side of their red necks.
One side truth
The other brushed it aside
Giving us a ride---
From one hell to another hell.
The other side kept the lies
Tucked it in their money belts in their pocket full of lies
And if the world burns up, they wouldn't care for many reasons why---
Keeping secrets that secrets keep those secrets kept.
So where is the truth?
I bet it went to hell and back
And colored red and black
Still lies run deep.
Look closer and magnify
The germs of lies under us all
Small, medium and tall
Lies are running so deep.
I said the lies are running so deep
Like rivers flowing and flooding our very streets
Drowning every person covering them like they have been beat---
Like Katrina no one is around to help.
Where is the truth?
For some flushed down the toilet of life
As we wipe our tails with the tissues of misery and strife.
Where is the truth?
It turned into lies
And it's turned upside down besides--
Will it matter anyway?
A lie is a lie is a lie
No matter how you turn it friends
A lie is a lie is a lie
It may never ever end
Because that lie is a lie.
If you steal, you're lie
And a lie because a lie is a lie.
Feb. 2020
Let us pray...Amen.
