Our Speech – Part One – Lying

“If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.” James 1:26

The lying and deceitful tongue: it can seem so innocent, so harmless, so convenient… “No one will ever know or care anyway,” we reason to ourselves. So we lie – just a “little lie” and we go on. Often we may need to lie again just to cover up the first falsehood, then again… and again. “I am not hurting anyone,” we think – but do we ever ask ourselves, “What does the Bible say about lying?”

The LORD makes it clear in HIS Word that HE hates lying and even “just” deceiving. The book of Psalms often makes references to the “lying tongue” or the “deceitful mouth” and each time these references infer the evilness thereof. In Psalm 52:3 it says in reproof to a “mighty man”, “You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking what is right.” In Psalm 59:12 it says: “On account of the sin in their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be caught in their pride, and on account of curses and lies which they utter.”

The LORD commanded the Israelites in Leviticus 19:11, “You shall not steal, or deal falsely, nor lie to one another.” In this instance, lying is placed on the same level as stealing. In Proverbs we read, “What is desirable in a man is his kindness and it is better to be a poor man than a liar.” (Proverbs 19:22) Also, “Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.” (Proverbs 12:22)

In Proverbs 24:28 we are instructed, “Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, and do not deceive with your lips.” “Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.” (Proverbs 12:20) “Simply deceiving” is just as wicked as outright lying and often there is no difference.

So, what exactly is the definition of a lie, you may ask? In Noah Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language, a “lie” is defined as follows: “A criminal falsehood; a falsehood uttered for the purpose of deception; an intentional violation of truth.” and “To utter falsehood with an intention to deceive, or with an immoral design.” Deceit is defined as follows: “Literally, a catching or ensnaring. Hence, the misleading of a person; the leading of another person to believe what is false, or not to believe what is true, and thus to ensnare him; fraud; fallacy; cheat; any declaration, artifice or practice, which misleads another, or causes him to believe what is false.”

The Old Testament is not the only place that the Bible discusses lying and deceit either. In Romans 1, Paul is giving a list of the wickedness of men and in verse 29 we read, “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,” In Colossians 1:9-11, we are given a direct command as Christians: “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him – a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” Also, in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 25 we read: “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.” In Mark 7:21-23 we read “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

In Revelation 22 we find out the final consequences of lying: “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.” (Revelation 22:14-15)

From a Biblical perspective, lies and deceit are not pleasing to the LORD. Let us therefore pray as the psalmist did: “Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.” (Psalm 120:2)

To the KING be all the glory!