Twice in my life I have testified in legal cases. Once was as a witness to a fatal car wreck in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lawyers came all the way to Atlanta to take my deposition. The other time was in a child custody case in south Georgia as an expert on cults. A man’s ex-wife was in a cult and he was trying to get custody of his children to protect them from it. In both cases, I raised my hand and took an oath to the tell truth, which, of course, I did!
In olden days, a witness in a trial would place his or her hand on a Bible before testifying. He or she then swore to “Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! So help me (Who?) GOD!” Why was it framed that way? Because it used be thought if a person swore an oath it was not just to the judge and the court, but actually to God, the ultimate judge. Thus, if someone lied, he or she was lying to God Himself. Some even believed lying under oath put a person’s mortal soul in danger.
In this installment of the ten part series on the Ten Commandments we analyze Commandment Nine: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” What does “Bear false witness” actually mean?” It means to not tell the truth; that is, to lie. Lying, whether under oath or not, is definitely a sin. That being established, in this article we will consider two major issues related to lying. We will first define it, and then address the greater implication of what lying really is and who it benefits.
1. Lying means that someone gives an account of something that does not correspond with reality as it actually existed in the past, or currently exists.
Back in the 1970s, there was game show on TV called “The Liars Club.” In the game, four celebrity panelists were each given an unusual looking object and secretly told what it was and did. When the game began, each of the panelists would go down the line and explain to the audience what his or her particular object was and its supposed function. The thing about it was, however, three of the four celebrities were lying. Contestants then had to guess which celebrity was telling the truth. If they succeeded they won a prize. It was great fun and it was amazing what kind of stories the celebrities concocted.
But lying for real is serious business. It is the act of saying what is not the truth or denying what is the truth. The truth is anything that corresponds with reality as it actually existed or happened in the past, or currently exists or is happening in the present. This means that the truth is objective and absolute. There can only be one truth. Unlike what is taught even in some universities today, everyone does not have their “own truth” that is equally as valid as anyone else’s. Either something is true or it is not. I remember once a teacher asked me to evaluate a multiple choice test he had designed for his students’ final exam. The instructions for the test stated: “Select the answer below (a, b, c, or d) that is the most true for each question.” I pointed out to him how illogical it was to ask for the “most true” answer. Any answer would have to be either all true or all false.
As Christians we know that the ultimate truth is found in God and His Word. Jesus even identified Himself as the “Way, the Truth, and the Life….” (John 14:6). He also said:
If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8:31-32)
Thus, Jesus was the very embodiment of the truth. To know Him is to know the truth.
Therefore, having defined what “truth” is, the Ninth Commandment makes it clear that to not tell the truth (to lie or bear false witness against someone) is a terrible sin. Other passages in the Old Testament Law reiterated that precept.
You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:12)
When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. (Deuteronomy 23:21)
Our God is a God of truth, not lies or deception. Jesus expanded on this principle by demanding no one say anything that is not the truth, whether it is under oath or not. He said one should simply let his or her “Yes be yes” or “No be no”! In other words, He was saying “Tell the truth!” A believer should not even need to take an oath. God will know if a person is lying, so there is no use obscuring the truth.
33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.(Lev. 19:12; Deut. 23:21)’ 34 But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil (lit. the evil one).” (Matthew 5: 33-37)
In recent years many American legal trials have been broadcast live on television. One such case involved a man in Florida who shot a teenage boy. When the trial was televised, CNN’s ratings went through the roof and were the highest the cable network had ever recorded. Likewise, as we mentioned in our examination of Commandment Four (“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” [Exodus 20:7]), popular daytime court shows present real small claims court cases. Their judges have become celebrities. They include Judge Judy, Judge Greg, Judge Joe, Judge Mabeline, Judge Marilyn, Judge Glenda, Judge Mills, Judge Maria, Judge Lynn, Judge David, Judge Larry Joe, and Judge Alex.
The disturbing thing about those legal cases and TV shows is when it is obvious that one or the other of the litigants has to be lying. In most cases, they cannot both be telling the truth since they contradict each other (of course, they may both be lying). Often liars get caught contradicting themselves or changing their stories. As Judge Judy sometimes tells her courtroom, “People who tell the truth don’t have to have as good a memory as do those who lie.” In any case, a Christian must live his or her life in tune with God’s reality. In other words, always tell the truth.
So not telling the truth is a sin. But Jesus warned about another dimension of lying that most people never take into consideration.
2. Lying means that a person is wittingly or unwittingly in league with the devil.
In John’s Gospel is recorded a conversation Jesus had with the Pharisees. The Pharisees, of course, considered themselves the most holy living and righteous people on earth. They fanatically avoided breaking any OT law, thinking that by doing so they were obeying God better than anyone else, and were deserving of His favor. Nonetheless, Jesus made a rather audacious accusation about who they were actually serving.
43 Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:43-44)
Jesus told the self-righteous Pharisees that they were teaching false doctrines and had rejected the truth God was revealing to them through Himself. As a result they were actually sons of the devil and were serving him, not God. He told them that the devil is the father of lies and those who tell lies are following him.
The application is clear. Jesus asserts that Satan is the “father of lies.” If a person is telling lies or living a lie, he or she is doing the work of the devil. You might ask, “So you are saying that if I tell a fib or a little white lie that I am working for the devil?” Well…yes. Now it doesn’t mean you are worshipping Satan or are possessed by demons, but it does mean you are, consciously or not, in league with his evil program. A Christian must live his or her life in true fellowship with God in order to be free of Satan’s deceitful power.
Conclusion
“But,” you say, “what do I do if I have told an untruth?” Just like all sins, the first thing to do is to confess it to God and receive His forgiveness. Remember, all sins are ultimately against God Himself. In this case, it is foolish to try and hide it since He already knows everything we think say, or do. Yes, we can lie to ourselves but God always knows the truth. So we must face up to it and confess it.
Second, we may need to make amends to those to whom we lied and to those whom we lied about. Lying is the essence of bearing false witness. If we accuse or acquiesce to something we know is false about someone, we are guilty of this sin. In that case, we must do everything in our power to set the record straight, even if it means we must pay a price ourselves for standing for the truth.
To sum up, we must always do what the old courthouse oath said: “Tell the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth! So help me God!”
© 2018 Tal Davis