“You shall not bear false witness
against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16
A false witness is a liar, a
prevaricator, and if he lies about his neighbor, he probably lies about
everything and can’t really be trusted at all. Of course, “deceiving your
neighbor” flies in the face of “loving your neighbor as yourself.”
This well-known commandment isn’t just
about courtroom testimony. In fact, it includes gossip, exaggeration, slander,
and anything put forth as a truth, which is, in fact, false. Speech intended to
rob a person of his good name or character is against the spirit of this law.
Suppressing the truth when the truth
could benefit your neighbor is wrong, as is putting forth the truth when it can
only injure someone. Not everything true needs to be said.
None of us likes being lied to, but we
sometimes experience it in an imperfect world. We do not expect lies to come
from the mouths of believers. It’s far worse when we’re deceived by pastors or
church elders, and the Bible says that God will hold them to a higher standard.
“There are things that the Lord hates
and cannot tolerate … someone who tells one lie after another." from Proverbs 6:16-19 GNT
Godliness and honesty must walk
hand-in-hand. That’s what the Bible says.
Norton Lawellin
Exceptional
worship and teaching last Sunday, and if you weren’t there, you missed it! This
week we continue in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF,)
North end of the Oliver Ministry Building, 27th Street &
Bloomington Avenue, 10:30am.
NL
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