Lies! White ones! Black ones! Big ones! Little ones! Regular ones! Occasional ones! Bold-faced ones! Sneaky ones! Verbal ones and Non-verbal ones

In Exodus 20:16, the Bible says, “You must not bear false against your neighbour”. That means we must not lie or judge falsely. Some feel this is only about giving testimony in court, but if God meant that, He would have added the words “in court”.

I believe the command against false testimony is a moral prescription for holy people to bear true witness to their God and before their God at all times. Therefore, offenses against the truth expressed by word or deed and a refusal to commit oneself to moral uprightness, constitute infidelities to God and, undermine the foundations of our covenant with God.

Secondly, I believe that obeying the ninth commandment that says one must not bear false witness against your neighbor is a natural consequence of the command to “love your neighbour as yourself”.

God hates lies, period. The Bible expressly states in Proverbs 6:16, 17, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him; haughty eyes, a lying tongue…”

Elsewhere, we are told “Lying lips are an abomination unto the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight” (Proverbs 12:22), KJV.

Why do people lie? Some say lying is in our ‘sin-DNA’ and is noticeable when a child lies about not taking a cookie and s/he has a leftover piece firm in the hand. Some others lie when they are afraid of getting into trouble, or they think it will benefit them in some way. Alternatively, they do not like someone and want to smear their character, or they do not know the facts so they make up some as happens in this story.

“Seeing her poor neighbor become a millionaire overnight, Aling Nena, a woman in her 40s spread rumours that her next-door neighbor was a drug dealer. As a result, the authorities arrested her neighbour and underwent numerous investigations. Thankfully, she was able to prove her innocence. The next-door neighbor was not a drug dealer but the “only” beneficiary of her father’s will.

After her release, the next-door neighbour sued Aling Nena for slander or oral defamation for wrongly accusing her.

In court, Aling Nena told the magistrate, “They were just comments, it didn’t harm anyone.”

Then the magistrate answered, “Write all the things you said about her on a piece of paper. Cut them up and on the way home throw the pieces of paper out. Tomorrow, come back to hear the sentence.”

The magistrate replied, “In like manner, simple comments may destroy the honour of a person to such an extent that one is not able to fix it. If you can’t speak well of someone, rather don’t say anything.” [1]

There are many different ways in which we can break God’s rule against false witnessing. If we teach or proclaim wrong things about God’s character, we are bearing false witness. If we gossip and backbite to destroy how someone views a person, we are bearing false witness. If we falsely judge others in order to feel better about ourselves, if we try to put someone else down just to raise up ourselves, we are in violation because the ninth commandment forbids anything that gets in the way of the truth or injures anyone’s reputation.”

God puts a high premium on truth. Scripture calls our Creator the “God of truth” because truthful speech and actions are particularly characteristic of Him (Isaiah 65:16).   If we are to be imitators of Him, we must prize the truth as well (Ephesians 5:1). Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth about his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Christians must therefore love truth and avoid falsehoods. We will never get away with attempting to deceive others as God remembers all things.

Additionally, Jesus makes obedience to the rule against false testimony a requirement for eternal life. In his testimony to John on the Isle of Patmos, He said. “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie Revelation 22:14.15).

Ultimately, if we do not prize truth as highly as the Lord does, we will lose eternal life for “A false witness will perish″ if he does not repent. Let us, therefore, aim for truth in all our speech and actions and be careful little tongue what you say ❤.

[1] https://thebeholderseyes.com/f/the-ninth-commandment