What are things that people attribute to be according to the Bible that is not really contained in the Bible?

Just as you dislike when someone lies to you, so does the Lord. In fact, He is incapable of lying — “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18).
The Book of John explains the history of lying. “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do…he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44).
Lying without repentance and forgiveness leads to “the second death” described in Revelation, which says, “all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).  Click here to donate and show love to the dying Orphan
Be faithful to the Bible’s teachings and if you have lied, seek forgiveness from those to whom you have lied, and obey the Gospel, for “He is faithful and forgiving us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9; Matthew 5:23-25).
Even lying in life-or-death situations is opposed, as the Book of Matthew says, “do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Your soul and salvation matter more than your body for you, and should not be traded for anything in this physical life (Matthew 16:26).

What does the Bible say about lying?

“Have you ever told a lie?” Many would probably have to answer “yes” to that question at least once,  maybe even many times. Lying is a subject that is almost universal in nature. And we have a tendency to  classify lies. Some lies we think of as big lies, while we deem other lies as insignificant. In the first part of this topic, we will start with examining the question, “What does God really think about lying?” Is being truthful a daily challenge?
Certainly we face challenges in our lives, but not always daily ones.
Some years ago there was a study indicating that the average person lies twenty-five times a day. How can this be? Think about the many situations in which people lie. Maybe a father comes home after a long day at work, and as the family is sitting down to relax and eat dinner, the telephone rings. Another family member answers, and finds the call is for the father…and it’s a telemarketer. It is so easy to say, “Tell them I’m not here!” Sometimes one might say it before they even stop to think about it. If you start adding up incidents like that, then yes, perhaps the average person does lie twenty-five times a day. Hopefully Christians do not, but the average person does.
According to one poll, the majority of people interviewed said they have lied and would do so again, either to protect themselves or to keep from hurting someone else’s feelings. But wouldn’t it hurt to know you had been lied to? This poll tells us that most people do not have a problem with lying. Or maybe we should say most people do have a problem with lying! People say they lie to protect themselves, to keep from hurting others and also to get out of trouble. This last one seems to be a common reason to lie. One writer has defined a lie as “a coward’s way of getting out of trouble.” This is a fitting definition because sometimes it takes some real courage and moral fiber to tell the truth.
Here’s a good question to consider: “At what age does lying become a problem for people?” This question was once asked of a group of people whose response was, “As soon as they learn to talk.” That seems quite accurate. Maybe even one of the first sins that young people commit in life is telling a lie, because it is so easy to do. They get caught doing something wrong and lie to avoid getting in trouble. And it certainly doesn’t stop with children. Probably all of us can call to mind images of government officials lying and committing perjury to keep themselves out of trouble.
Sadly, lying is one of those sins that people tend to think of as not a big deal. We think, “Ah, what’s it going to hurt?” With that thought in mind, let’s look at Proverbs 6:16-19: “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among  brethren.” Notice that in this short list of seven things God hates, two of the things mentioned are “a lying tongue” and “a false witness that speaks lies.” Two of the seven things God despises involve lying. On our human scale, lying doesn’t rank high up there, but what about God’s scale? On the Sin-O-Meter (if there were such a thing), God is saying, “Here are seven things I despise, that are an abomination, that are particularly repulsive in my sight, and lying is one of them.” In fact, we might say that lying is two of them.
With that being the case, if we are going to be right, we need to change our perspective on how we look at things. We need to start looking at lying the way God looks at it. Let’s define “lying.” Webster’s Dictionary defines lying this way, “to utter falsehood with an intention to deceive…to cause an incorrect impression; to present a misleading appearance…” In light of this definition, think about this question, “Can a person lie without actually saying the words?” Sometimes people will bend over backwards to lead someone to believe something that is not true, but they will not actually say the words. Afterwards they will say, “Well, I didn’t lie.” Sometimes in court people play these little games. This is why people have to meet with their lawyers before they go to court to testify so they will know how to give a false impression without perjuring themselves.
Even though they may not state the lie outright, it is still a lie. Essentially, we mean this: causing someone to believe something that is not true, and doing it intentionally is lying. We aren’t talking about a mistake or a miscommunication which is beyond our control. What we’re discussing here is intentionally deceiving someone. As we think about this topic of lying, we need to consider the subject of God and Lying. The first point to notice is that God cannot lie. It is impossible for Him to do it. Titus 1:2 says of the Christian’s eternal life, “…God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began.” Now what does that mean? When God says something, we can absolutely count on it, because He will not and cannot lie.  Click here to donate and show love to the dying Orphan
When God promises eternal life to the faithful, we can believe it is going to happen. 2 Peter 3:8 says, “…beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” In the context of 2 Peter 3 it is prophesied that in the latter days some people would deny that there is going to be a Judgment Day. Their reasoning is, “It’s been thousands of years, and nothing has happened. It’s not going to happen.” But then as the text says, with the Lord “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” The point is that God’s promises are true whether He made them yesterday or thousands of years ago. How can we know for sure? Because God cannot lie. Every promise in the Bible will come to pass. When He promises eternal life to the faithful, it will come to pass. When He promises eternal punishment to the wicked, it too will come to pass.
Some might surmise that if an individual is simply a “good person” then maybe God will save them anyway, but that cannot happen. It is impossible, because God cannot lie, and 2 Thessalonians 1:8 says  that on the Day of Judgment Christ will come in flaming fire “taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.” If a person has not obeyed the gospel, he will not be saved. If he is saved, then God is a liar, but our first point has already been established that God cannot lie. Secondly, God hates lying. Not only can He not lie, He hates it. Proverbs 6:17 says lying is an abomination to the Lord. Proverbs 12:22 tells us, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord; but they that deal truly are His delight.” So it is clear how God feels about lying. He hates it. Thirdly, lying is contrary to the nature of God. Now what is the nature of God? The Bible says that God is truth.
When Christ walked upon this earth, He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man comes to the Father, but by me (John 14:6).” In addition, His word is truth. The Psalmist wrote, “For the Lord is right; and all His works are done in truth” (Psalm 33:4). John wrote, “Sanctify them through Thy truth; Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Psalm 31:5 calls God the “God of truth.” God cannot lie; He hates lying; it is contrary to His nature; and God forbids His children to lie.
The Old Law said, “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another” (Leviticus 19:11). The Ten Commandments said, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). In the New Testament included in the list with the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, and idolaters we find the words “all liars.” The text says that they “shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and  brimstone, which is the second death” (Rvelation 21:8).
As we think about God and lying, we also must remember who is just the opposite of God, Satan, of whom the Bible says is “the father of lies.” John 8:44 says that Satan “…was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” Let’s change gears and think about man and lying. Proverbs 13:5 says, “A righteous man hates lying.” As already mentioned, John 8:44 states that Satan is the father of lies.
Someone once said, “A man is never more like the Devil than when he’s telling a lie.” In John 8, Jesus said to the Jews who were lying, “You are just like your father. You are of the Devil.” Lying is perhaps one of the most common of all sins. Recall that  the average person lies twenty-five times a day. Is there another sin that is committed so frequently? Now, lusting might be a recurring sin for some people, but lying would have to be near the top of the list for its frequency because lying is a sin that plagues everyone from the very young to the very old. It is a sin that probably every human who has ever lived any length of time on this earth has committed.
But lying seems to be a bigger problem for some than for others. Some have reached the point where lying is not a trap that they fall into sometimes, but rather it is a way of life. A habitual liar might tell a lie even when the truth would be easier, simply because he does it all the time. It has been said about some people that you know they are lying “when their lips are moving.” A question one might ask is, “Why do men lie?” Answers to this may vary. Someone says, “Well, people lie to gain something.” A person might lie on his taxes in order to keep more of his money. A salesman might lie to the customer about a product to make a sale. Some might say, “Oh, that’s just business. You can’t make a living in the car business if you don’t fudge the  truth a little bit!” If that is true, then that person better get out of the car business, because he can’t go to Heaven if he continues to lie.   Click here to donate and show love to the dying Orphan
A man looking for a job might lie to the employer about his credentials in order to be hired. Someone else might lie to his employer by calling in and claiming to be sick when he  actually just wants to take a day off. Worse yet, people will brag about this sort of thing! There was a country music song several years ago called “I Don’t Have To Be Me Til Monday” and in the song, the artist says, “I called in sick to work. No, my back don’t really hurt.” And then he plans to go party. In some ways, this is a very accepted sin in our society, but Proverbs 21:6 says, “Getting treasures by a lying tongue is the fleeting fantasy of those who seek death.” In other words, those who get gain by lying are  seeking eternal death. They will spend eternity in Hell because they lied to obtain temporary treasure now. Another reason why people might lie is to keep themselves out of trouble.
We alluded to this already. We see this in children caught with their hand in the cookie jar. We see this with adults who might lie to the police. They are stopped for some traffic violation, and they may deny it altogether, or concoct some fabrication like, “I’m late picking up my child from school,” or “I’m on my way to the hospital.” There are a million  reasons to think of for telling a lie, but people do lie to keep themselves out of trouble. And again, all the way up to high government officials, we see them lying before Congress to avoid punishment for their actions. They also play word games (semantics) to try to turn a lie into something other than a lie. It’s repulsive to God, and should be repulsive to man, too.
Sometimes people lie to avoid hurting somebody’s feelings. Did the Lord adhere to that practice? No, He did not. To many people, this type of lying just  wouldn’t be that big of a deal. It is one of those sins we accept. In fact, we have come up with the term, “the little white lie.” It’s a small lie. It is white (pure, innocent) and it doesn’t hurt anybody and may  actually spare some pain. The Andy Griffith show is a great show, but often in the show Barney Fife is messing something up, and then Andy frequently lies to spare his feelings. Our society has reached the point where we think this is admirable. It is honorable because, after all, you’re doing it because you care about people.
But we need to realize that lying is wrong, in any shape or form. It is a transgression of the law of God. We must not allow ourselves to measure sin by how much damage it does or does not do on this earth. Any sin can cause a man or woman to be lost and, in light of that, none of them are little. Also, if a person tells a lie, it grows and leads to another. Someone once said, “If you never tell a lie, you never have to remember what you said.” As we think about man and lying, it is imperative that we realize lying is very costly. Lying really hurts people.
There is an old story about a little boy who had a problem with telling lies, so his father wanted to teach him a lesson. The father got a brand-new piece of wood and he drove ten nails into the wood. He then called his son and said to him, “Son, you have recently told ten lies. I want you to go back and fix them. For each one you correct, we will remove a nail from the wood.” So the little boy set about to “fix” his lies. When he had finished and the tenth nail was pulled from the wood, the boy’s father said, “Well, how does it look?” The boy responded, “The nails are gone, but the scars are still in the wood.” His father said, “Now you have learned the lesson.” Lying does damage that is sometimes  impossible to correct. It has hurt feelings and scarred reputations.
A young girl in a small town high school once made accusations of a sexual nature against one of the male teachers. In that small town, the teacher’s reputation was destroyed, and it caused tremendous damage to his family. Finally the man was forced to move away to find another job. After some time had passed, the girl came forward and said, “I lied. It never really happened.” Did that fix the problem? Did her confession undo the damage done? Not only can lying hurt other people, it can ruin the liar’s own reputation. Proverbs 22:1 says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…” The loss of one’s good name is a tremendous loss indeed, and a surefire way to lose a good name is to become a liar. Few people have respect for a liar, but a man who always tells the truth is esteemed almost everywhere.
There is an expression, “A man is only as good as his word.” Some people might say of an individual, “If this person gave you his word, you can count on it, because his word is as good as gold.” This is a great treasure when people think of a person  his way. “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches…” As Christians, our personal reputations and commitment to the Lord should mean more to us than a brief gain by way of lying. When you as a child of God have reached the point where people can come to you as a Christian and know that you will always tell them the truth, whether it is pleasant or not, you have an invaluable treasure.
Lying can hurt other people. It can destroy your reputation, and it can hurt the church. If a man lives a doctrinally correct life  outwardly, but secretly he is also living an immoral life, he is living inconsistently. If a man will fight for the truth on baptism and the one church of the New Testament, but in his day-to-day life, he tells lies, what does that do to the church? Few things harm the Lord’s church more than a man who claims to be a Christian and then doesn’t live like one.
There have even been times in history when lying has cost a man his very life. In 1 Kings 13 is the account of the young prophet who was sent to prophesy against King Jeroboam. He faithfully carried out that duty, but God had told him to go straight home after he left the king, and not to eat anything or drink anything, or return to that place. An old prophet came to the young prophet and said, “Come home and eat with me.” He essentially said, “It will be alright. An angel said for me to tell you to do it.” But then 1 Kings 13:18 adds these words, “But he lied unto him.” Because the young prophet believed the older prophet, he dined with him, and on the way home the Lord punished him by a terrible death.
In Acts 5 the Lord showed His disdain for lying when a man named Ananias and his wife Sapphira lied about a piece of property they had sold. They claimed they were giving all of the profit to the church, but in reality they kept back part of the money for themselves. They may have thought, “It’s no big deal. We gave money to help the work of the Lord; we only lied about the percentage. It didn’t hurt anybody, right?” Is this not the way we think sometimes today? But God made a powerful statement about how He regards lying, and struck both of them dead.
Here is a very important point we must never forget. Lying can cost a man his soul. Proverbs 21:6 says that a lying tongue is a characteristic of them that seek death. Revelation 21:8 says that all liars shall have their part in the second death (in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone). 2 Thessalonians 2:12 teaches that believing a lie can cost men their souls. This sin of lying that so many consider insignificant, that they call “little” and “white” can cause them to lose their most valuable possession, their immortal soul, and burn eternally in a Devil’s Hell.
Concerning God and lying, God cannot lie. He hates lying, and He forbids His children to lie. Lying is contrary to His very nature, but the Devil is the father of it. Like one man said, “Perhaps a man is never more like the Devil than  when he is telling a lie.” Concerning man and lying, lying can hurt other people. Lying destroys reputations, and does untold damage to the church. Lying has cost men their lives and more importantly, their souls. Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly are His delight.” This is the truth about lying!
Lying is always wrong. Colossians 3:9 says, “Lie not to one another.” Proverbs 12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly are His delight.” These verses and many others teach us that God hates lying. The Bible is very plain about this, so it is very sadly surprising when Christians try to defend lying. Unfortunately, it happens quite often. Their argument usually consists of some difficult situation with very serious consequences, and the person will suggest that in light of these very undesirable circumstances, lying is the better choice, and that God would even approve. Sometimes they will make appeals to events in the Bible that they believe imply that lying is permissible. The first part of this lesson covers three points. First, we will put forth some of the scenarios (dilemmas) that peoplebring up to try to defend lying. Second, we will go over some of the Bible passages people appeal to in order to attempt to justify lying. Finally, we will look at some of the situations to which people appeal to defend lying.

SCENARIOS IN DEFENSE OF LYING

In an effort to defend lying, one individual brought up a situation in the area where he lives. Someone had been breaking into houses and committing rape. A grandfather was home alone except for his two   granddaughters. He heard something downstairs and knowing about the criminal in the neighborhood, told his granddaughters to hide while he went downstairs to investigate. When the grandfather got downstairs, a man knocked him to the ground and put a gun to his head, asking, “Is there anyone else in the house?” The individual telling the story wanted to know, “What would you say? If you tell the truth, it is going to be tragedy for your granddaughters.” This individual then went on to suggest than under these extreme circumstances, it would be acceptable to lie. What do you say to that? Admittedly, this is a terrible situation, one we hope never to encounter. But a wrong action does not turn into a right one just because the consequences are severe. Sin does not change to righteousness just because of circumstance. That would make this situational ethics, where the ends justify the means. It is true that many governments lie (shocking as that may seem) and sometimes convince themselves that it is necessary to do so. But the Bible still says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matthew 5:37). Proverbs 14:34 says, “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.” If a government lies, it is not right just because it’s the government. Again, the consequences of a sin do not somehow transform it into a “non-sin.” One quote by an unknown author says, “Always tell the truth. If you can’t always tell the truth, don’t lie.” Sometimes in difficult situations, the best thing to do is say nothing. In the same context, someone even suggested that “the truth is so precious that sometimes it has to be protected by a bodyguard of lies.” This is absolute nonsense! That is the Devil’s handiwork. The Bible says, “Buy the truth and sell it not…” (Proverbs 23:23). Don’t ever be the one who gives up holding onto truth. There is nothing so precious upon this earth that one should cease to walk in the pathway of truth, and instead walk down the pathway of the Devil. Sometimes men will even argue that mercy overrides truth, that mercy is greater than truth, and that being the case, there are times when we must lie in order to uphold mercy. But that begs the question: if lying is justified by mercy, does mercy also justify other sins? Could adultery be justified by mercy? Could homosexuality? Could abortion? Could we indeed have such a thing as “mercy killings?” God is a God known for His mercy. Ephesians 2:4 says He is “rich in mercy” and yet Titus 1:2 says He “cannot lie.” The two are not mutually exclusive, and they do not contradict each other. Obviously, no one would ever question the wonderful mercy of Christ (Titus 1:4, Jude 21), and yet we never read about Jesus lying. Is it the case that we are faced with moral dilemmas which would demand that we choose the lesser of two evils, and yet the Lord never was? If He never was, what about Hebrews 4:15 which says, “He was tempted in all points like as we are…” When the Lord walked on this earth, He set the perfect example for us to emulate. We can fabricate all of the scenarios we want to, but let’s ask, “What would the Lord do if He werein these dilemmas?” Certainly He would not lie  because if He did, at that moment, He would cease to be God. Titus 1:2 says God cannot lie. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).

“BIBLICAL” ARGUMENTS IN DEFENSE OF LYING

Perhaps one of the most common arguments brought up to justify lying for a good cause is an appeal to the story of Rahab. One person posed it this way, “When the spies entered the Promised Land to spy out the land, what would have happened if Rahab had not lied and protected them? How would the children of Israel have received the Promised Land?” The answer is easy: “God would have done it some other way.” Romans 8:28 says, “All things work together for good to them that love God.” This passage is teaching us that, regardless of what men may do to us, or what may happen to us, God can use it to accomplish His will. God’s plan was not dependent upon Rahab. He would have accomplished what He wanted done  whether or not she lied. Sometimes this same argument involving Rahab will be used this way, “When the spies came to Rahab, she lied to protect them. Later she was blessed for her actions; therefore we have a situation where a lie met with God’s approval. Thus, it was a justified lie.” Let’s read the passage and see. The story is in Joshua 2:1-7: “Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, ‘Go, view the land, especially Jericho.’ So they went, and came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and lodged there. And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, ‘Behold, men have come here tonight from the children of Israel to search out the country.’ So the king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, ‘Bring out the men who have come to you, who have entered your house, for they have come to search out all the country.’ Then the woman took the two men and hid them. So she said, ‘Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they were from. And it happened as the gate was being shut, when it was dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do not know; pursue them quickly, for you may over take them.’ (But she had brought them up to the roof and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order on the roof). Then the men pursued them by the road to the Jordan, to the fords. And as soon as those who pursued them had gone out, they shut the gate.” When reading this account, it is clear that Rahab did lie. She actually lied several times. In verse 4 she says, “I did not know where they were from.” She says in verse 5, “When it was dark, the men went out,” and also, “Where the men went, I do not  now.” The problem seems to arise when we get to the New Testament and see that Rahab is actually complimented by God for her behavior. Some think this is a sanction for lying. Let’s look at the two passages in the New Testament that mention Rahab. Hebrews 11:31 says, “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she received the spies with peace.” Where does this passage  condone lying? It doesn’t. Rahab is simply complimented for receiving the spies peacefully. The second passage is James 2:25, which says, “Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she
received the messengers and sent them out another way?” Again, this Scripture does not applaud her lying. One person tried to argue from this passage that lying was an inherent part of “sending them out  another way.” But please appreciate that this passage can stand wholly and separately apart from the lie. Let’s assume that it took place this way: the king’s men came to the house, knocked on the door and said, “Can we come in and look around?” And Rahab said, “Sure,” so they came in, walked around, found nothing and left. Under these circumstances, could the Scriptures have complimented her for receiving them and sending them out another way? Yes! The statement is not dependent upon the lie. Rahab’s lies are never condoned in the Scriptures. The story about Rahab merely provides an example of where God  honored a woman because of her obedient faith, in spite of many character flaws. At the time, she was a heathen, a harlot, and a liar. But she tried to help God’s people, so God blesses her in spite of character flaws, not because of them. Another passage people sometime appeal to in order to justify lying is Exodus 1:15-22. This is an account of the Hebrew midwives. It says, “Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, ‘When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.’ But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?’ And the midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.’ Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.’ ” The argument goes like this: Pharaoh commanded the midwives to kill the newborn male Hebrews. The midwives disobeyed the decree. The midwives lied when questioned concerning their actions. God blessed the midwives. Since God blessed the action of which a lie was a part, He must have sanctioned a lie. This is false, and not what the Bible says. The text tells us that God blessed the midwives because they feared Him, not because they lied. Verse 17 indicates that the way they exhibited their fear of God was by sparing the babies, and that was prior to the lie even taking place. The midwives spared the babies because they feared God. They lied because they feared Pharaoh. There is no justification for lying in this passage. Another Bible passage where people will sometimes seek justification for lying is 1 Samuel 16:1-2. In this chapter God has rejected Saul from being the king and has instructed the prophet Samuel to anoint a new king from among  the sons of Jesse the Bethlehemite. Samuel is concerned about this, because he asks, “What if King Saul hears about this? He’ll kill me.” So in verse 2, the Bible says, “And the Lord said, ‘Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’” And so the argument suggests that God actually told  Samuel to lie in order to protect himself from Saul. In reality it wasn’t a lie at all. As we continue on in the chapter, we see that God instructed Samuel to arrange a sacrifice in Bethlehem and to invite the family of Jesse to the sacrifice. At the occasion of that sacrifice, God would reveal to Samuel which one of the sons was to be the next king, and he would anoint him there. It was not a lie at all. Somebody even  pressed the argument that the wise men in Matthew 2 lied by not returning to Herod after they saw the baby Jesus. Listen to what Matthew 2:7-8 says, “Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men,  inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, ‘Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.’ When they had heard the king, they departed.” The Scriptures say nothing about  the wise men’s promising to return. Besides that, in verse 12 God told them to go a different way. There is certainly no justification for lying in these verses.

PROOF THAT SHOWS LYING IS ALWAYS WRONG Click here to donate and show love to the dying Orphan

Proof #1: Right and Wrong are not determined by earthly consequences.

Some of these proofs have already been alluded to, but now we want to put them together here in a neat package. The first proof that shows lying is always wrong is this: right and wrong are not determined by earthly consequences. Sometimes doing right is very costly. Jesus told the rich young ruler that doing right would cost him all he had. Doing right cost the apostle Paul beatings and abuse. When we begin to determine right and wrong based on the earthly consequences, we are going to get really out of whack. First John 3:4 says, “Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the
law.” This is how we determine right and wrong.

Proof #2: Revelation 2:10 Revelation 2:10 says, “Be faithful unto death and I will give you a crown of life.”

This passage was written to Christians who ere suffering persecution. The beginning of verse 10 discusses
the fact that they were going to suffer. Some of them would be thrown into prison and undergo tribulation. It is in this context that the Lord says, “Be faithful unto death.” Homer Hailey, in his commentary on Revelation, phrased it this way, “even to the point of dying.” What is the Lord saying? “Be faithful and do right, even if it costs you your life.” What does this do to these scenarios where it is suggested that you have to lie to protect life? The truth is more precious than life itself. God is the God of truth (Psalm 31:5), and we as Christians want to be like Him. Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “Fear not him who can destroy the body and not the soul, but rather fear Him Who is able to destroy both the body and soul in hell.” In essence, Jesus is saying, “Don’t be afraid of physical death; be afraid of sinning and losing your soul.”

Proof #3: Revelation 21:8 Revelation 21:8 says, “All liars shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

It does not say “some.” It does not say “All, except those who were put in really tough situations.” It does not say, “All, except those who lied to protect human life.” It just says, “All.” People can come up with all the hypothetical, extreme situations they want, but what they really need, if they want to win the  argument that says lying is acceptable, is a passage of Scripture where God says it is all right to lie. There isn’t one.

Proof #4: Titus 1:2 Titus 1:2 clearly states God cannot lie.

If lying is really acceptable sometimes, why doesn’t God do it? Why did Jesus Christ never do it? If mercy justifies lying, why can’t the God of mercy lie? The answer is that lying is inherently evil. It is always wrong. That is why God never does it.

Proof #5: The true source of lying

When trying to justify telling a lie, people don’t remember who the real origin of lying is: Satan. John 8:44 says, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is not truth in him. When he speaks
a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar, and the father of it.” When the devil tells a lie, he speaks from his own resources. Again, Matthew 5:37 says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’
‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.” When people lie, their father is the devil, the source of lies, and they are from the evil one. To suggest it is sometimes all right to lie is to say that it is sometimes all right to stop following God and to follow Satan instead. This conclusion should be rejected with every fiber of our being.

Proof #6: God will provide a way of escape.

It has been offered by someone who was trying to defend lying that sometimes you have to choose the lesser of two evils. This is when we need to remember 1 Corinthians 10:13, “God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” We can trust that God’s way of escape from sin is not
going to be another sin! There will always be a path we can choose which does not involve violating God’s  will. A person may not always choose God’s way, but it is there nonetheless.

5 Common Lies Most Christians Believe

The world is a noisy place, and sometimes it’s hard to know what to believe. With so much talk about “fake news” and so many misconceptions, words and ideas are distorted, miscommunicated, and misunderstood on a regular basis. Sadly, Christians aren’t exempt from believing false truths, and it’s time to set the record straight regarding some common lies we readily believe.
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Lie #1: God doesn’t give us more than we can handle.

We’ve all had people say it to us. We’ve likely said it ourselves. Things are going terribly wrong, and this is the little phrase we whisper to keep ourselves from going over the edge. But is it true?
While the Bible does say we will not be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13), that doesn’t mean life will never be more than we can handle. It will. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t need God at all. Let’s be honest—sometimes we humans are so prideful, we need that reminder that we really can’t do everything on our own. The knowledge that we need a Savior is what keeps us tethered to Him, and while none of us enjoys the walks in the wilderness, we can see how valuable they are once we’re on the other side.
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Lie #2: A pastor’s place is on a pedestal.

We love our heroes. I’m as big a fan of Captain America as the next guy. But when it comes to Christianity, God isn’t impressed with our big churches, our big pulpits, or our name in lights. But we humans sure are.
No matter where you are in your Christian walk, it’s important to remember that pastors are people too, and our faith isn’t in them, our salvation isn’t through them. Are they a huge part of our journey? Of course, and they can leave a lasting, indelible, life-changing mark on our lives. But because they’re human they can also let us down. If you put your faith in a man rather than in the Lord, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment.
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Lie #3: God doesn’t have time for me or my tiny little life.

Sometimes I begin my prayers with “God, I know you’ve got more important things to deal with, but . . .” And yes, He really does have more important things to deal with. Why would he care that my kid has someone to sit with at lunch when there are such horrors as school shootings, mass genocide, and terrorist attacks going on in this world?
I’m not sure why He would care, but I know that He does. A sparrow can’t fall to the ground without Him knowing it. The hairs on our heads are numbered. (Matthew 10:29-31)
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If you take a look at the human body or in nature...

...it’s obvious God is a lover of details. Just as parents care about the things their children care about, God wants to be in the nitty-gritty of our lives.
Think about the other important relationships in your life. The people who know you best are the ones who share in the little things. Invite God in, share your simplest, most heartfelt requests, make Him a part of your daily life. Your relationship with Him will be so much stronger for it.
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Lie #4: Once you become a Christian, everything is easy.

It’s always such a joyous day when someone decides to live for God, but we’re doing these new Christians a terrible disservice if we let them believe that life is going to be smooth sailing from here on out. Truthfully, it’s more likely the exact opposite.
My husband often tells the story of when he got saved at a Bible camp the summer before his junior year of college. He was riding high after that, thankful his eyes had been opened to the goodness of a God who loved him. He returned to college that fall and guess what? Every single reminder of and temptation from his old life was waiting for him, and these reminders are pesky and loud and they don’t go away just because you tell them to.
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The truth is, there’s a battle for your soul.

I know that sounds super spiritual and maybe a little like something out of a Frank Peretti novel, but with all the lies we believe, this is not one of them. When you decide to enter into a relationship with Christ, it’s like the soldiers of the enemy come out to make sure that doesn’t happen. Life doesn’t get easier, but it does get better. There is nothing like living for God. There’s nothing like knowing you don’t have to go through life alone anymore. New Christians need to be surrounded by veterans who’ve experienced this for themselves, and we need to stop expecting life to be easy. The difference is, we have a God to lean on when our situation is hard.
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Lie #5: I am enough.

We love this one. We print it on mugs and T-shirts. We buy jewelry with this phrase etched on it so we always remember that we don’t need anyone but ourselves. It’s one of the greatest lies of our time, but it’s become a sort of “battle cry” for our generation.
Our faith is largely about surrender, and that starts by admitting we need God. We can’t wade through the confusion, stress, and broken parts of ourselves on our own, and thankfully we don’t have to. Society would like us to believe that we come pre-packaged with everything we need right inside our own selves, but if that were true, there would be no need for God. We would have no reason for faith at all. The truth is, I am not enough—and neither are you. Thankfully, this isn’t a surprise to our Heavenly Father, who is always ready to step in and help us.
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We tend to take the Bible out of context...

...and it’s so important to separate simple, nice-sounding platitudes from the actual Word of God. These are only a few of the lies Christians believe. Can you think of others? What lies have you subscribed to only to discover over time you’d been misled?

Satan’s lies about singleness

I’m single. I live in Sydney’s east with my two flatmates and my cat. (The crazy-cat-lady litmus test is that you know you’ve become one and you don’t care.) I’m in my late thirties. Many of the struggles that surround singleness are my struggles too: tossing up between living on my own (and being lonely and possibly broke) or living with flatmates (and regularly having to find and get used to new ones); turning up to things on my own all the time; feeling the unvoiced wonderings of friends, who think I’m too fussy, or gay, or weird; feeling surprised and disappointed that I’m not married by now, and wondering what’s wrong with me. I tire of all of those things.
However, I remain convinced that God’s word in the Bible is true, and I am determined to cling to it. My life, my struggles, my circumstances have changed over the years, but God has not. Neither has his word.
So this is a plea to my dear Christian sisters who are single but would love to be married: don’t stop trusting God. Endure through your sadness. Don’t let Satan get to you with his subtle lies, which come from all directions. Don’t find yourself believing them without even realizing it.
(A quick note: I’m deliberately addressing this to women who aren’t married but would like to be. What I say will not apply equally to all single people, so please take whatever you find helpful from this article even if it’s not really written for you.)
Here are just some of the lies Satan tells us all the time.

Lie 1: You’re single because you’re…

You can finish the sentence yourself—just insert your adjective of choice. For me, it varies from ‘fat’ to ‘ugly’ to ‘horrible’, depending on the day. But I can think of so many friends who are beautiful in the world’s eyes, who are lovely, funny, kind, delightful… and single. So many. People of all shapes, sizes and personalities are single, and people of all shapes, sizes and personalities are married. What is attractive to one is not attractive to another. Shape, size, and personality are not why I’m single.
In the Western world at least, more and more people are marrying later in life or not at all. I may be single, but I’m certainly not alone. This isn’t because the human race is producing uglier or more horrible people, but because of a raft of social changes we’ve seen over the past century.

“God is more powerful than our social situations, our looks, our personalities, and our insecurities.”

But God is more powerful than any social force or trend. The fact is that ultimately I’m single because God is in control of everything. He is sovereign. Likewise, those who are married are married because God is sovereign. Those who are widowed are widowed because God is sovereign. God is more powerful than our social situations, our looks, our personalities, and our insecurities.

Lie 2: God is not powerful enough to find you a husband

The older I get, the easier it is to believe this lie (which is closely related to the first). When I was younger, thinner and less cynical, it was easy to imagine that God would send a husband along for me. Who wouldn’t love me? I was amazing back then! But the longer I remain unchosen (and that’s certainly how it feels), the easier it is to think that God’s power can’t reach this part of my life.
But I need to remember that in fact I am not unchosen. God himself has chosen me. And at the risk of stating the obvious, if God can create the universe just by speaking (Genesis 1); if he can cause Pharaoh to let the Israelites go (Exodus 12); if he can raise Jesus Christ from the dead (Luke 24); if he can use the purposes of evil men for his good purposes (Acts 2:22-24); if he can give us new life and change us from people who hate him to people who want to serve him (1 Peter 1); if he can—well, do I need to list every event in the Bible? If God can do all this, then he can find me (and you) a husband, easily.
This doesn’t mean “there’s someone just around the corner for you”, or that God will provide you with a husband. It just means that if you are single it’s not because God is too powerless to marry you off to someone.

Lie 3: You’re single because God does not love you

Most of us know this can’t really be true. We know that God is love (1 John 4:8). We know he sent his own Son to die on the cross for the sins of sinful people. We know all that.
But have we stopped believing it?
Our world is decaying because of sin, and there is sickness, tragedy and sadness everywhere. We have all kinds of reasons to doubt God’s love for us if the only thing we have to go on is what we can see around us. But we are such finite beings. We see so little. We “do not know the work of God who makes everything” (Eccl 11:5). So we must look to the cross. The facts of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the same now as they were when we first believed. If God sent his own Son to die that horrific death in your place so that he can be in relationship with you, and if he did this while you were still a sinner (Rom 5:6-11), then maybe you don’t need to doubt his love for you.
And if you cannot see God’s love on the cross, why do you think you will see it in a man—especially a sinful man?

“What happened on the cross is a much bigger and better demonstration of God’s love than providing a husband.”

What happened on the cross is a much bigger and better demonstration of God’s love than providing a husband.

Lie 4: Because no-one has married you, you have no value

I’ve spoken to a number of single friends who genuinely think they have nothing to offer. They think the fact that no man has chosen them for a wife is a reflection on them, and that it means they can’t possibly have any value. I suppose it is just another expression of that age-old sin of thinking our value comes from how other people see us.
At this point, I’m tempted to talk about how much single people can offer the world around them. I’m tempted to tell you about one of my friends, who thinks she does not matter to anyone yet gives up her time week after week to help out with youth group. Or another friend, who cannot tell me a single positive thing about herself but who is often quite thoughtfully supportive of her friends and family. I’m tempted to talk about all the ways in which we single people can contribute to the lives of those around us. But that would suggest that our value comes from what we do, which is just as bad as thinking that our value comes from what other people think of us!

“Someone marrying you will not make you valuable… You cannot be made valuable, because you already are valuable.”

No. Someone marrying you will not make you valuable. Doing things for other people will not make you valuable. You cannot be made valuable, because you already are valuable.  You are valuable because God Almighty himself tenderly created you—in his own image, no less! You were valuable the minute God wrote your days in his book (Ps 139:13-16), and nothing that happens to you in this life can change that.

Lie 5: Getting married will fix all your problems

This is probably the lie that I wrestle with the most, mentally. I swing wildly from knowing it isn’t true to thinking it is. When I’m looking for a new flatmate, I think that marriage would mean I wouldn’t have to keep finding people to live with. I could just get used to my husband, and that would be it. I could also afford to buy property, so I wouldn’t have to worry about when or if my landlord might ask me to leave.
It is true that marriage is a solution to some problems, some of the time. Marriage can be an answer to loneliness. It might mean I can buy my own home. But this particular lie is one of those clever half-truths, where the truth makes it harder to see the lie.
There is actually no guarantee that marriage will fix loneliness. Some married people are incredibly lonely, trapped in awful marriages with no-one to talk to about it. And getting married is no guarantee that I’ll never have to find someone to live with again, or that I’ll be able to buy property and have more security. My husband might die soon after we’re married; our house might burn down. Those are tragic examples but even if things like that don’t happen, I’m sure the picture I have in my head of what marriage will be like is probably very different from what it would actually be like. Paul doesn’t talk about the “anxieties” and “worldly troubles” of marriage in 1 Corinthians 7 without good reason. Jesus’ own disciples clearly recognize the difficulties of marriage. When Jesus tells them that “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery”, they say, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry” (Matt 19:9-10)!
I’m not saying marriage is bad—as the apostle Paul would say, by no means! Marriage is a wonderful gift from God, and I’m absolutely delighted when my friends get married. I’d love to get married myself. But we must not fall into the trap of thinking that marriage will fix all our problems. It won’t.

Lie 6: You’ve got to find The One

This is the dumbest idea in the history of dumb ideas. Seriously. Thank you so much, Hollywood, with all your stupid rom-coms, for helping Satan blind us with this lie.
While it is true that God knows whether we will marry and whom we will marry, there is absolutely no way that we can know. Unless God himself gives you a name or hands you a photograph, you simply cannot know beyond a shadow of a doubt whether you’ve found the ‘right’ person. All you can do is pray, make a wise decision, trust God, and then be faithful to your marriage promises.

“Don’t look for ‘the one’; instead, look for someone who produces the fruit of the Spirit. Look for someone who loves Jesus.”

I’m not saying you should marry any old person as long as they’re Christian, available and breathing. I’m not saying there’s no place for physical attraction and romance—Song of Songs would contradict me if I were. What I am saying is that in your desire to get married, don’t look for ‘the one’; instead, look for someone who produces the fruit of the Spirit. Look for someone who loves Jesus. Learn from the fact that many in arranged marriages grow to deeply love each other; and don’t expect that you’ll feel wobbly in the knees as soon as you lay eyes on your future husband. Ask God for a husband, but also ask him to change your desires so that you will be open to the advances of a godly man, should they come.

Lie 7: A single person has no family

To be honest, at this stage in my life I don’t feel much temptation to believe this lie. By the grace of God, both my parents are still alive and well, together with their respective spouses and a bunch of half- and step-siblings. But sometimes I wonder what it will be like when I’m much older. In my less trusting moments, I am afraid of getting old and lonely and having no-one to look after me. I’m sure many married people share this fear. As the late (and lifelong single) John Chapman pointed out, at least 50% of married people will face singleness again when their spouse dies.
Chappo taught me to change the way I think about family. In a sermon he gave many years ago in his home church, he pointed out that our Christian family supersedes our biological family, just as it did for Jesus (see Matt 12:46-50; 19:27-29).¹ Chappo then said, “I am not going to be anybody’s grandfather… but in this family [indicating the congregation] I should expect lots of grandchildren… You and I are bound together in a family that takes precedence against our biological family.”² Chappo’s expectations were well and truly met—during his last few days in this life, he had so many visitors to his hospital bed that one of the hospital staff commented, “He must have a big family!” What a moving testament to the blessing of being part of God’s family.
As children of God, we are part of a massive family. The challenge for all of us, in our individualistic culture, is to act like it.

Lie 8: It’s better to marry a non-Christian than stay single for life

Even though God’s family is huge, we’re all sinful and sometimes we do a terrible job of loving each other. Singleness can be a very painful and lonely experience. Some decide it’s better, in the end, to marry an unbeliever. Perhaps you are toying with this idea yourself at the moment.
Let me tell you, slowly so you hear me: It. Is. Not. Worth. It.
I know many women married to unbelieving men. Some of these women did not become Christian until after they got married. Others were Christian and married a non-Christian. Others have watched their Christian husbands walk away from Jesus. But not one of them would recommend choosing to marry a non-Christian while you still have a choice to make. Not one. Not the women who still trust Jesus, anyway. And here’s why.
If you marry a man who doesn’t know and love Jesus, here are your options:

• You will eventually walk away from Jesus yourself, as he becomes less and less important and relevant in your life and your husband becomes more important. And when you walk away from Jesus, you will have exchanged heaven for hell.
• Or you will keep trusting Jesus, but it will be difficult and lonely in at least some respects. I know a dear Christian lady whose husband no longer professes Christ, although he once did. But he’s happy for her to go to church, and he’s happy for her to give money to church (as long as he can spend the equivalent on whatever he likes!), and he loves her. As far as being married to an unbeliever, it’s about as good as you can get. But every week, she goes to church and Bible study on her own. She can’t share the most important part of her life with the man she loves. And, saddest of all, unless something changes between now and when her husband dies, she cannot look forward to standing with him before the throne of God in heaven for all eternity. He is going to another place.
• Or perhaps—perhaps—God will have mercy on you and save your husband once you’re married. But when you marry a non-Christian I think you probably make it harder for him to take Jesus seriously. Why would he, when you’re not taking Jesus seriously yourself? Of course, God is more powerful than your bad example, and he could still save your husband. But you have no guarantee that he will, and it’s certainly not something you can demand. Given the previous two options, why take the risk?

My dear sisters, if you are tempted to seek solace with a non-Christian, please don’t. Don’t even flirt with the idea. Don’t get into a situation where you will get emotionally involved and find it hard to think straight. Determine that you won’t give in to this temptation—even, or especially, if you don’t feel the temptation right now—and stick to your guns.
My favourite Jane Eyre quote springs to mind here. The man she loves is trying to persuade her to abandon her moral convictions and live with him, even though he already has a wife. She responds by saying:

“Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? … Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by; there I plant my foot.”³

Lie 9: It’s too hard to be single and you can’t keep on going

During the past couple of years, I’ve had two very sad conversations. One friend told me she isn’t sure how long she can keep going if she remains single. Another friend, when I mentioned this conversation to her, said, “I can relate”. For them, single life is just too hard and too lonely.
To be perfectly frank, part of me wants to just shake them and tell them to look around—there are harder things than being single. Personally, I’d rather stay single for life than go through divorce. Let’s not become blasé to the pain of divorce just because it’s so common. My heart breaks for women whose husbands have died. Some families live daily with incredible heartache and struggle because of illness or disability or poverty or tragedy. I think their struggles would be much harder than mine.
I also want these women to see how much they do have. They have good jobs. They have plenty of clothes, money and food. They are both in the top 2% of earners worldwide. They both have comfortable places to live—one has even managed to buy herself a unit.
But that’s not really the point. We each have our struggles, even if they aren’t as ‘bad’ as someone else’s. The grief of singleness is real and valid, and it comes from a very normal and healthy desire to be married. What we need is God, and the perspective that comes from reading his word.
Do you know how many calls there are in the New Testament to persevere and endure? No, neither do I—but it’s approximately a lot.⁴ This suggests that following Jesus in this world for a long time is not going to be easy. It may actually get even harder between now and when you meet him face to face. This is why I think there are also so many descriptions in the New Testament of the amazing things God has given us in Christ.⁵ We need to keep remembering what they are, because we forget so easily, and they are a big part of the motivation to endure anything and everything for the sake of Jesus who died for us. 2 Peter 1:3-12 puts it perfectly:

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have.

“It is not too hard to be single—even for life. You can keep going, because God has given you everything you need.”

It is not too hard to be single—even for life. You can keep going, because God has given you everything you need. Don’t let Satan convince you otherwise.

Let us not be victims

Dear sisters, let’s not be victims of Satan’s attacks. Let us not dare to be dissatisfied with all that the God of the universe has lovingly given us. Let us trust God in all areas of life, including this one. Let’s not be those who say to the God who will judge the living and the dead, “Give me what I want, or we’re through”.
For what they are worth, here are a few suggestions—not rules or commands—to help you endure.

• If your convictions feel a little shaky, figure out what it is that you’re not sure about, and go and do something about it. Read a Gospel. Read a book about Jesus’ death and resurrection.⁶ Work out what you’re not sure about, and talk about it with someone you trust.
• If you’ve stopped reading God’s word regularly, find someone to read it with you.
• Find someone at church who you can help—maybe there’s someone who could do with a home-cooked meal at the moment. If there are gaping empty lonely holes in your life, fill them up with serving your family. It honestly does help.
• Remember that you are not a powerless victim. You have the Holy Spirit. You have a Father God who made the entire universe, and who loves you, and who really does know what is best for you. Put 2 Peter 1:3-12 on your bedroom wall and read it every day.
• Find some way to be thankful for what you have. Keep a diary and write down one or two things each day for which you are grateful. Better yet: tell other people about them. You’ll remind yourself, and you’ll encourage others. Win-win!
• If you live on your own and you find yourself feeling constantly lonely, consider sharing with one or two others. I know this sounds abhorrent to some, especially if you’re used to living on your own. Living with others is hard, even if you all get on well. You have to compromise and you’re not in control of your environment. But being in a home with other people, even if you’re all in different rooms and not actually conversing, is very different to being in a home on your own. I genuinely don’t get lonely, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I don’t live on my own.

Let me finish by saying that if you’re single because you’re Christian—that is, you have turned down advances from unbelievers, or you struggle with same-sex attraction but you know that’s not God’s will and so you remain celibate—then let me say thank you and well done. You are a godly example and an encouragement, and I praise God for you.

CONCLUSION

Thinking that it is all right to lie is a very serious error for a Christian to hold. It shows a misunderstanding  of God Himself. Proverbs 6:17 says, “God hates the lying tongue.” Proverbs
12:22 says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but they that deal truly are His delight.” Psalm 31:5 called God the God of truth. The psalmist wrote, “For the word of the Lord is right; and all His words are done in truth” (Psalm 33:4). We also read in Leviticus 19:11, “You shall not steal, neither deal falsely,
neither lie to one another.” Proverbs 13:5 says, “A righteous man hates lying.” Lying is and always will be wrong in the eyes of God!