The most frequent sin every human has been guilty of is lying or speaking falsehood. Habitual lying has permeated the hearts and minds of people globally. The habit looks harmless and being flexibly spread with ease. There is no circle of life or business that lying has not taken a central position in this our century. Researches show that almost every human being had lied in one form or the other. The flexibility in lying has been adored in our society that one who is perfect in lying is believed to be a very intelligent fox. Actually, lying is the cheapest sin these days that revered religious leaders and their congregants involve themselves in it without knowing that God hates it. Today’s devotional is saddled with concern to bringing God’s feeling about those lying for pleasure and leisure.
Biblical point of views shows that God hates those who tell lies that He included it among the moral laws for His people. God told His children of Israel in the Ten Commandments not to bear false witness against their neigbhours as this is tantamount to lying (Exod. 20: 16). God went further to prescribe what should happen to one who tell lies. The book of Revelation 21: 8 included lying with those sins which people take people to hell. A writer interpreted this as “a forever separation from a loving and Holy God. Close to this is that those who practice deceit and utter lies shall not be allowed dwell in God’s house or allowed to stand before His eyes (Psalms 101: 7). Part of Proverbs 12: 22 says that lying lips are an abomination to the LORD.
The story of Ananias and his wife Sapphira (Acts 5: 3 – 6, 9 – 10) give clearer and disturbing angle by which God feels about lying. Ananias and Saphira lied to Jesus’ Apostles by cutting off from the proceeds of their property sold but told Peter that what was declared was nothing but the truth. The two lied separately at different time, but fell and died in the same manner. This incident takes the sanctity of speaking word of truth higher than what it was in the Old Testament. Ananias and his wife died same death because their lying is said to be “lying to the Holy Spirit.” If lying carries such deadly consequences, we can imagine what lying is costing the world these days as more people see it too pleasurably to tell lies. The next devotional will touch other ways God feels about liars in His beautiful world He created so goodly.
PRAYER:
Holy Father, I never knew that this is how you hate lying tongue, kindly forgive me, therefore, in all the lies I have told and give me boldness to tell the truth as you would like your children to be in the name of Jesus name.
bishopubaudenyi@hopealivechurch