Proverbs 6:16-19. 16There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: 19… a false witness who breathes out lies.
All the sin in the world began because of a lie. Do you remember what it was? The serpent lied to Eve and told her that she wouldn’t die if she disobeyed God and ate from the Tree of Knowledge. And we’ve all been telling lies ever since. Have you ever lied to stay out of trouble, or to get someone else in trouble? If you have then you have been a false witness.
What’s even worse is that Solomon is describing a person who has told so many lies that it’s as normal as breathing to him. Lies just sort of come out. Everything this person says is difficult to trust.
Why is lying such a big deal to God? Why does he hate it so much? Because every lie we tell to someone turns them into an object to be used rather than a person to be loved and trusted. When we bear false witness we are using people for our own gain. We are manipulating them into doing what is only best for us.
God loves love, therefore, God hates lies. Do you? “Of course I hate lies,” you say. But why do you hate lying? Why have you chosen to be a truth teller?
Sometime we hate lying as a means of boosting our pride and self-righteousness. We think, “Good Christians don’t lie so I will never lie.” But can you hear the pride in this reasoning? Your truth telling is a way to prove to yourself that you are a “good Christian.” That’s not faith, it’s works. Rather we need to hate lying because we trust God.
Why do we lie in the first place? We lie because we fail to see God as good enough, and so we lie to feel good or to get what we think we need. We can also not lie for the same reasons – to feel good and to get what we think we need. But both lack faith in God and our union with Christ. Both fail to see Christ as enough. Both are a form of pride.
In Christ we have the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, living in us. He is guiding us into all truth. Not from a place of pride, but from a place of submission and humility. In Christ we simply do not need to lie anymore to cover up, control, or feel better about ourselves. Christ has done all these things for us already.
He has covered every sin, so we can stop blaming others.
He has taken control of your life, so we can stop using lies to control others.
He has placed his joy into your heart, so we can stop using lies about others to feel good about ourselves.
You: How often do you lie? Is lying easy for you?
You in Christ: Trust in Christ eliminates the need and desire to tell lies in order to gain control. Are you experiencing this change in your heart? Or do you only tell the truth to make yourself look good to others.
Christ in you: Is there any false witnessing that you’ve been doing that you need to clear up today?
Pray: Father, you are the truth! Help me to live in the truth of Christ in me, letting the Spirit of truth guide me away from false witness and into ever increasing faith in you. Amen.
To Live is Christ 