Lying to ourselves is easy. Lying to God is not. Even little white lies are not little to God.
Wise Solomon warns us in Proverbs that “…the Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful.” Proverbs 12:22 NIV
I had such a good role model for deception from my big brother because he showed me how easy it was to turn an “F” into a “B” on my report card! I remember when he was a junior in high school, he asked mom if he could buy a car. She said no. So he bought the car anyway, and parked it around the corner. Every day, for a year, we’d walk around the corner, hop in his car and drive to school. On rainy days, she would let us take the family car, so we’d slide around the corner, I’d take Mom’s car and he’d take his car. Deception. I was thirteen years old. This is the way I grew up. I was the coolest freshman ever! I took all my friends to lunch. But then one day, it began to rain in the middle of the day and my mom was coming to school to pick us up. She was driving right toward us. I screamed, “Paul, duck! It’s Mom!” Then we hustled back to the school parking lot, parked his car, and ran to her car in the rain. “Oh, hey, Mom, thanks for the ride!” My teenage years were filled with lie after lie after lie. Lying comes so naturally to us. Your child is holding a black magic marker. Writing fills the walls. He looks at Mommy and swears, “I didn’t do it!” It’s instinctive!
Getting rid of deception is a process. Lying is so natural, so all-consuming, that we must have the Holy Spirit reveal how greatly entrenched it is in our lives. Paul said that he didn’t come to the Corinthians with eloquent words, but with the demonstration of power. I don’t believe you can persuade someone to be truthful, they have to be confronted with the Truth. The revelation of God’s glory and holiness dispels deception and reveals our sinfulness. The only instance of God striking someone dead in the New Testament was in Acts 5:3-5, the story of Ananias and Sapphira, when they lied over their gift to the church. Peter said two things, Satan had filled their hearts, and they had lied to the Holy Spirit. I’m thinking, well, if I wanted to convince people to be honest, that would work! Just let a few members keel over and everybody would clean up their act right away!
There are times when God makes us tell the truth-when He exposes us. For example, God sends David a Nathan and says, “You’re the man!” Isn’t it so much better when nothing external happens like that? Instead of being exposed, you confess? To me, that’s one of the most beautiful things that can happen. Let God’s light shine on your life in the dark places and make you clean. Then you can walk courageously in truth.
From “Honesty” sermon, Cornerstone Church, Simi Valley, cornerstonesimi.com.