False Testimony

False Testimony can be a dangerous thing, there are many times when because of the false testimony of someone an innocent person has gone to jail. For example:

On March 19, 1949, the manager of Liverpool’s Cameo Cinema and another employee were counting the cash from the evening’s attendance when they were robbed, with both being fatally shot. Liverpool police began an investigation which soon received an offer of assistance from a local prostitute and her pimp, who were willing to provide the names of the murderer and his accomplice in exchange for immunity for their own transgressions. The names provided to the police were Charles Connolly and George Kelly, both of Liverpool, both in their twenties, and both well-known to the police for minor crimes. Both men had alibis for the time of the crime in the Cameo, but that did not dissuade the police from charging them with the double murder.

Kelly was first to be tried and he was convicted, despite minimal evidence and a strong alibi. Connolly then entered a plea of guilty in order to avoid the death penalty imposed upon Kelly. Kelly was executed in Liverpool’s Walton Prison in March 1950; Connolly was released from prison in 1957. After decades of subsequent investigations by various entities dedicated to justice, both Connolly’s and Kelly’s convictions were set aside, and both men were cleared, despite Connolly’s entry of a guilty plea (which he made only to avoid the death penalty after Kelly had been convicted). Who actually committed the attempted robbery and double murder at the Cameo Cinema has never been determined.

- https://historycollection.com/25-executions-of-people-who-were-later-exonerated/ -

In a court case false testimony can have dangerous consequences like we see here. Unfortunately, false convictions like this happen more often then what we would think.

but then there are these things called little white lies, untruths we tell other people, including our kids, to ease there pain or some other excuse we tell ourselves.

like

Knuckle-Cracking Leads to Arthritis

Reading in the Dark Will Ruin Your Eyes

Swallowed Gum Takes Seven Years to Digest

Crossed Eyes Will Get Stuck That Way

Swim Too Soon After Eating and You'll Cramp up and Drown

The Family Pet Is Living Happily on a Farm Upstate

Drinking Coffee Stunts Growth

I was told some of these things growing up. Probably many of us where. but should we do this? what does the bible say about lying anyways. Is it okay to tell little white lies to our kids or other family members? Did you know that believing something or speaking something false against God is a form of Lying as well. then is what we are believing and speaking truth?

Psalm 51:6 CSB

6 Surely you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within.

HBI - God desires truth in the inner self so in what we say and how we live we are to speak truth in a way that honors and glorifies God.

Back to the OT

The ten commandments is clear on this issue and as we will see so is the NT.

Exodus 20:16 CSB

16 Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.

This commandment is echoed here as well.

Deuteronomy 5:20 CSB

20 Do not give dishonest testimony against your neighbor.

What this is saying is that God values truth. This commandment primarily reflects the legal process in Israel what this calls for is one commentator put it is the sanctity of truth in all areas of our life.

To despise truth was to despise God who is truth. If God is the God of truth the we must not despise it.

Let us dig a little deeper yet. Who is our neighbor?

Veggietales covered this well a long time ago if you where ever into veggietales. To live in the country you get this idea as well. We would call people our neighbor who lived many miles away. anyone around you when you are in the country is your neighbor. It just so happened that whenever anyone around us was in need, we would all help each other, our house was always open for meals or coffee. Now this didn't always work. Some neighbors didn't always get along, but they would at least pretend when they where around each other (more lies)

Jesus taught and expanded on who our neighbor is in the book of Luke. Where we learn that our neighbor is anyone we come in contact with.

Exodus 23:7–8 CSB

7 Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent and the just, because I will not justify the guilty. 8 You must not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and corrupts the words of the righteous.

Lying and dishonesty pervert and corrupt hearts and are abominations to God. But on the other hand we read that God is truth.

That means we have a guide for truth. It means we can trust what God says. We can trust that God will do what He says He is going to do. We can read through the names of God that have been given to us and learn who God is. The Bible tells us that men are drawn towards being liars whereas God is a God of truth and Justice.

The way that we worship needs to reflect that God is truth. In all we do, we need to reflect who God is and live in His truth.

Believing falsehoods about God

If God is the God of truth, and we are not to lie then what about the things people about God that are not true? what about when people speak and believe things about God that are contrary to what the bible says about Him?

For example, there is a growing movement out their that do not believe in the trinity. but the bible is clear that God is 3 in 1. How that works I do not know.

Some people believe that there are many ways to God, as long as you are good you are fine. That is also a lie.

Sme people believe that God is revealing new special revelations today to them just like He did back when the Bible was being written. There is no new revelation, we have the complete word of God with us. God reveals to some the hearts of others, He reveals sin in peoples lives, sometimes even a glimpse into future events. But the Bible is our word from the Lord.

There is so much more, but to believe a lie about the Lord God is a dangerous thing to do, for then you are know longer worshiping God but an idol and a lie.

the ninth commandment bars us from committing any act that might bring undeserved suffering on another person. but rather we are to love our neighbor and share with them the truths of God. But also we learn that God is a God of truth so we must get to Know Him. We must learn more about the God of truth so that we can combat the lies people tell about Him. So what it comes down to is a relationship with God, learn more about Him. A relationship with those around you love them and care for them by sharing the message of the God of truth with them.

The NT and lying

So we have been going through how God values truth for He is the God of truth. The NT echoes this as well. and if God values truth and then we are to be imitators of God we are to value truth as well.

Ephesians 5:1 CSB

1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children,

This would also mean not believing or preaching anything false about God.

The focus is on our speech, but not exclusively. Words and deeds that unjustly destroy others' reputations, harm them in court, or otherwise promote evil and falsehood are prohibited by the ninth commandment.

It is reinforced throughout the scriptures That God is truth and that lieing is a sin. Rev 22:14-15

Revelation 22:14–15 CSB

14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

Thankfully, since all have sinned, God has made a way for us to repent and be forgiven. Sin is serious—it required the death of our Savior to pay our death penalty! So we must not take lying lightly. Learn more about repentance and forgiveness in our free booklet Change Your Life.

The intent of God’s Ninth Commandment goes even deeper than not lying. It emphasizes the importance of truth, and of becoming more like our Creator God who hates falsehood and loves truth.

God is the truth

John 14:6–7 CSB

6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

This is what we are to teach, what we are to live, How we are to love others. We cant say that we love others is if we are not first teaching them about how Jesus is the only way to eternal life. Jesus being the truth also means that He is the only way.

we go from learning we are not to lie, to the opposite of lying which is truth and the ultimate source of truth Is God for God is truth. Then Jesus said the same thing. Jesus said I am God. and I am truth. So what does this then mean for our lives and the lives of those around us?

This bears looking in to if we are to know what Truth is, and Jesus said He is the truth then what does that mean for our lives today?

The “I am” statements are powerful statements. Jesus used several I am statements throughout the NT. God also referred to Himself as the “I am” in which we learn that He is the self existing one. It is the name for Power and authority and Jesus claimed it as His own.

Next we read that this tells us that Jesus the only path to eternal life. You see, The disciples where confused when Jesus told them that He was going away. And that they could not follow Him right away. The disciples didn't know the way the said to where Jesus was going so how could they follow Him? How do we follow Jesus? If we are to live for truth, if we are to be imitators of God and all that He has done for us then we need to cxome to realize that Jesus is the way that we are to follow, the only way.

Jesus is saying follow me, for there is no other way to heaven but through following Jesus. That means we need to be able to discern the lies of false teaching and dig into the word of God to understand How Jesus said to follow Him. Salvation is found in no one else, there is no other name by which we can be saved.

Next we read that Jesus is the truth. Jesus is equating himself here with the law of God, the only truth the way in which we need to live. He is the authoritative standard of righteousness. In fact, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the law and the prophets Jesus is the incarnate word of God and the source of all truth.

I saw someone ask people about moral law, where do they get there moral law from. One person said His moral law came from the word of God. The other person said His moral law came from His parents, the way He was raised, his community and so on. The problem is that moral law is from God and if we are not looking to Him as our source of morality but to the peers around us, you can see why the world is so messed up.

C S Lewis would point people to Jesus by going back to moral law and that if there is moral law then there must be a moral law giver.

Jesus is our only source of truth. And He is also the only source of life. He spoke of His authority over life and death as being granted to Him by the Father. He gave the promise that “because I live, you also will live.” The deliverance He was about to provide was not a political or social deliverance (which most of the Jews were seeking), but a true deliverance from a life of bondage to sin and death to a life of freedom in eternity.

So we must follow Him today. Again where this all comes from is the fact that we are not to lower others or ourselves by telling lies about them. But rather we are to speak truth. But not just any truth, but the truth truth of God. Jesus tells us what this truth is. He tells is how to live out His truth and His love to the world around us.

We must understand Who Jesus is and seek Him as the only way, the only truth, the only source of eternal life. There is no other way.

So What?

Lies have done damage, false testimony has put the wrong people in jail for stuff that they did not do. Lieing about others damages relationships and makes us sinners. A constant reminder we are given though throughout all of this is that Jesus offers forgiveness for free to all who call on His name. We do not have to stay in Sin and regret.

God is truth and requires us to live in truth

Now something that has been going through my mind in all of this is then do we have to go around with no filter telling everyone everything that is on our minds? No that is not the case. we are to speak truth but that does not mean that we are to have no filter, we are still to be wise about it. For example when witnessing to and building a relationship with a lost friend, is it going to be helpful to hammer them with all they are doing wrong or is it better to take a different tact?

rather we are to love our neighbor and share with them the truths of God. But also we learn that God is a God of truth so we must get to Know Him. We must learn more about the God of truth so that we can combat the lies people tell about Him. So what it comes down to is a relationship with God, learn more about Him. A relationship with those around you love them and care for them by sharing the message of the God of truth with them.

Jesus is the way and the truth

So how do we follow Him today? The same way the disciples did long ago. They heard the words of Jesus and believed them. They took His words and obeyed them. They confessed their sins to Jesus as their Lord and God. They believed that He died to take the punishment of their sins and rose from the dead to give them new life. They followed His example and command to tell others the truth about sin, righteousness, and judgment. When we follow Him in “the way,” we can be assured of following Him all the way to heaven.

So we must follow Him today. Again where this all comes from is the fact that we are not to lower others or ourselves by telling lies about them. But rather we are to speak truth. But not just any truth, but the truth truth of God. Jesus tells us what this truth is. He tells is how to live out His truth and His love to the world around us.

If Jesus is the way the truth and the Life, are we living like He is?