you shall not lie

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The ninth commandment is about more than telling the truth; it is about living with an honest integrity which fully embraces all that God created you to be.

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Last week began a new series on the Ten Commandments. For many people the Ten Commandments are familiar as something we have heard many times or perhaps memorized. In this series I want us to crack open these Old Testament rules with a different perspective. To help with that we are taking them in reverse order. So, last week we began the series with commandment number ten—you shall not covet. Today we keep the countdown going with commandment number nine—you shall not lie. Perhaps you are more familiar with this commandment being phrased as you shall not bear false witness.
To help us dig further into the meaning of this commandment, let’s consider today what the Bible has to say about the power of our words—about what we say to other people in the words we choose to speak. In order to help us with that, turn to James 3 for a closer look at what the Bible has to say about our words, or our tongue, as James puts it.
James 3:1–12 NIV
1 Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2 We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check. 3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
It might be very easy to work right past the ninth commandment because, at first glance, we think it is very easy to understand and interpret. I mean, you shall not lie is rather straightforward. And most of us could pretty easily translate that into a positive or affirmative action: always tell the truth. There; that was easy. Done; let’s move on to the next one. But not so fast. Is it really that easy?
Do I just blurt out to a friend I pass in the hall, “dude, that is the ugliest shirt I have ever seen!” I mean, the commandment says thou shalt not bear false witness, and it’s the truth, that shirt is ugly. But does that mean I need to say it? Or what about times when you get backed into a corner and have to say something? What do I say when grandma asks, “how do you like my casserole?” Do I lie and tell grandma her casserole tastes great? I don’t want to hurt grandma’s feelings. So, what does it look like to be truthful in a situation like that? I’m kind of stuck. (By the way, the right answer to that question is to say, “grandma, I had no idea Velveeta and tunafish could even taste like this.”)
Sometimes it is not so easy to figure out, and to simply say that the ninth commandment means always tell the truth no matter what can leave us in a bad spot unless we take a few moments and consider today from scripture what it means to always speak truth in our words.

Three Comparisons

Let’s take it to James. In chapter 3 James launches into a discussion about the power of our words. In the first section of this passage he makes three comparisons for the tongue. James compares our use of words to the bits and reigns used to steer animals, the rudder used to steer a large ship, and a spark that lights a raging forest fire.
bits and reigns to steer animals rudder to steer ships spark that ignites wildfires
something so small has such large consequences
first two are neutral - third is destructive and uncontainable
The first two of those examples are rather neutral; it could be used for either good or evil. Something that is seemingly so very small—like our words—has the power to control the direction of something very large. Do not underestimate exactly what it is our words can do, either for tremendous good or for destructive harm. The third example from James changes the flavor a bit. A spark which ignites a forest fire adds to the examples of something small which carries large consequences, but this time it is not neutral. While horses are controlled by a small bit, and ships are controlled by a small rudder, wildfires are out of control and destructive to everything in its path. Once the spark ignites the the forest, the resulting wildfire becomes uncontainable. Once that careless word is spoken, the damage it may unleash can flare up and spread out of control. For James, this is not neutral. He calls the tongue a deadly poison that cannot be tamed.
examples broken not by actions, but by words: friendships, family, jobs
That’s harsh, but not all that surprising. I suppose many of us here can point to examples we have witnessed in our own lives in which friendships have been broken, not by actions, but by words. Families fracture apart by careless hurtful words spoken. People lose jobs and fall out of careers because of something that was said. Words can be destructive; I think we have all witnessed that at some point in our own lives.
untamed tongue produces hypocrisy
we use words that lift others up, but we also use words that cut others down
But James does not leave us here in this hopeless condition of being condemned by our own words, by our own inability to tame the tongue. In the second section of this passage we see something of the dichotomy at work within us. James acknowledges that out of the same mouth comes both praise and cursing. We say things that may bless others, but we also say things that may hurt others. We use words that lift others up, but we also use words that cut others down.
Of course, James rightly points out that this hypocrisy is not right. It should not be that we are caught in this back-and-forth trap of words. This is not a surprise either. I imagine we have all experienced instances when this has occurred. It is one thing to have someone say harmful words to you when you know they are being hurtful; but it is so much more hurtful when someone says one thing to your face, then turns around and says something harmful behind your back. When the words we speak leave us in a place of being a two-faced hypocrite, the damage our words can cause extends so much deeper.
Here is the part where we have to turn the page a bit. Because in this passage alone, James does not leave us much of a solution. In just this section of James we are left with the conclusion that, even though this is not right, this is just how it is. We need to actually jump ahead in James to see how it is he points us to a solution. In the middle of chapter 4 James starts laying down a string of responses that instruct our reply to God and one another.
James 4:7–11 NIV
7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. 11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.

Understanding the ninth commandment

the words that come out of our mouths give expression to the attitudes that arise from within our hearts
The words we speak are powerful and can cause tremendous harm. But James gives us a glimpse towards a life being transformed by God through the Holy Spirit. For James, it is not enough to simply say, watch your language - say nice things - only speak the truth. The words that come out of our mouths give expression to the attitudes that arise from within our hearts. This is why the Bible tells us to submit to God, come near to God, humble yourself before the Lord.
confession — being completely honest with God
Here is where I think James is going with this, and what we need to see this morning as a place to begin addressing our tendencies to hurt others with our words. It starts with being completely honest before God about who we are. It begins in full humble confession before God to acknowledge our own sinfulness and our own need for a savior.
Lies — words spoken with the intent to deceive others
You see, the ninth commandment is about lying, and lying is really about just one thing: deceit. That is the key to understanding this commandment; it is about recognizing and becoming aware of our own tendencies to embrace deception. Lies are about deceit. A lie is not just about rejecting the truth or hiding the truth or bending the truth. Lies are words spoken with the intent to deceive others. Think about it; when I tell the teacher that I cannot hand in my assignment because the dog ate my homework, those are words meant to deceive my teacher so I won’t get a bad grade.
fear of failure or rejection — anger: bitterness or revenge against someone else — greed: selfish ambition to get ahead of others
lying is about deceit, and deceit is about control
deceit — controlling and manipulating other people for my own advantage
Let’s take this one step further by considering the next question: why do we do this? Why do we deceive other people? It may be fear—fear of failure or rejection. It may be anger—bitterness or revenge against someone else. It may be greed—selfish ambition to get ahead of others. Each one of these points to the same thing: control. Lying is about deceit, and deceit is about control — controlling and manipulating other people for my own advantage. The abusive spouse who constantly uses demeaning and humiliating words of criticism to their marriage partner is using lies and deceit in order to control and manipulate another person for their own advantage.
In this, the sin of lying becomes obvious. When we engage in words meant to deceive others, we devalue and dehumanize those people—people created by God. When we use deceptive hurtful words in order to control and manipulate other people, we fail to recognize the image of God which exists in other people. There is no such thing as a harmless fib. Some may say that a little white lie never hurt anyone. But even a little white lie is an attempt to control and manipulate others for your own advantage, something which devalues the image of God in them.
failure to completely honest before God about my own need for a savior is—in its own way—an attempt to deceive God that I am better than others (seeking an advantage over others)
And so I say again that it begins with honest confession before God. Here is why that is so very important. When I fail to be honest before God in confession, is that not also an attempt to somehow control and manipulate God for my own advantage? My failure to completely honest before God about my own need for a savior is in its own way an attempt to deceive God that perhaps I am good enough, better than others, given the advantage. Except for one thing: God cannot be deceived. God knows even better than I do just how much I need a savior. And I find my true place within his grace when I come to complete honest confession of that. It begins with being honest with God.
confession — consistent honesty about my identity in Christ is what defines me to other people
consistent honesty = integrity
And from there, let that honesty about your identity in Christ be what defines you to other people. When a person consistently lives in a way that expresses honesty over and over again, we have a word for that, we call that integrity. A person with honest integrity is not a hypocrite. A person with honest integrity is not two-faced. I think one of the best compliments a person could ever receive is to be noted as someone who is the same person in public as they are in private; not a hypocrite, not two-faced, not one way with certain people and then something completely different with other people. No deception; just honest integrity.
I cannot be a person of honest integrity before other people if I refuse to be honest before God
And so I say again that it begins with honest confession before God. I cannot be a person of honest integrity before other people if I refuse to be honest before God. Listen again to what James says about that.
James 4:8, 10 (NIV)
8 Come near to God and he will come near to you… 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
embrace the person God has created you to be, called you to be, redeemed you to be; once you accept that, you live in the truth of his grace
You see, once you come to terms with the reality that you cannot deceive the Lord, that you cannot control or manipulate God to your advantage; once you realize that the best way to live is to be honest before God; once you let go of the lies you want others to believe and instead embrace the person God has created you to be, called you to be, redeemed you to be; once you accept that, you live in the truth of his grace. And in the truth of God’s grace we are being sanctified to take steps toward honest integrity with God and with one another.
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