Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire!

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper,but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." (Proverbs 28:13 NIV)

This morning's sermon began a series on this scripture. The first thing that hit my mind was a little taunt my children sang when they thought one of the others was lying: "Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

Here is a brief summary of the sermon by Pastor Doc Burrows. I trust it will challenge you to examine your life as I've had to.

Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life..." If Jesus is Truth and Truth dwells in us, why do we lie? There are several reasons why Christians fall prey to the temptation to lie.

Oh, you say you don't? Let's see ...

Do you ever stretch the truth or exaggerate a fact?

Do you ever word things to lead people to believe one thing when, in fact, something totally opposite is true?

How about the last time your best friend asked if the new dress she bought looked good one her. Were you honest with her if it didn't look good? Or, did you smile and lead her to believe she looked great?

I guess the truth is you have lied, probably more than you would have cared to admit. But God hates lying.

Proverbs 12:22 says, "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." And, that means even when we think we have a good reason not to be totally truthful. Being anything less than truthful is "concealing sin" as explained in Proverbs 28:13.

The enemy wants us to believe his lies. He wants us to tell lies. Most of all, he wants us to live a lie. John 8:44 explains, "(Satan) was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there i no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language for he is a liar and the father of lies."

When we lie, for whatever reason, we are doing exactly what the enemy wants. He rejoices in our lies because for that moment-the moment the untruthful words leave our lips-we have reflected his personality and fallen into his trap.

Most people lie because, when confronted, they aren't secure in the truth and in God's ability to move in truth. Essentially, we lie because we don't completely trust God.

Aaron lied when Moses confronted him about the golden calf. His response was utterly ridiculous, as if Moses couldn't' see through the lie. (See Exodus 32:24)

Potiphar's wife lied in order to shift the blame off of her onto Joseph, the man who turned her proposition down. (See Genesis 39:14-17)

Ananias & Sapphira conspired to lie in order to steal from the church-they lied not only to the church but to the Holy Spirit; they were both struck dead. (See Acts 5:1-10)

1 John 1:9 tells us: "If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." In other words, if we will simply admit (confess) our sins to God with a sincere heart, He will not only forgive us but help us through the problem of straightening out the mess we've made by our lies.

There are two things that bear consideration:

1. Honesty means that everything we say must be true, not that everything true must be said. Sometimes truth hurts. Simply don't say it, don't allow the enemy to use the occasion to lead you to lie.
2. Consider that the short term pain caused by confession might lead to deeper intimacy. In other words, momentary discomfort or embarrassment might be the sacrifice required for a closer relationship with the person.

Don't allow the enemy to lure you away from the truth ... a lie is only one step away from the truth. Displeasing God is simply one step away from the truth.

Truth is truth. Don't neglect the truth, but trust God enough to use the truth to bring freedom for you and for the one with whom you're talking. Don't get caught up in the enemy's trap by thinking a lie will make the answer softer. The lie always comes with a pricetag ... paying the price is far more uncomfortable than simply telling the truth from the beginning.

The Church at Laodicea was known for their lukewarmness. The problem is that they were wishy-washy. Apparently, they were so caught up with their prosperity and materialism that they lowered their standards. You can pretty much believe that truth was not found in them, or at the very least, only a semblance of truth which, in essence, is a lie.

Society will tell us that it's better to lie to prevent hurting some one's feelings. The Word of God tells us that God hates liars and it's a sin to bear false witness.

Who will you believe? Me ... I choose to believe the Word of God.