First Ref0rmed Presbyterian Church of Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Lord’s Day date Anno Domini

Ephesians 4:25

Put away lying, speak truth.

  I.  God is pleased to correct error, but he condemns lying.
 

      A.  Lying is a false statement, with an intention to deceive, when we
have an obligation to speak the truth.
      B.     Not every false statement is a lie, although every false statement
is untrue.
        

2Sam 12:7

      C.  We distinguish commonly between truth, error, falsehood, lie;
sincerity, ignorance, deceit.
     

  II.  What about deceit in the Bible?
 

      A.  The prayer of the Christian who hears the Holy Spirit speaking in
Eph 4:25 is Psalm 119:29.
      B.     God warns that he punishes lying, Revelation 21:8.
      C.  God is true and commands us to be truthful, Eph 4:25.
        

Psalm 89:34; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 96:10; Titus 1:2

      D.  God occasionally deceives the devil and his servants to advance
his plan of salvation.
             

Psalm 18:26

      E.  God tolerated deceit from David for self protection from his
enemies.
      F.  God did not tolerate deceit from David with a view toward malice.
      G.     Examples:
         1.  Hebrew midwives, Exod 1:19-20
         2.  God directs Samuel to intentionally deceive Saul, 1Sam 16:1-2
         3.  Micaiah, Ahab, and the lying spirit in Ahab’s prophets, 1Kings
22:19-23
         4.  Elisha deceived the Syrian soldiers who had come to kill him,
2Kgs 6:18-19.
         5.  David deliberately misled Ahimelech the priest,1 Samuel
21:1-2.
         6.  David feigned insanity before Achish, king of Gath,1 Samuel
21:12-14.
         7.  David deceived Achish about his military conquests,1 Samuel
27:8ff.
         8.  God condemns David’s deceit in having Uriah the Hittite
killed, 2Sam 11:14-15.
        

   III. God commands us to be truthful: “Let each one of you speak truth
with his neighbor.”
      A.  This does not mean that you must speak all the truth to everyone
all the time. But you musn’t lie.
      B.     God allows concealing the truth in order to defend innocent lives
from murderers.
      C.     Speak truth in the church, “for we are members of one another.”
      D.     Speak truth in the home: lying in the family destroys the very
environment God created for shelter, nurture, comfort, and love.
      E.     Speak truth at work and school.
     

Pastor Christian Adjemian, Dipl.Div., Ph.D.

phone: 617.864.3185