Truth is a debt we owe one to another; and, if we love one another, we shall not deceive nor lie one to another. We belong to the same society or body, which falsehood or lying tends to dissolve; and therefore we should avoid it, and speak truth. Observe, Lying is a very great sin, a peculiar violation of the obligations which Christians are under, and very injurious and hurtful to Christian society (Matthew Henry, Acts to Revelation, Volume 6, page 570).
Think with me, about owing a debt of truth, one to another. What a fascinating concept: love does not lie, and if I love you, I am beholden to being a truth teller. I owe you the honour of being honest when we interact, and when we are out of each other's sight too. Deception, falsehood and lying, tend to dissolve society, and interpersonal relationships, and ought to be avoided, with only truth being spoken.
Matthew Henry calls lying a very great sin, a peculiar violation of the obligations Christians are under, injurious and hurtful to Christian society: Do you agree with this assessment?
What are you willing to do for the love of your life, dear one? What extremes will you go to, to secure and keep hold of what you adore? If what you want is out of reach, will you do anything, everything, to get closer, and make a grab for the object of your affections, as soon as you get close enough? How hard are you willing to try to have that precious item you crave and desire and can't stop thinking about, that haunts your dreaming hours and dogs your daytime mental meanderings? The Bible says the love of money is the root of all evil: Why money? What do you make of this love?
For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1 Timothy 6:10).
If the love of money is the root of all evil, perhaps the love of truth is the source of all peace and happiness, purity and righteousness. You and I cannot buy love, it is priceless, but those that love money, believe they can buy anything they want, and that it will scratch the perpetual itch, that is want to be relieved. Will there ever be enough money to fill the void in souls gone sour on what really matters most? What matters most, you ask? Relationship with God and our fellow-creatures, matter the very most, dear one.
The expression, Making an honest living, just popped into my head. Honesty and truth are hand holding best buddies, and an honest person sometimes loses a business deal, by staying committed to veracity. Look now, to the top dog camera whores that sell their souls for a bit of air time, and how willing they are to slaughter their own spirit, and that of their neighbour, for the sake of financial gain, prestige, power, and even more camera time. Our society is deception soaked and sickened too, with cankers and sores marking and marring humanity. The masses have eaten and absorbed falsehoods, fibs, misleadings, manipulations, and malpractice for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks, for decades. Is it any wonder people are dying of cancer in droves, when deception is their main source of sustenance?
Lying, as Matthew Henry aptly pointed out, is a peculiar violation of the obligations Christians are under, and if Christians are liars, one to another, what hope does a Christ-less global society have in the way of showing love and being love, to their neighbours? Love cannot, and does not, lie.
Lying is a very great sin. I ask you again, Do you agree with this Matthew Henry's assessment?
Coveting after money has people erring in their faith, and there is a piercing through with many sorrows, when a man or woman decides to forgo all the goodness God proffers, in favour of making their own way in the world, to secure the riches they crave and lust after. To err in faith is to mistrust God, by believing we must grab for the gusto, and make our own lives great and prosperous, separate from his provisions and blessings. We lie to ourselves when we actually believe we are in charge of our own existence, while knowing full well, we are not promised another tomorrow, and that death may come knocking at our door, at any given moment in our own timeline of life.
Lies nibble away at character. Lies chomp on integrity. Lies besmirch and belittle. Lies erode trust and cast dispersions. Lies mute and murder relationships. Satan is the father of lies, and if lying is your way of life, then the Devil is your daddy.
Truth fortifies the soul. Truth strengthens the bones. Truth shoots brilliant rays of divine light abroad. Truth encourages and edifies. Truth builds with bricks of beauty, bonds of friendship, kinship, brother and sisterhood, and a sense of holy familial unity, that is pure and spirit enriching. Jesus is the Truth, and if truth telling and living is your way of life, then God is your Abba Father, dear one, and I am very very happy for you!
No comments:
Post a Comment