Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
This Lord’s Day we will be considering the Ninth Commandment of the Decalogue as found in Exodus 20:16–“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This sacred Law, as you might suspect, deals with telling the truth at all times. That is, to state the matter negatively, we should never be guilty of lying.
However, if we evaluate our culture and our own hearts honestly, it is difficult not to arrive at the conclusion that lying has been normalized. While the sins of murder, adultery, and stealing (Commandments 6-8) generally retain the power to offend us, lying is another issue. It seems that shading, bending, and masking the truth enjoy a certain and strange respectability, perhaps even among believers. ‘White lies’ seem OK, and a little exaggeration here and there can’t be that bad can it? And do we really expect people to tell the whole truth? Do we really practice telling the whole truth? Or have we become comfortable with telling only part of the truth while convincing ourselves that such a thing is a legitimate, if not a noble exercise?
Yet the Lord demands truth, total truth, from His Covenant people. And our blessed Savior echoed this very requirement:
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil”–Matthew 5:33-37 [ESV].
But why is truth-telling so important to God? And why does Jesus demand it as well? And what does lying say about the condition of our hearts? On Sunday we will seek the answers to these and other questions as we consider Commandment Number Nine.
I love you all with all my heart, and always pray for you . . . and that’s the truth!
See you Sunday,
Mike