‘That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye PUT ON THE NEW MAN, which after God is created in RIGHTEOUSNESS and TRUE HOLINESS.
Wherefore PUTTING AWAY LYING, SPEAK EVERY MAN TRUTH with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.’ (Eph. 4:22-25)
‘Putting on the new man’ is something that WE do–not something the Lord does TO us. WE make the choices that define our character. How do we put on the new man? By reading God’s Word, which renews the spirit of our mind, giving us the ‘mind of Christ’.
One of those choices we must make NOW, is that we will put away lying. Lying is an ABOMINATION to God. Homosexuality is an abomination . . . abortion is an abomination . . . and TELLING LIES is an abomination!
‘These six [things] doth the LORD HATE: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him: A proud look, A LYING TONGUE, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness [that] SPEAKETH LIES, and he that soweth discord among brethren.’ (Proverbs 6:16-19)
Do you see? Lying makes this list of things that are an abomination to God, right alongside abortion . . . and lying makes the list TWICE!!
The seriousness of this matter is not an exaggeration on my part. Look at this other list of heinous sins, and lying is right there with them:
‘But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and ALL LIARS, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.’ (Rev. 21:8)
It’s right up there with murder and sorcery this time. Make no mistake, this verse is not symbolic. If the Bible says all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire, you’d best believe it’s true.
‘If any man speak, [let him speak] as the oracles of God . . . ‘ (1 Peter 4:11)
When we open our mouth, it should be as though God Himself is speaking through us. All it takes is ONE LIE, to destroy your credibility with someone who loves the truth. As a Christian, that means your witness is destroyed–your ability to share the gospel with that person is lost. (What if YOU are the very person God has ordained to reach them?)
We must strive to walk uprightly, as ambassadors of the Kingdom of God. Salvation isn’t a bus ticket–it’s the beginning of a career. Contrary to what you may have been led to believe, you get there by WALKING . . . it’s not a ‘ride’.
Do you know what will separate those who enter the Kingdom, from those who fall to the strong delusion and follow THE LIE of the Antichrist? It is whether or not they LOVE TRUTH!
‘ . . . them THAT PERISH; BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED NOT THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH, that they might be saved. And for this cause GOD SHALL SEND them strong delusion, that they should BELIEVE A LIE: That they all might be damned WHO BELIEVED NOT THE TRUTH, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.’ (2 Thess. 2:10-12)
You cannot claim to love truth if you traffic in lies!
As a liar, you make a practice of overriding your ability to discern the truth from a lie. As a liar, you come to love lies, because they tell you what you want to believe. But the verses above show that you will have NO EXCUSE for being deceived, because God will only send the delusion to those who don’t love truth.
God is not mocked. You love lies? Then lies you shall have. Those who sow lies, will reap destruction when they are ensnared in THE lie.
‘Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without [are] dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and WHOSOEVER LOVETH AND MAKETH A LIE.’ (Revelation 22:14-15)