You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Jesus boldly declared in John 14:6 that he was “the way, the truth, and the life and that no one could come to the Father except through Him.” It’s no great surprise that Jesus also declared the father of lies to be His antithesis–the devil. Of the seven abominations attributable to Satan in Proverb 6 verses 16-19, two come to the fore as it relates to this next rule: a lying tongue and a false witness that speaks lies. Fittingly, the ninth commandment of God reads: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

A simple, yet profound, distinction must be made: God is truth. Therefore, anything that derives itself of something other than Him falls short of His ordained standard. In genuinely seeking the truth that is God, we have the distinct privilege of becoming “temples of the Holy Spirit” (1Cor 6:19); in becoming “temples of the Holy Spirit,” our hearts find their natural tendency in a desire for honesty.  Truth settles as our intimate and trusted friend.

Lying is a callous and unwise investment whose inevitable end is failure. When deceitfulness (e.g., gossip, false accusations, blame, or self-deceit) is detected as part of one’s agenda, trust has no way of being afforded. What’s more, adding or omitting information to support a personal bias–even if it seems harmless–is equally damaging in the long run.

The Word of God always supports the telling of the truth and is revealing of its lasting benefits. “The wise keep all falsehood and lies far from them” (Prov 30:8). “God hates a lying tongue, and delights in those who tell the truth” (Prov 12:12). Truth speakers are valued by kings (Prov 16:13). To live as a witness of the truth requires one to remain intimate with God through a life sown in personal integrity and outwardly in brotherly love.

Let’s celebrate a new season, allowing our light of honesty to shine brightly wherever we may go. How good it is to know, follow, and to grow ever-closer to the truth and the One who is truth… one commandment at a time!  In the power of the Holy Spirit, savor living out His 9^th, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”

Ex 20:16