Be Authentic

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TL04.

Be Authentic!

“You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16) “There are times when it is necessary to lie!” some say. Let us see what the Scriptures have to say about this statement:

REASONS WHY PEOPLE LIE 1. TO

EXECUTE EVIL PLANS “Behold, he travails with wickedness, And he conceives mischief, and brings forth falsehood.” (Psalms 7:14 NASB)

Notice that those who conceive mischief and wickedness bring forth falsehood. A woman had sexual intercourse with her boyfriend. When she got pregnant, she asked the guy to marry her. He replied, “I love you but I cannot marry you. I’m already married!” The man lied that he was still single so he could sleep with her. Did the same thing happen to you? Were you the one deceived … or the deceiver? … Did you plan an evil thing? … Did you lie? …

2. TO

HIDE HATRED “He who conceals his hatred has lying lips, and whoever spreads slander is a fool.” (Proverbs 10:18)

You were angry with somebody, but when he asked you “Are you angry?” did you respond, “No!”? But when you were with others, did you speak behind his back, saying nasty things about him. Isn’t that lying? … You may probably ask, “How can I avoid lying?” It may help if you understand the following:

WHAT LYING CAN DO TO YOU 1. YOU

WILL BECOME WORSE ‘“They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; it is not by truth that they triumph in the land. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me,” declares the LORD.’ (Jeremiah 9:3)

Are you a two-timer, having an affair with another? When your girlfriend or wife asked you why you were late, what did you say? “I had an overtime?” … When you spent your money for your mistress, and your wife asked where the money went, how did you respond? … You were held-up? … Do you notice how your lying has increased? … and you are becoming worse? …

2. YOU

WILL ALSO LISTEN TO UNTRUSTWORTHY PEOPLE “A wicked man listens to evil lips; a liar pays attention to a malicious tongue.” (Proverbs 17:4)

2 Do you like to spread rumors? … You also like to listen to rumors, right? …

3. YOU

WILL HATE THOSE WHOM YOU HAVE HURT. “A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth works ruin.” (Proverbs 26:28)

One guy got jealous of his wife. He invented a story and asked another lady to send a text message saying she loves him. When the wife saw the text message and she got angry with him, he even beat her. Is there someone who wronged you? … Did you harm him in return? … Did you hate him, planning to exact revenge? … But when he asked you if you were angry, how did you respond? “Oh, it’s nothing!” Isn’t that lying? …

4. LEADERSHIP

IS NOT THE RIGHT PLACE FOR YOU “Arrogant lips are unsuited to a fool—how much worse lying lips to a ruler!” (Proverbs 17:7)

“the elders and prominent men are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.” (Isaiah 9:15) The prophets here who were leaders in Israel became the tail, no longer fit for leadership. As you lead in some ways, have you been using lies to gain favor from your constituents? … If so, you are not fit to remain in that position! Do you know a leader who is a liar, who does not do what he promises? … Do you want to emulate such kind of a leader? … Then, do not be like him!

5. LYING

BRINGS ONLY TEMPORARY PLEASURE. “Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man, but he ends up with a mouth full of gravel.” (Proverbs 20:17)

Were you able to deceive others and as a result, you caused them to act in a certain way according to your desires? … What do you think will happen when they discover your deception? … Will you still experience the sweetness of your lying? … In fact, not only will you lose the sweet taste, but you will also experience terrifying things. Indeed …

6. FEARFUL

THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU. “You boast, ‘We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding-place. … As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through.’ The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror.”

(Isaiah 28:15,19) Indeed, the leaders in Jerusalem experienced sheer terror. How about you? Do you want to experience the same? …

WHAT YOUR LYING CAN DO TO OTHERS 1. YOU

CAN DESTROY THEIR REPUTATION THOUGH THEY ARE FAR

3 FROM YOU. You are like a club that can smash, a sword that can wound and a sharp arrow that can pierce even from a distance.

“Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor.” (Proverbs 25:18) A leader was seen entering a hotel with someone who was not his wife. The news spread among the members of a group he is leading. It was good that one of the members had the courage to talk with him, and clear things up. The leader said, “That woman is my sister. I accompanied her because she’s applying for a job in that hotel!” Yes, his reputation was almost destroyed because of partial knowledge of the situation! How about you? Have you destroyed someone’s reputation because of what you shared about him? … Have you asked for forgiveness for what you have done against him? …

2. SOME,

ESPECIALLY THE POOR, CAN EXPERIENCE PAIN,

DESTRUCTION OR DEATH. “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”” (Proverbs 26:18-19)

“The scoundrel’s methods are wicked, he makes up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies, even when the plea of the needy is just.” (Isaiah 32:7) In the Philippines, I have observed that the poor are the ones who are spending time and little money to run after the so-called ‘hidden wealth’ of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. As a result, the poor became poorer, living a more difficult life. What makes it worse is that those who should have been spending full-time in the Word and in prayer have joined them! How about you? Do you believe you can get easy money? … Did you cause others to also expect it? …

3. EVEN

PEOPLE CLOSE TO GOD CAN BE LED TO WRONGDOING. “Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false dreams,” declares the LORD. “They tell them and lead my people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not benefit these people in the least,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 23:32)

Have you joined a group which claims to have visions from God but whose leader has a questionable character? … If so, you have received a lie! Stop being with that group, unless the leader is replaced by someone close to God.

4. YOU WILL DISHEARTEN WICKED. “BECAUSE

THE RIGHTEOUS AND ENCOURAGE THE

YOU DISHEARTENED THE RIGHTEOUS WITH YOUR LIES, WHEN

I HAD

BROUGHT THEM NO

GRIEF, AND BECAUSE YOU ENCOURAGED THE WICKED NOT TO TURN FROM THEIR EVIL WAYS AND SO SAVE THEIR LIVES,”

(EZEKIEL 13:22) A neighbor boasted before our friends how he had sexual intercourse with a homosexual. I suddenly walked out … After a few days, he confessed to me he felt ashamed when I walked out. God moved in my life at that time that I would not encourage him to remain in the evil way of sodomy.

4 How about you? Have you encouraged one by just laughing at his evil way? … You have lied—you said it was just okay when you knew it was not! … As you mingle with the righteous, are they getting disheartened because you hid the information they need? … If so, you have lied to them!

5. THOSE

WHO REMAIN AS SERVANTS OF THE LEADER WHO

CONTINUES TO LISTEN TO YOUR LIES WILL ALSO BE LYING TO PLEASE HIM. If a leader leads based on incorrect information, he is a blind person leading other blind people. The result will not be good for those who are under his leadership (Matthew 15:14). If he continues to listen only to what he wants to hear, even if they are lies, those who remain as his servants will eventually become wicked, lying also to please him.

“If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked.” (Proverbs 29:12) Did this happen to those who followed the leader you deceived?… Now that you have seen the evil results of lying, you probably would want to avoid lying. For such to happen, it would be good for you to know the ways you may have lied.

WAYS YOU MAY HAVE LIED 1. SPREADING

NEWS ABOUT OTHERS WHICH YOU HAVE NOT

PERSONALLY VERIFIED In 1984, I received a photocopy of a story aired in a certain Donahue program where a top executive of Procter & Gamble admitted that his company was supporting Satanism. The unknown writer rallied the readers not to buy products by Procter & Gamble. He says that the logo even had the mark of 666—the number of the antichrist.

Since I did not agree with the interpretation of the antichrist and the grammar of that ‘news’ article was poor, I corrected it and removed the comment about the ‘666’. Then, I had our secretary type my corrected version. I had it reproduced and gave the copies to others. The following day, I asked our fellowship leader if he had read about that ‘news’. He showed me Procter & Gamble’s response. There, I saw the sheets of paper where the Association of Broadcasters in the United States said they had not had such kind of program. A Roman Catholic Bishop also denied the accuracy of the rumor. Dr. Billy Graham said that the owner of the Procter & Gamble had been supporting many who were spreading the Good News around the world! Having seen my contribution to the spread of a lie, I had Procter & Gamble’s response photocopied and gave to each one to whom I spread the rumor. What was wrong with what I did? I spread news about others which I did not verify myself. “There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him. … a false witness who pours out lies ….” (Proverbs 6:16,19)

5 How about you? Have you passed information which you are not sure of? Then, you have lied! In contrast to this, consider the following:

2. NOT

TESTIFYING FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS

“If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.” (Leviticus 5:1) Have you witnessed something which could pave the way for righteous court decision but you did not? … Have you experienced assurance of eternal life? Have you shrank from testifying? … Is it because you were afraid? …

3. LYING

TO STEAL OTHERS’ PROPERTIES “If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the LORD by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen, or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely, or if he commits any such sin that people may do—when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth of the value to it and give it all to the owner….” (Leviticus 6:2-5)

“Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights…” (Leviticus 19:35-36) Have you made known to the owner or the lost-and-found section that you have found a lost property (Exodus 23:4-5)? … Have you returned excess change? … Have you borrowed something the owner was unaware of or has forgotten that you borrowed it and failed to return it? … Have you cheated on someone by hiding or misrepresenting some information? What was the result? Did he pay more for the goods or service you offered? … Did he sell less for the good or service you bought? …

4.

GIVING ADVICE CONCERNING THINGS YOU ARE NOT CERTAIN OF As a reaction to the advice of his friends, Job said:

“You, however, smear me with lies; you are worthless physicians, all of you!” (Job 13:4) Have you given an advice concerning things you are not sure of? …. Have you given counsels in life which you are not sure to be consistent with God’s Word? … Then you also have lied.

5.

NOT FULFILLING YOUR PROMISE “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes’, and your ‘No’, ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37)

“LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? …. who keeps his oath even when it hurts,” (Psalms 15:4)

6 Have you broken a promise? … Have you promised to come to an appointment at a certain time and did not come? … or, if you came, did you appear late? … If so, you have lied! You cannot remain in God’s presence in that condition! “Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of gifts he does not give.” (Proverbs 25:14) Have you promised to give something but did not give it? … If so, you have lied!

6. SAYING

THAT SOMETHING COMES FROM THE

LORD

WHEN YOU

ARE NOT SURE Let us imitate the Apostle Paul:

“… we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” (2 Corinthians 4:2) Concerning Pashhur’s false prophecy, Jeremiah said: “And you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house will go into exile to Babylon. There you will die and be buried, you and all your friends to whom you have prophesied lies.” (Jeremiah 20:6) Have you quoted a verse and said, “that Book in such a chapter and verse says …” when you were not sure of the reference? … Did you claim, “Thus says the Lord …” or “She is God’s will for me!” when you were not sure of it? … Ask now for forgiveness before you will be judged as Pashhur was judged … and those who believed in you be affected too!

7. SAYING

YOU ARE SURRENDERING YOURSELF TO

GOD

WHEN IT

IS NOT REALLY TRUE. “In spite of all this, her unfaithful sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, but only in pretense,” declares the LORD.” (Jeremiah 3:10)

If you have promised to return to God, when will you fulfill your promise? If you don’t have intentions to do it, you have lied!

8.

USING LIES IN JOKES “Like a madman shooting firebrands or deadly arrows is a man who deceives his neighbor and says, “I was only joking!”” (Proverbs 26:18-19)

A popular song says, “I started a joke which started the whole world crying.” Like the author of this song, being a joker myself, I have experienced that indeed, joking can hurt others. How about you? In your joking, have you used lying? Have you manipulated others to think in a certain way so they would act in the manner you want them to? … Have you played with others’ emotions? … Have you hidden things that are desperately needed? … Only when the person you’re fooling becomes agitated will you say, “I was only joking!” … If so, stop using lies when you joke! …

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9.

CALLING A SIN WITH A DIFFERENT NAME “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.” (Isaiah 5:20)

On November 5, 2005, I received this email: When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard: “Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We confess that we have ridiculed the absolute truth of Your Word and call it Pluralism. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building selfesteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent to direct us to the center of Your will and to openly ask these things in the name of Your Son, the living Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen!” The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer! from India, Africa and Korea. Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, “The Rest of the Story”, and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired. Have you committed any of the sins confessed by Rev. Wright? … Have you called sin a weakness of your personality? … Have you been lazy and called yourself phlegmatic? … Have you been impatient and called yourself

8 choleric or goal-oriented? … Have you been worrying and called yourself melancholic? … Have you been tactless with your words and called yourself sanguine? …

10.

EXAGGERATIONS

In order to make your story more acceptable to your listeners, did you add details which are not true? … In reporting statistics, did you relay information you were not really sure of, but you gave it anyway because they are favorable for you or for your group or cause? …

11. ALIBIS

AND EXCUSES

When you come late for an appointment, do you give the excuse, “Heavy traffic!” when actually, you have not given enough time for yourself to come at the right time? …

12. ‘WHITE

LIES’ In a hospital, a father with severe cancer asked one of his children, “What is my sickness?” “Father, it is just a minor one! We can now go home and rest there!” That month did not pass and the father died without repenting from his sins because his children did not tell his true condition and lied!

How about you? Do you use ‘white lies’? Did you say to yourself, “It is okay to lie if it will benefit others!” You are wrong! Did you say, “He’s not here!” when he was with you? … Did you instruct another, “Tell him, I am not here!”… If others are asking you to tell a lie: “If someone looks for me, tell him that I am not here!”, then tell the one looking for him, “I’m sorry but he is not available at this time! Bye!” That way, you will not be lying nor will you be revealing that he is there. When a person asked the whereabouts of another he intended to harm, did you lie? … You do not have to! You can trust God to make you wise and prudent as a serpent but innocent as a dove (Matthew 10:16). Respond in a way that you would not lie nor reveal where the person is. For example, you may not just give him complete information. You can divert the issue by asking why he was looking for him. You may decide not to answer at all. You might ask, “What about the lies of Rahab, Abraham, Isaac and David?” Rahab was declared righteous not because of her lying but because she received the spies and sent them away (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Abraham’s lying was rebuked by a king and God Himself (Genesis 12:10-20); Isaac’s by Abimelech (26:6-11). David said that it is part of the war to see some die. That way, he tried to cover his murder of Uriah. But he did not escape the prophet Nathan’s reproof (2Samuel 11:15-16,24-25; 12:9). Indeed, God did not favor lying anywhere in the Bible! If you want to receive favor from him, repent from your lying. Check the box for the sins you have committed: I LIED AND GAVE SATAN AN OPPORTUNITY (Ephesians 4:25-27) WHEN: ¨ I spread news about others which I did not personally witness (Proverbs 6:16,19) ¨ I did not testify about something which I have seen which could have helped someone to whom wrong was done (Leviticus 5:1).

9 ¨ I did not testify about my assurance of salvation when an opportunity arose. ¨ I found something lost and did not make it known to the owner (Exodus 23:4-5) nor surrendered it to the lost-and-found section. ¨ I did not return excess change. ¨ I cheated on a person by hiding some information. As a result, he paid more for what I sold or I paid less for what he sold. ¨ I gave an advise concerning things I was not certain of (Job 13:14) ¨ I did not fulfill my promise (Psalm 15:1,4b). Examples: I did not come to our appointment; I came late; I did not give the promised gift. ¨ I said something comes from the Lord when I am not sure (Jeremiah 20:6). ¨ I said I was surrendering myself to God when it was not really true (Jeremiah 3:10). ¨ I used lies in my jokes (Proverbs 26:18-19). ¨ I called sin a different name (Isaiah 5:20). ¨ I exaggerated, adding details which are not true. ¨ I had alibis and excuses. Example: I blamed the traffic for being late. ¨ I used white lies. For example, I said, “He is not here!” when he was there or I instructed another, “Tell him, I am not here!” ¨ I said, “Come back tomorrow!” when I had it with me (Proverbs 3:28) Suggested Prayer: God, I shall allow your word to richly dwell in me (Colossians 3:16) that I will be able to speak the truth alone. Help me. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (Isaiah 6:7) If you want to be forgiven in any of the sins listed here, you may write me at [email protected]. You may also want to read this 2 page link: http://www.pdfcoke.com/doc/22396398/Do-You-Want-toAlways-be-with-God-who-Reigns. Questions for Discussion: 1. Who among you here have had negative experiences because of lying? … What happened? ... 2. Read John 8:31-36. What do you see from these verses can help you avoid lying?