Why Lie?

In the first century two early missionaries named Paul and Timothy wrote a letter to the church in Colossae.  One line in the letter reads, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” (Colossians 3:9)

It is interesting to me that such a line would have to be included in a letter to Christians.  It comes toward the end of a list of behaviors that Christians should not partake in such as, sexual immorality, slander, malice, idolatry, and obscene language.  Lying fits right in with this list.  However, if we look closely, we see that Paul and Timothy did not simply write, “Do not lie.”  They wrote “Do not lie to one another.” (Emphasis added)

Now remember, this letter was written to a church.  That meant that he was writing to Christians.  Lying is clearly wrong.  Yet lying to your brother or sister in Christ is repugnant.  

 

It is very sad to see dishonesty among believers, though it is not surprising.  We are redeemed through Jesus’ atoning work on the Cross, but we still sin.  Sometimes that sin manifests in the form of lies, and sometimes those lies are directed at our brothers and sisters.

 

Lies are told for a number of different reasons.  Sometimes they are told to cheat.  Sometimes they are told to manipulate.  Sometimes they are told to cover up a truth that we are afraid to let be seen.  Yet they are clearly wrong.

 

Sadly, lies happen all too often, and when they do, they erode integrity and disintegrate trust.

 

What should we do?

For starters, do not lie.  Especially do not lie to your brothers and sisters in Christ.  The application of this verse is simple.

 

However sometimes we lie anyway.  If you do, come clean.  It is painful to be trapped in a lie.  If they do not know you lied, you do them a service by telling them the truth.  As a Christian, you have nothing to fear from the Truth.

 

If, on the other hand they know you lied then you do yourself a service.  You have already lost a lot of trust through your lack of integrity.  Without trust, you will not be able to engage with them in any meaningful way.  They know that you are an untrustworthy person, and they will not likely believe you, confide in you, or even talk with you much in the future.  Only through restoring your integrity can you restore a relationship, and this can only be done by confessing and repenting.  This integrity will be restored even further if you come clean before they call you out on the lie.

 

The Church is a family.  We are brothers and sisters.  Without trust, that family is broken.  Do not lie to one another.