My boys love to call each other out by loudly declaring, “lying!” Truth is very important to them, though of course, it often tends to be their version of the “truth” that serves their benefit. From a biological standpoint, this makes perfect sense. Aren’t we supposed to engage in behaviors that benefit us, like getting food, shelter, and a mate? What’s so great about absolute truth?
Psalm 51:6 says, “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.” God desires truth from us. And God is truth—it is His very nature. Isaiah 65:16 calls Him, “the God of truth”. Of course, we are all familiar with John 8:32, “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”
I think it is safe to say, then, that our obsession with truth stems more from faith in God than from a basic human trait. Biologically speaking, it can pay to lie. That’s why there is so much dishonesty in the world. It is a well-known dictum that politicians lie. Dishonesty is a way of self-preservation through avoiding blame. Christians, however, don’t have that luxury. We are people bound by the truth. The writer of Psalm 86 wrote, “Teach me thy way, O Lord, that I may walk in thy truth”. We must strive to always walk in truth—even when that truth is uncomfortable or unpopular. I don’t like it that my hair is thinner than it used to be and I’ve gained weight, but it’s true. My scale doesn’t lie. If I choose to live as if these things weren’t true, I may feel a little better about myself, but it will prevent me from trying to do something about it.
It is just as much a lie to pass on a lie created by someone else as it is to create a lie of our own. Both are dishonest. Both can cause real harm. Both are judged by God. As people bound by truth, Christians should not abide by the lies of others. People who lie publicly should be called out for it—even if they are people we otherwise respect. We are all sinners and we all have character flaws (“for all have sinned” (Romans 3:23)). There is no point in pretending this isn’t so, even with those we greatly admire. In fact, speaking truth to power is one of the bravest things a person can do. That is putting truth above one’s personal respectability and safety. We should all respect that.
Truth is under assault these days. Christians should be very concerned about this because lies are a tool of the devil. John 8:44 calls Satan, “the father of lies.” Purveyors of lies can only succeed if we let them. Christians don’t have the freedom to be lazy with what we say, and that includes on social media. Let’s not be guilty of liking or retweeting something that may be false. If in doubt, leave it alone—even if it says something that makes us feel good or supports our cause. I would never say on social media that Christians are smarter, richer, and better looking than non-believers, even though that supports what I care about—because it is false. Dishonesty among Christians hurts our witness to the world. And let’s get in the habit of calling out lies when we hear them in public discourse, because our leaders should not be given a “free pass” with dishonesty. Lastly, let’s have the humility to let go of ideas or beliefs that are proven false. Untruths are so pervasive, it’s hard not to believe some. We all make mistakes. But when faced with the facts, we cannot afford to let our pride prevent us from admitting what we previously thought was in fact, wrong. This kind of humility is rare these days, but is so desperately needed. Let us, as believers, place the highest value on honesty, and the world will notice.
