“The Ninth Commandment: Do Not Lie” (Exodus 20:16)

What this episode covers

Conspiracy theories are found around every corner, but they have been around for about two-hundred years in their current form. Back in 1831, New England religious leaders warned about the Illuminati’s destructive plans. Ever since then, Americans have sought and found conspiracies typically associated with politics or religions. DeYoung Bad news travels much faster than good news. We must be careful to avoid deceit of every kind, intentional or not. On the other hand, many will scream “Conspiracy Theory” simply because a claim seems alarmist or outlandish. We do live in a world of crazy ideas. Many lies permeate our culture. These too are nothing new, but they are critical to see and recognize (e.g., origins, gender, race, personhood, no Judge, no Savior, Romans 1:24-25). Unfortunately, Christians are all too often weak and easily shamed into silence or submission. The Ten Commandments are a summary of God’s moral law. They are perpetually binding upon all of humanity. Although no one can say that they have kept any one of these commandments perfectly, the ninth commandment may be one of the most frequently broken commandments against our neighbor. Read Exodus 20:16 Last week, we considered the positive aspect of this command. If we are not allowed to bear false witness against our neighbor, then we must be speaking truthfully to them and about them. This week, we will begin by looking at… Examples of Dishonesty One of the first things new parents realize is how quickly their child learns how to misbehave. Children do not need to be taught how to lie. They no this intuitively, and they also know that what they are doing is wrong. We might think it’s cute when they are really young, but there is truly something revealing about it. They must learn that there are consequences for their sinful misbehavior or they will treat your laughter as reward. The motivation underneath the lie is an important factor to consider. Satan, the father of lies, began in the garden of Eden. Satan lied to Eve “partly from malice, partly from pride” (Packer). He was intending to bring harm upon the pinnacle of God’s creation, but he was also striking out against God because of his pride. He wants people to hate God as much as he does. There were certainly other factors such as fear and contempt that motivated the serpent. Regardless of the motivation, the consequences were utterly devastating. It led to the fall of humanity. The consequences of this sin remain infinitely serious! We should not grow comfortable with its violation just because we see it taking place on a daily basis. “The Devil made me do it” is a horrible admission that we have chosen the father of lies over the Father of truth. The more comfortable we become with lying, the more it reveals who we are following. On the other hand, by telling the truth, we reveal the work of the Spirit in our hearts. One way we lie is by “prejudicing the truth”. We describe something we actually said or did, but we present the information in the best possible light. Vice versa, if we want to give someone a bad impression of someone else, we present their actions in the worst possible light. We even do this when we disagree with someone. We make assumptions about what they mean. Rather than asking clarifying questions, we assume we know exactly what their motives and intentions were. If it is someone we trust, we give them the benefit of the doubt. If it is someone we distrust, we assume the worst. The Westminster Larger Catechism Q.145 provides a lengthy list of examples of dishonesty. From the courtroom to the living room, and everywhere in between, we see the violation of this commandment. From the judge to the jury, from the plaintiff to the defendant, from the witnesses to the attorneys, courtrooms are a fog of uncertainty. Clients make considerable efforts to minimize any sense of personal wrongdoing and maximize the sins of their adversary. Witnesses desir

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