You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Exodus 20:16

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The ninth commandment goes beyond simply avoiding lies; it calls us to embrace truth in all aspects of our lives. God himself is Truth, and as his followers, we're called to reflect this attribute by using our words for truth and a tool for building up others. In this week’s Sunday message, Pastor Ryan Schlachter encourages us to seek honesty not just in our words, but in our hearts, recognizing that self-deception can be the most damaging form of dishonesty.

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What is the context?

• This command is being given to prevent people within the community of Israel to give false witness in a legal proceeding.
• The ninth command goes beyond just a legal setting—the original wording is beyond just “false” but has the expression of “vain witness”, meaning literally empty/worthless.
• Where lies persist, justice deteriorates and where justice deteriorates, society breaks down 

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Why does God hate lying? 

Lying is Less Than

• Part of understanding why God hates lying is understanding who is by his very nature: God himself is truth.
• We see that the devil was the father of lies from the beginning, which means He is diametrically opposed to God and all that God is.
• When God’s people lie, they don’t operate in reality or integrity, but at the very core of it, they are seeking to either damage something that he loves with lies or find affirmation in a lie that can only come from God.

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Why do people lie? 

All Lying Reveals a Need

• When we lie, we’re subliminally looking to control narratives and consequences of our actions.
• Every lie that we tell will eventually be found out and the necessity of that lie will always eventually be exposed as well.
  
  • We are either lying to destroy someone who has been made in the image of God, or to give the perception that we are God-like ourselves.
• Types of lies we participate in
  
  • Direct Lies: Making up false stories or fabricating facts
  • Half-Truths or White Lies: If the whole truth sets us free, then half-truths keep us bound
  • Exaggeration & Embellishment: Stretching the truth to make yourself look better or others look worse
  • Flattery & False Praise: Complimenting someone insincerely for personal gain
  • Gossip & Slander: Spreading unverified or false information about others
  • Silence as a Lie: Failing to speak up when the truth should be told
  • Broken Promises: Making commitments you don’t intend to keep
  • Self-Deception: Lying to yourself about your motives, sins, or reality
  • False Testimony: Giving misleading or false statements that damage another
  • Hypocrisy: Pretending to be something you’re not.

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The Truth Saves Us

• When Jesus stands in front of Pilate, even in the face of death, he is honest. Jesus knows that his honesty will result in him being crucified.
• Our motivation for living honestly needs to not be what the ramifications are, but rather how we have access in the first place to Jesus?
• The reason we have access to him now is because when he was faced with an opportunity to lie, he told the truth.