What a jarring and sensational title! Should a Christian Lie? is a much softer approach, or even Lying Christians sounds better than Christian Liars. My first reaction is:

“This Bible Bite certainly doesn’t pertain to me. But, I should check it out to see if it might be relevant to someone else, and I could forward it to them.”

Before I share this with anyone else — is it possible that I lie far more often than I think or care to admit or discover? What about you? Do you tell lies, misrepresent the truth or engage in devious deceit more often than you should?

Genesis, the very first book in your Bible, contains far too many lies. Even one lie is too many. Satan stains the early pages of Genesis by lying to our first parents. Our first parents lied when they donned their custom-made leafy costumes. Cain lied when he tried to throw God off his tracks after murdering his brother: “How would I know where Abel is? Am I my brother’s guardian?”

Abraham lied more than once when he told half the truth about his wife being his sister – but really his half-sister. He failed to be upfront about the fact that she was his wife. Elderly Sarah chuckled to herself when the Lord said she would have a baby, and then right to the Lord’s face, she denied that she had laughed.

Isaac, too, lied about his wife by concealing her true identity. Rebekah led the elaborate lying scheme with her son Jacob to deceive old Isaac and upstage Esau. There are the connivings of Jacob and the lies and deceit of Laban. Rachel stole some images and sat on them when Laban tried to retrieve them. What was her stated reason for not standing to greet Laban? “Too weak today to stand up. Feeling lousy.”

The list of lies, deceit, and misrepresentations of the truth is long in Genesis. We haven’t even mentioned Joseph’s siblings and their lies. Or the lie of Potiphar’s wife, alleging that Joseph had tried to corner her.

Lying, deceit, concealing the truth, shading or colouring the truth, half-truths, cover-ups, deleting history, misrepresentations and exaggerations had their start with the father of lies – Satan.

Jesus said: “…your father the devil… there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

All forms and degrees of lying are offensive to God. A lying tongue is #2 on the list of seven things God hates. (Proverbs 6:17) Another verse in the Proverbs emphatically states that lying lips are nothing less than an abomination to the Lord. God is truth. Anything less than the truth runs counter to His very nature.

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are His delight. Proverbs 12:22

We expect salvation to change a drug addict or a chain smoker, and we watch them ever so carefully to make sure the transformation of salvation is genuine. We expect a gambler to stop gambling and a blasphemer to stop swearing. Those are pretty obvious things. But what about less visible sins — like lying, exaggerating, cheating, concealing, spinning the story, doctoring facts and fudging figures? Shouldn’t that stop too?

Paul, in his letter to the believers in Ephesus, included this instruction among his many teachings:

Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbour… Ephesians 4:25

The first sin publicly identified in the early Church was — lying. And it resulted in no small wrap-on-the-knuckles. Peter said to Ananias:

…What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.” Acts 5:4

That early Christian couple died as a result of their sin.

If you run your own business, how’s the honesty score? Are the details accurate and transparent? Seventy-five percent truth is still a whole lie — and a lie is an abomination to the Lord.

God is extremely clear about dishonest business practices. It’s not just about whether your accountant can “make the numbers work.” God’s standard is much higher. Multiple times in Scripture, the Lord condemns unbalanced scales and weights in business transactions.

Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight. Proverbs 11:1

What about the history on your computer—does it reflect the truth? That form you filled out—was there anything intentionally vague or misleading? Did you give an answer that could be interpreted two ways… and hope it would be taken the wrong way?

Lying is the very opposite of God’s nature. God cannot lie.

“God is not a man, that He should lie…” — Numbers 23:19
“…it is impossible for God to lie…” — Hebrews 6:18
“…in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began.” — Titus 1:2
“I am the Way, the TRUTH, and the Life…” — John 14:6

The closer we walk with the Lord and the deeper our relationship with Him becomes, the more sensitive we become to all forms of falsehood in our lives, ledgers, lips and looks. The more closely I walk with the One who is Truth, the more truth and transparency will define my life. My prayer just now goes something like this:

"Father, I have just read that lying lips are an abomination to You and that truth and faithfulness bring You delight. I confess my sin and pray that I will become more sensitive to all forms of lying. May my behaviour bring You delight today."