Test of Truth

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,a dn to the ends of the earth." (Acts1:8)

Witnesses. That's what we are. And like all witnesses in court, we are called to testify, to tell of what we have seen and heard. And we are to speak the truth. We are not to candy-coat the truth or twist it, our task is simple. To tell the truth. Period. The witness for Christ never steps down from the witness chair, he is always on trial and under oath. Friends, as witnesses for Christ, deception is never an option. It cannot be and shouldn't be. It wasn't for Jesus.

"though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth" (Isaiah53:9). Friends, to be like Jesus, first and foremost, is to watch our tongues. God is very serious about the issue of honesty. He seeks not to decrease or minimize our deception but to completely eliminate it. "No one who practices deceit will dwell in my house; no one who speaks falsely will stand in my presence." (Psalm101:7) Throughout the Bible, the theme is the same. God cannot and will not tolerate deceit. He hates it. Lying stirs the same heavenly anger as adultery and aggravated assault.(1Cor6:9-10) In fact, God views lying as worship to other gods.

"The Lord destests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful." (Psalm12:22)
"The Lord hates...a lying tongue...a false witness who pours out lies" (Proverbs6:16-19)
God "destroys those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors" ( Psalm5:6)

Why does the Lord hate deception so much, you might be thinking.

1. Deception destroys.
The Bible tells us that God has an excellent plan for all of us. The last thing He wants is for us to be destroyed prematurely. And the thing that will destroy us all? Deceit. A lie from Satan was all it took to cause the downfall of men. Satan didn't discourage Eve. He didn't seduce her. He didn't sneakily attack her. He just lied to her. "Did God really say...? You will not surely die..." (Genesis3:1-4) Friends the last thing God wants is for you to perish because of a lie. A lie, simple as it may seem, is detestable to God, and He hates it, not because you did it, but because it'll destroy you.

2. Dishonesty is completely contrary to the character of God.
"it is impossible for God to lie" (Hebrews6:18) It is not that God will not lie or that He has chosen not to lie, He simply cannot lie. And if God's ultimate purpose for us is to shape us in His glory, how then is it possible for us, as His children, to lie? God always speaks truth. When He makes a covenent, He honours it. When He makes a statement, He means it. And when He proclaims the truth, we can believe it. Friends if it is impossible for our heavenly Father to lie, how can it possible for us? If you want to be continually shaped in God's glory, you have to renew your mind and start testifying to the truth. Sometimes it may seem to be the best choice, but it'll be the right choice. And warriors of Christ do what's right, not what their feelings tell them.

Friends always remember that we are all woitnesses of Christ in this world. The court won't listen to the testimony of a perjured witness. Neither will the world. Do we really think our coworkers will believe our words about Christ when they can't even believe words about how we scored extraordinarily high marks for that test? Even more significantly, do we really think God will use us as a witness if we won't tell the truth?

Friends it's time to ask yourself some tough questions. Am I completely honest with my family? Is my school school environment streaked with dishonesty? Am I honest with my undertakings? Am I a trustworthy person? Do I tell the trth...always?

If not, start today. Don't wait till tomorrow. The ripple of today's lie is tomorrow's wave and next year's flood. Be like Jesus, always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.