Commandment #9: You Shall Not Bear False Witness (Exodus 20:16)
The 9th commandment states in Exodus 20:16, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (NKJV). The 9th commandment was originally focused against perjuring oneself in a judicial trial, but certainly applies to lying in general.
America Has a Lying Culture
With the teaching of “situational ethics” in our public schools (the teaching that there is no such thing as absolute truth), it’s no wonder that 67% of Americans don’t believe in absolute truth. With this kind of outlook, it’s easy to see why lying and deception are so much a part of our culture.
According to The Day America Told the Truth:
- 91% of us lie regularly.
- The majority of us find it hard to get through the week without lying.
- 1 in 5 people can’t make it through a single day without lying.
Why Do We Lie?
Why do we lie when we know lying is wrong? Oftentimes it’s because we have been caught doing something wrong. An example of this was when Moses came down from Mount Sinai and found the Israelites worshiping a golden calf Aaron had created for them. When Moses confronted Aaron with this, Aaron, in shorter words, said, “We threw the gold in the fire and this calf came out” (see Exodus 32:17–24).
According to the Washington Post, “People lie 92% of the time to save face and 98% to keep from offending someone else.”
God Hates Lying (Proverbs 6:16–19)
Scripture reveals clearly that God hates lying:
“These six things the LORD hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren” (Proverbs 6:16–19 NKJV).
God Cannot Lie (Hebrews 6:18) and Is Truth (John 14:6)
Scripture also reveals clearly that God cannot lie: “It is impossible for God to lie. . .” (Hebrews 6:18 NKJV).
In fact, God is truth; Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NKJV). This means that truth itself comes from God. Jesus is not “a truth” but “the truth.”
Psalm 119:142 says “Your law is truth” (NKJV); Jesus, as the Word incarnate (John 1:1), is the source of all truth.
Satan Is the Father of Lies (John 8:44)
In drastic contrast to God—who is truth—Satan is the father of lies:
“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it” (John 8:44 NKJV).
When we lie, we are behaving more like children of the devil than children of God. God says of the liar, “He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence” (Psalm 101:7 NKJV).
Scripture Warns Us Against Lying
When we become Christians, we are made new. We must put off the sin of who we once were before Christ came into our lives:
“But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him” (Colossians 3:8–10 NLT).
The Lord delights in people who tell the truth:
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22 NKJV).
Keeping ourselves away from lying and toward truth is part living a full life:
“Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies” (Psalm 34:12–13 NLT).
