Even though this article will fall on mostly deaf ears, we must address the topic.
My logic in saying, "mostly deaf ears," is relevant. I will turn 65-years of age soon. Forty of those years, I have been in full-time ministry. Out of those 40-years, I learned a fundamental fact. Many Christians are liars, minimally tell lies.
"But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron…"
(1 Timothy 4:1-2)
Do all Christian lie?
Yes – especially to themselves. Are all Christians liars? No. The difference between telling lies and being a liar deserves more of our attention – particularly amongst Christians. Without an objective distinction, we end up casting the first stone.
"But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
(John 8:7)
Our starting place with our topic is, all humans are born into sin. Secondly, all humans have flesh, which leans toward lies. To believe a lie is to tell a lie. It is safe to say that all people hate lies because they hate being lied to – even liars demand you tell them the truth. The general population despises others, using them as victims of manipulation and hypocrisy. Yes. The one telling a lie and the compulsive liar are both guilty of manipulation, and hypocrisy.
One who lies is an individual who chooses to lie.
A liar is a person who lies as a lifestyle and has no control over their lying. Ultimately, a liar becomes unaware that they are lying. The highest percentage of Christians tout integrity. Each declares that the Truth will set you free. It makes them feel like a people of Truth, exempted from lying because they "feel" contempt for it. Cognitively speaking, if the Truth always sets us free, why do we habituate lies.
The truth said - flesh propagates
lying sets us free
. It enables many Christians to avoid brokenness (cut corners). It removes the pain that comes with living in Truth. Lying liberates them from the burden & embarrassment of reconciling with others who we honesty offended through our Christianized platitudes - lies. The flesh finds freedom in avoiding the challenging mandates of the Holy Scriptures. So…we lie. Sin forms by holding unforgiveness in the Christian’s life. It becomes a diverse tactic to avoid addressing the real issue – the victim, are closet liars, not just the perpetrator(s).
More times than not, Christians lie
to maintain an image of Truth. Fulling knowing what they are doing is an abomination to the Lord. Why? There are tradeoffs. What is the most common form of lying for Christians? Silence and/or Christianized platitudes. Christians that do not own the truth that their lying, or possibly a liar, are duped into thinking they are protecting an image of integrity, which doesn't exist. Remembering integrity is
the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles & moral uprightness
.
Lying isn’t just the avoidance of Truth. It’s also a distortion of the person of Truth - Jesus, which becomes a confession of lying in the face of Jesus. When liars can get away with it, they trivialize inconvenient Truths of Jesus by overemphasizing the Biblical Truths that serve them. The most common method of developing a hypocrite. The not so funny thing, hypocrites are almost always referenced in the Word as liars.
Why is it so difficult for Christians to live the Truths they speak?
"Why do you look at the speck (lie) that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log (liar) that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take (address) the speck (lie) out of your eye (life),' and behold, the log (liar) is in your own eye (life)? "You hypocrite, first take (address) the log (liar) out of your own eye (life), and then you will see clearly to take the speck (lie) out of your brother's eye (life).”
(Matthew 7:3-5)
The term “speck” addresses the Christian who lies. The term “log” addresses the issue of the liar. According to Jesus, there is a BIG difference.
With the challenging words in this passage
, Jesus urges the reader – then and today – to carefully examine their nasty habits of lying - hypocrisy. Most are going about accusing others of lying when, in fact, the accuser is ignoring their sin of being a liar. Those that practice this are revealing hidden hypocrisy. How do you find a liar over one who lies? Look for the log. Loggers are deceptively hiding behind their self-righteousness – usually through the form of punishment through silence. When they do come out of the closet, watch out, they viciously focus on the errors of others.
Unfortunately, the world’s view of authentic Christianity is provided by the Christians themselves. The most common question asked by interested onlookers is, “If Christianity is true, why are there hypocrites in the church?” In other words, if Christianity is real, why are their so many liars in the church who practice the sins they address? Since the days of Jesus, Christianity was supposed to transform the liars into truth sayers. Statistics show us that the first piece of evidence the world watches for in “Christians” is forgiveness. Numerically, there are more unforgiving “Christians” than there are forgiving Christians. So…if the world is waiting for the evidence of authentic salvation through the Christians' ability to forgive, they better not hold their breath. Surveys done on Christians is showing that non-Christians don’t look any different than authentic Christians. That is sad.
The Oxford English Dictionary
defines hypocrisy as follows:
“The assuming of a false appearance of virtue or goodness, with dissimulation of real character or inclinations, esp. in respect of religious life or beliefs; hence in general sense, dissimulation, pretense, sham. Also, an instance of this.” It defines hypocrite in this manner: “One who falsely professes to be virtuously or religiously inclined; one who pretends to have feelings or beliefs of a higher order than his real ones; hence generally, a dissembler, pretender.”
The Compact Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991)
- False appearance – not who they say they are
- Dissimulation of real character – presents a character opposite of their true character
- Dissimulation of religion or beliefs – don’t believe in authentic Biblical doctrines
- Pretense & sham – their efforts are fake & of a sham
- Defines themselves as a hypocrite – falsely professes things
- Pretends to have feelings or beliefs – generally a pretender
It’s no wonder why the Lord is so outspokenly against the hypocrites. Hypocrites are people of malice, and their actions test the Lord. Malice is the intention or desire to do evil - ill will. Hypocrites love to punish others with their self-righteousness. Too bad, though, since Jesus lives in the authentic born-again believers, we also can perceive malice.
“But Jesus perceived their malice, and said, "Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites?”
(Matthew 22:18)
The deceptive act of hypocrisy is embedded
in a deep-rooted belief that they are better than Jesus and have the prerogative to test Jesus AND His authentic Bridal members. Testing in this passage is “
peirazo,”
to tempt, make one prove themselves. Hypocrites hate authority, minimally having a leader tell them what to do or what is right. The hypocrites that Jesus was addressing are the same cowards His Body deals with today. Each pretended a great deal of respect for Him, call Him master, compliment Him with displaced lies of pretense, but yet lay a trap to ensnare Him and bring Him into disgrace or trouble. A habit liars commonly practice in fronting others while hiding behind the skirt of self-righteousness.
Here is our bottom line. Jesus said these words to His hypocrites.
"You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
(John 8:44)
A question we cannot ignore is, “Are liars, or hypocrites, filled with the father of lies or the Father of Jesus? Authenticity is found in the knowing. They know the authentic Father from inside out. In our case, knowing Jesus and keeping to His mandates of reconciliation and restoration.
“…and you have not come to know Him, but I know Him; and if I say that I do not know Him, I will be a liar like you, but I do know Him and keep His word.”
(John 8:55)
Liars and hypocrites make Jesus a liar.
How ugly is that? And how is it that they do this? Liars and hypocrites will not face their own sin. Most act like they have no sin.
“If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.”
(1 John 1:10)
I doubt you will hear a liar say;
I hate God
. The truth is, their genuine hatred of their “brothers and sisters” proves otherwise.
“If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”
(1 John 4:20)
Don’t believe every “Christian” you encounter.
Watch and listen to if they fulfill the most significant manifestation of authentic Christianity – forgiving and restoring relationships, instantly! It takes less than 10-seconds. “I was wrong, will you forgive me, and let’s rebuild what the enemy tore down.”
