The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1938-12-01

COJyI I5IIIGU Dy
Council of Religious Education; used by
permission.
"God is truth. The word truth
describes the very nature of God.
Lying, therefore, reveals a charac-
ter opposite from God. Satan is a
liar. He was liar from the begin
ming and is spiritually the father of
all liars. A lie does not necessarily
have to be an untruth. A statement
of truth may be lie if its purpose
is to deceive. A half truth may be
the worst kind of a lie. Satan's
lies are usually mixed with
truth" Consider modernism,
which has enough truth in it to
make it accepted by thousands of
people, but sufficient error to de-
prive it of any power to save SOULS
q. D. Higley).
l. Forbidden to Lie (Exod. 20:16).
This commandment specifically
forbids perjury, which is one of the
worst forms of lying, because it
may result in the forfeiture of the
very life of a fellow being. 1t is
obvious, however, that it includes
all forms of lying, whether in bust
ness, in social contacts, in the home,
or in the church. We might do well
to consider what the Bible has to say
about whisperers, talebearers, back
biters, and others (see Lev. 1876;
II Cor. 1920. A mans reputation
may be as easily ruined by a whis-
pered lie over the back fence or the
luncheon table as by formal perjury
in the courtroom. ''Thou shalt not
bear false witness" at any time,
anywhere, or in any way.
II. Fountain of Lies (Matt. 1919,
20).
Our constant concern for the body
that it may be healthy, clean, and
well groomed is commemorate up
to the point where it becomes an
attempt to "glorify" the flesh. But
after all, the body is not the most
important thing. The heart is what
makes man (read Matt. 15:7-1D.
But what comes out of mans I'm
regenerate heart? What a horri-
BILE catalogue we read in verse 10!
1t is not what a man eats or what
he wears that makes him, but what
is in his heart. How foolish then to
hope to redeem humanity by i'm
proving housing, having better
schools and bigger Fairgrounds. All
these are desirable, but the one
thing needful is that mans heart be
washed in the blood of the Lord
Jesus Christ, that he be born again.
III. Father of Lies John 8:42-47).
Liars had better consider their
''family tree" and see how they like
their spiritual father. He is lustful,
murderous, and there is no truth
in him ". Az. If you belong to
that family would you not like to
change families and be born into
Gods family.
AS we have already suggested,
the prize lie of Satan is modern
religious liberalism. We quote again
from Mr.. Higley: ''The first lie
was told by Satan and it brought
about the fall of the human race.
The last lie by Satan is being
told even now . in the form of
modernism, that makes the Church
impotent even to save it's own peo-
pie" Let US have no part in putting
forward this falsehood.
Note that in verses 45-47 Jesus
challenges His enemies to convict
Him of sin or of falsehood No one
has ever been able to meet that
challenge. Even those who deny
His Godhood and Saviourhood
speak swelling words of commenda-
ton of His pure life and exalted
moral teaching. If then He told the
truth about other things, surely He
spoke the truth about Himself. The
claims He made for Himself as the
Son of God and the Saviour of the
world are plain and unmistakable.
If we deny them we either make
Jesus a liar, or we lie ourselves,
and it is obvious that the latter is
the case.
Nv. Forsaking of Lies (Eph. 4:25).
Wherefore" refers us back to the
plCSSOAlS vel CS WllGlG We dIG IOlu
how, as Christians, we have put off
the life of the "old man" ". 22)
and put on the "new man.; there
fore we are to live in true holiness.
But evidently the Ephesian Chris
tians still fell into their old heather
habits of lying. Would that the
tendency had died out with the early
Church, but as a matter of fact, it
seems to have become aggravated
as the years have come and gone.
Being in ChriSt-memberS of His
body and thus united to one another
IN Him-should make us scrupulous-
ly truthful toward all men. Let US
which means you and me-scru-
tinize every relationship of life and
be sure that we have not by word,
act, or inference told lies. Think
carefully of your family life, your
church life, your community life
Deal with such practical things as
grocery bills, taxes, tendencies to
gossip. We preachers need to con-
slider our sermons. Are they true to
Gods Word? Are they honestly pre-
pared? Do we stretch" our illus
trations to make them effective?
Surely all of us who bear the name
of Christ must put away every form
of falsehood.