Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.
Colossians 3:9,10
I find it interesting that Paul found it necessary to tell the Christians at Colossae not to lie to each other. Was it a problem or was he drawing attention to the fact that there was deceitful teaching among them? Either way, he wanted them to ground themselves in the truth of God’s word and portray that truth through their speech.
It is actually quite frightening how easily lying comes to us and how early in our life it begins. When we are young, lying usually happens due to fear of punishment from a parent or teacher. Why though do we lie as adults? Some will say that on occasion it is better to make someone happy with a lie than to hurt them with the truth. Other lies are told to avoid disappointing someone or even to avoid embarrassing ourselves. While some lies are for the protection of another person, most are told for self-preservation.
Lies do not solely reside in verbal form but can often be delivered via our actions. The law of God, given through Moses, states: “You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another” (Lev19:11). We need to ensure that what we say and what we do is done in a truthful manner because unfortunately, one seemingly small lie has the potential to grow into a web of deceit.
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbour, for we are members one of another” (Eph4:25).
We have been made new, which means putting on new practices. For us to be renewed in knowledge includes knowing the importance of honesty and dealing truthfully with one another.
Narrow Path Ministries 