REALLIFE STUDY GROUP

"The Truth About Lying!"

 

ICEBREAKER: Name one way you can tell when somebody is lying.

 

INTRODUCTION: It's interesting to note that we all hate liars or when people lie to us but we ironically all have lied or not been totally honest at some point in our lives. God is the Spirit of Truth and is actually very serious about how He feels about liars and lying. This lesson explains the dangers of lying. (1) Lying often destroys the reputation of good innocent people. (2) It is almost impossible to tell one lie without being in a position to have to tell another lie. (3) Liars often get so caught up in their own lies they lose the ability to be intellectually honest. In other words, they actually begin to believe their own lies. (4) God requires a strict penalty for liars who do not repent and accept the shed blood of Jesus. (5) Lying often is the beginning of the end of great relationship.

(6) Lying is the product of many other sins as an attempt to cover up wrongdoing.

 

CONFESSION:

I choose to buy the truth and sell it not!

I choose to be a vessel of honor filled only with the truth

I choose to never lie for personal gain

I choose to never lie to manipulate others

I choose to walk away from conversations that are filled with falsehood

I choose to never lie to hurt others or damage their reputation

 

DEFINITION: Lying: Sheqer (Hebrew)

1.   lie, deception, disappointment, falsehood

a.   deception (what deceives or disappoints or betrays one)

b.  deceit, fraud, wrong

                                        i.    fraudulently, wrongfully (as adverb)

c.   falsehood (injurious in testimony)

                                        i.    testify falsehood, false oath, swear falsely

d.  falsity (of false or self-deceived prophets)

e.   lie, falsehood (in general)

                                        i.    false tongue

f.    in vain

 

STATISTICS:  Lying seems to be a way of life for many people. We lie at the drop of a hat. The book “The Day America Told the Truth” says that 91 percent of those surveyed lie routinely about matters they consider trivial, and 36 percent lie about important matters; 86 percent lie regularly to parents, 75 percent to friends, 73 percent to siblings, and 69 percent to spouses.

 

A USA Today poll found that only 56% of Americans teach honesty to their children. And a Louis Harris poll turned up the distressing fact that 65% of high school students would cheat on an important exam. Recently a noted physician appeared on a network news-and-talk show and proclaimed, "Lying is an important part of social life, and children who are unable to do it are children who may have developmental problems."

 

OUTLINE:  According To God’s Word, A Man Is A Liar When….

1.   He loves “lying rather than to speak righteousness” (Psalm 52:3).

2.   He displays a prideful attitude (Psalm 59:12).

3.   He speaks with “A lying tongue against the righteous” (Psalm 109:2).

4.   He hates someone and “pretends” he doesn’t (Proverbs 10:18).

5.   He attains ill-gotten wealth (Proverbs 21:6).

6.   He beguiles others with lying flattery (Proverbs 26:24-28).

7.   He refuses to “hear the law of the Lord” (Isaiah 30:9).

8.   He takes advantage of the poor (Isaiah 32:7).

9.   He apostatizes from the Lord’s teaching (Isaiah 59:12, 13).

10. He “trusts in lying words” (Jeremiah 7:8-10).

11. He speaks lying words and says, “It’s by the Lord’s authority”

(Jeremiah 29:23)

12. He prepares “lying and corrupt words” (Daniel 2:9).

13. He “observes lying vanities” (Jonah 2:8).

14. He makes an “alliance” with Satan (2 Thessalonians 2:8-10; cf.

John 8:44; 1 John 3:8).

15. He “walks” in falsehood (Micah 2:11).

16. He lies to the Holy Spirit and to God (Acts 5:3-4).

17. He lies to another person (Colossians 3:9).

18. He is a hypocrite (1 Timothy 4:2)

19. He lies against God’s Truth (James 3:14).

20. He “walks in darkness” (1 John 1:6).

21. He says, “we have no sin” (1 John 1:8).

 

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8 KJV)

 

LIARS IN THE BIBLE

·        The devil

o   Genesis 3:4

·        Cain

o   Genesis 4:9

·        Sarah

o   Genesis 18:15

·        Jacob

o   Genesis 27:19

·        Joseph's brethren

o   Genesis 37:31,32

·        Gibeonites

o   Joshua 9:9-13

·        Samson

o   Judges 16:10

·        Saul

o   1 Samuel 15:13

·        Michal

o   1 Samuel 19:14

·        David

o   1 Samuel 21:2

·        Prophet of Bethel

o   1 Kings 13:18

·        Gehazi

o   2 Kings 5:22

·        Job's friends

o   Job 13:4

·        Ninevites

o   Nahum 3:1

·        Peter

o   Matthew 26:72

·        Ananias

o   Acts 5:5

 

FACTS ABOUT LYING

1.   God Hates Liars: Proverbs 6:16-19 (In a list of seven things God despises, it is interesting that two of them have to do with lying.)

2.   Lying Hurts Others: Genesis 39:13-20 (When Potipher's wife lied about Joseph, it destroyed his good name. Lying about others hurts them beyond measure. We can guard against theft, but we can't stop people from lying about us.)

3.   Lying Makes Things Worse: 2 Samuel 11:1-27 (David tried to use deceit to cover his sin. First he sought Uriah, then he got Uriah drunk, finally, he had Uriah killed. Every effort to deceive only made the situation worse.)

4.   God Condemns Lying: Acts 5:1-10 (Ananias and Sapphira were not condemned for keeping part of the money. They were condemned for lying. Though their lie was before men, in God's eyes, lying to our fellow man equals lying to God.)

5.   Unrepentant Liars Go To Hell: Revelation 21:8 (If you persist in lying, it can cost you your salvation.)

6.   Being Deceitful Is The Same As Lying: Proverbs 24:28; Proverbs 26:18-19 (In God's eyes, being deceitful is the same as lying. You may say something that is technically true, but in such a way to mislead. That is still a lie.) Genesis 20:1-12 (Abraham tried to deceive Abimelech. He told him Sarah was his sister. This was technically true, she was his half-sister. It was still part of an effort to deceive, therefore, it was dishonest.) Genesis 26:6-7 (Isaac later told the same kind of lie. As far as I can tell, it wasn't a half-truth. Rebekah was not his sister. Isaac copied his father, only his lie was more blatant. Others learn by watching you.)

 

TEXT: 

Ephesians 4:25, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."

 

Colossians 3:9, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;"

 

1 John 4:20, "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?"

 

Revelation 21:8, "…and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone:"

 

STUDY GROUP QUESTIONS:

1.   Tell us one of the most damaging lies that the enemy tries to tell us.

2.   Give one reason why people lie.

3.   How do you buy the truth and sell it not?

4.   How did your parents deal with you if you lied when you were growing up?

5.   Why is lying so dangerous?

6.   Why do people think they can get away with lying?

7.   Name someone in the Bible that lied.

8.   Describe how a lie has affected your life.

 

PRAISE REPORTS & PRAYER REQUESTS:

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                       

                                                                                                       

 

ACTION POINT: This week every morning I will ask the Spirit of Truth to help me to walk honestly before The Lord.