[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Thou shalt nor bear false witness against thy neighbour. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]TWO OUT OF THE Ten Commandments deal with sins that find expression by the tongue-the third commandment, which forbids taking God's name in vain, and this ninth commandment, which forbids false witness against our neighbor. This twofold prohibition ought to impress us as a solemn warning, especially as we find that the pages of Scripture are full of condemnation of sins of the tongue. The Psalms, Proverbs, and the epistle of James deal largely with the subject.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]TRUTH NECESSARY
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another" (Eph 4:25).
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]PERJURY [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The bearing of false witness is forbidden, but this must not be limited merely to testimony given in the law court or under oath.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]LYING
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We have got nowadays so that we divide lies into white lies and black lies, society lies, business lies, etc. The Word of God knows no such letting-down of the standard. A lie is a lie, no matter what are the circumstances under which it is uttered, or by whom.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]SLANDER
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]You don't like to have anyone bear false witness against you, or help to ruin your character or reputation; then why should you do it to others?
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A TEST OF TRUE RELIGION
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain" (Ja 1: 26). "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and be able also to bridle the whole body" (Ja 3:2). Just as a doctor looks at the tongue and can tell the condition of the bodily health, so a man's words are an index of what is within. Truth will spring from a good heart: falsehood and deceit from a corrupt heart. When Ananias kept back part of the price of the land, Peter asked him, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost" (Ac 5:3)? Satan is the father of lies and the promoter of lies.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]WORDS NEVER CALLED BACK
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The most dangerous thing about it is that a word once uttered can never be obliterated. Someone has said that lying is a worse crime than counterfeiting. There is some hope of following up bad coins until they are all recovered; but an evil word can never be overtaken. The mind of the hearer or reader has been poisoned, and human devices cannot reach in and cleanse it. Lies can never be called back.
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]THE FATE OF THE LIAR AND SLANDERER
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]These sins are devilish, and the Bible is severe in its denunciations of them. It contains many solemn warnings. "Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD Will abhor the bloody and deceitful man" (Ps 5:6). The mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off" (Ps 101:5); "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are His delight" (Pr 12:22); "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mt 12:37); "All liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Rev 21:8). "Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" shall in no wise enter into the new Jerusalem (Rev 22:15)[/FONT]
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[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]TWO OUT OF THE Ten Commandments deal with sins that find expression by the tongue-the third commandment, which forbids taking God's name in vain, and this ninth commandment, which forbids false witness against our neighbor. This twofold prohibition ought to impress us as a solemn warning, especially as we find that the pages of Scripture are full of condemnation of sins of the tongue. The Psalms, Proverbs, and the epistle of James deal largely with the subject.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]TRUTH NECESSARY
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another" (Eph 4:25).
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]PERJURY [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The bearing of false witness is forbidden, but this must not be limited merely to testimony given in the law court or under oath.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]LYING
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]We have got nowadays so that we divide lies into white lies and black lies, society lies, business lies, etc. The Word of God knows no such letting-down of the standard. A lie is a lie, no matter what are the circumstances under which it is uttered, or by whom.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]SLANDER
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]You don't like to have anyone bear false witness against you, or help to ruin your character or reputation; then why should you do it to others?
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]A TEST OF TRUE RELIGION
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain" (Ja 1: 26). "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and be able also to bridle the whole body" (Ja 3:2). Just as a doctor looks at the tongue and can tell the condition of the bodily health, so a man's words are an index of what is within. Truth will spring from a good heart: falsehood and deceit from a corrupt heart. When Ananias kept back part of the price of the land, Peter asked him, "Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost" (Ac 5:3)? Satan is the father of lies and the promoter of lies.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]WORDS NEVER CALLED BACK
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]The most dangerous thing about it is that a word once uttered can never be obliterated. Someone has said that lying is a worse crime than counterfeiting. There is some hope of following up bad coins until they are all recovered; but an evil word can never be overtaken. The mind of the hearer or reader has been poisoned, and human devices cannot reach in and cleanse it. Lies can never be called back.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]THE FATE OF THE LIAR AND SLANDERER
[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]These sins are devilish, and the Bible is severe in its denunciations of them. It contains many solemn warnings. "Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing: the LORD Will abhor the bloody and deceitful man" (Ps 5:6). The mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off" (Ps 101:5); "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are His delight" (Pr 12:22); "By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mt 12:37); "All liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" (Rev 21:8). "Whosoever loveth and maketh a lie" shall in no wise enter into the new Jerusalem (Rev 22:15)[/FONT]
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