What Lying Does (Ephesians 4:25, BSB)
Joh 8:44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out his desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
When Paul wrote his letter to the church at Ephesus, that letter was summed up in 6 chapters. The chapter I will be dealing with is chapter 4, which consist of part of that letter; now we call them verses and in chapter 4 there are 32 of them. Those 32 verses (scriptures) are themselves broken down into two sections …
Unity in the Body of Christ
The New Life
Now you may ask; why, if we are going to be studying Ephesians Chapter 4, did I start off with a verse from the Book of John Chapter 8?
Good question.
We are going to be talking a little bit about lies and lying. This verse from John chapter 8 best point out who you represent, as well as who you imitate when you lie.
Let’s just take a second to point out a few things about that verse …
The Devil refuses to uphold the truth
The Devil has no truth in him
When the Devil Lies he is speaking his native language
The Devil is a liar
The Devil is the father of lies
So, why lie?
Bro Carey Scott sent out this message via email on October 12, 2022; called lying. I was inspired and immediately my heart was drawn to type up my own lesson to shadow his. I pray he does not mind me highlighting a small piece of his lesson as I start my own …
Lying is sinful, and we know it. Yet we do it all the time. We must ask ourselves why we sin this way all the time. Perhaps it is because we have become used to it, and perhaps it is because everyone does it. It seems that few preachers have actually preached lessons about lying. And they should, because souls are at stake.
While we read that liars will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8): We find that lying is so easy to do. We lie to hide the truth. We lie to make ourselves look better. Let’s face it, we lie for or without any number of reasons.
Lying for no reason at all; souls are at stake; again, why lie?
Notice, Bro Carey said we, and being in the Body of Christ himself, I can only imagine his lesson was to the Body of Christ.
Paul’s letter to Ephesus was to the Body of Christ as well. If you recall, in the beginning of this lesson, I highlighted that the first section of the chapter we are dealing with is talking about “Unity in the Body of Christ.”
Turn with me if you have your bibles, to Ephesians Chapter 4, verse 1.
Eph 4:1 As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received:
Eph 4:2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Eph 4:3 and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
What do you think lying does to unity of the body of Christ?
Bro Carey’s online sermon pointed some things we all need to think about, because he said we lie …
We lie to ourselves
We lie to others
We even lie to God
It deserves some extra thought because he said we!
I had to think about that for a moment.
I had to examine myself.
I had to take a long look, way down deep inside; I wanted to make sure that was far from the truth.
I wanted to recheck everything I ever said to anyone here since I’ve been here.
We talked a little bit Friday night’s bible class about falling short when it comes to God. But when we fall short in God’s case, and lying to God would be high on the falling short list, we usually repent; we usually repent right away.
When we lie to ourselves, seldomly do we hurt anyone but ourselves, but sometimes we still ask God for help.
But what happens when I lie to others?
Paul was talking about something pretty important right off the bat; “I beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (KJV).
If I’m lying …
I’m not walking worthy
I’m not showing lowliness, or meekness
I’m certainly not endeavoring to keep unity
I’ve thrown out verses 1, 2, and 3; might as well started this chapter at verse 4 …
Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Don’t you have to think after reading that verse; if you’re lying, telling lies, making up tales (as my mother use to say); God is certainly not in you, and you are not in Him.
So, go ahead and throw out verse 6 …
Eph 4:7 Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
Eph 4:9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10 He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things.
Eph 4:11 And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ,
Eph 4:13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.
If we’re lying there is certainly no maturing, there’s no faith, and no knowledge.
We certainly can’t be, shouldn’t be, evangelist, or pastors, or teachers.
Oh, and we’re still captives; even if that part of the verse is not in that context; doesn’t really matter, we’re still captive, or captivated, but whatever it is, it’s still sin.
Yeah, we’ve thrown out a good part of verses 11-13 …
Eph 4:14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming.
Eph 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head.
Eph 4:16 From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.
Verses 14, 15, and 16 mean absolutely nothing …
Eph 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.
Eph 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding and alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardness of their hearts.
Eph 4:19 Having lost all sense of shame, they have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity, with a craving for more.
Because that is exactly what we are doing now, if that is the case, walking the same as those gentiles of that day. So, of course 17, 18, and 19; gone!
Eph 4:20 But this is not the way you came to know Christ.
Eph 4:21 Surely you heard of Him and were taught in Him—in keeping with the truth that is in Jesus—
Eph 4:22 to put off your former way of life, your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
Eph 4:23 to be renewed in the spirit of your minds;
Eph 4:24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
Eph 4:25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
The KJV renders verse 25: Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Whether it is a falsehood or lying, I believe that online sermon was saying the same thing; stop it!
Oh, by the way, verses 20-25, you don’t want to hear them either.
Much like the lesson from Bro Carey, it may seem strange that Paul should seriously exhort Christians to put away “lying,” implying that they were in the habit of indulging in falsehood.
But I want you to think about this:
If someone is known as such, confidence cannot be placed in their statements; and, where there is the slightest temptation to falsehood, they practice it without remorse.
Whereas the Christians of Ephesus had been recently converted, and were, to a great extent, ignorant of the requirements of the gospel, a lot of us have been in the body for some time, therefore should have a conscience to recognize such evil before it becomes a problem.
The effects of former habits abide long, often, after a man is converted. He who has been in the habit of profane swearing, finds it difficult to avoid it; and he who has been all his life practicing deception, will find himself tempted to practice it still.
It was for reasons such as these, probably, that Paul pleaded with the Ephesians to put away “lying,” and to speak the truth only.
Is it still appropriate to remind Christians now? …
If, someone who is in the habit of hiding defects in items they are selling, or saying it is more than it is worth - “put away lying.”
If, someone who instructs a child to say that they are not at home, when they are at home: or that they are sick, when they are not sick - “let them put away lying.”
If, someone in the habit of deceptive narratives; of conveying a false impression by suppressing circumstances that are important to the right understanding what happened - “put away lying.”
If, someone spreading rumors without investigating them, and that circulates them as undoubted truth, though they may seriously affect the character and peace of another - “put away lying.”
If, someone in the habit of making promises only to break them - “let him put away lying.”
The world is full of that kind of lies, and they are not all confined to the people of the world. Nothing is more important in a community than simple “truth” - and yet, it is to be feared that nothing is more habitually disregarded.
No professing Christian can do any good who has not an unimpeachable character for integrity and truth - and yet who can lay his hand on his breast and say before God that he is in all cases a man that speaks the simple and unvarnished truth?
Remember verse 20 and 21:
Eph 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;
Eph 4:21 If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:
After Paul said put away your lying …
Eph 4:26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
Eph 4:27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
How do you keep from giving foothold to the Devil …
Eph 4:28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing good with his own hands, that he may have something to share with the one in need.
Eph 4:29 Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building up the one in need and bringing grace to those who listen.
Evangelist, Pastors (Preachers), and Teachers; plus, the laity; that’s all of us, we, Christians.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Eph 4:31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, outcry and slander, along with every form of malice.
Eph 4:32 Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.
So, 27-32; not going to do you any good.
I must think about what I say, even in jest. Surely, we cannot convince they world of right and wrong by doing wrong. I pray that I am always honest with you, and you with me, and we with them (the world).
So, what does lying do?
Ephesians Chapter 4 …
Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called;
Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Eph 4:7 Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8 This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.”
Eph 4:9 What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:26 “Be angry, yet do not sin.” Do not let the sun set upon your anger,
Lying means you hear only the things you want to hear.
Be an example to a lost and already misguided world. Be truthful so they will know why they need to be in the Body of Christ.
If you’re not member, you too should understand the importance of knowing the truth.
We invite you …
Hear God’s Word, Believe God’s Word, Repent of Your Sins, confess you believe Jesus is the Son of God, and we’ll teach you, baptize you (you’ll be a part of the body) – Acts 2:32-41