At the end of his sermon one Sunday morning, a pastor told his church he would preach on lying the following Sunday. He asked them to read Mark 17 to prepare. The next Sunday, he began by asking who had read Mark 17 that week. Almost every hand went up. The pastor smiled and said, “That’s great, but Mark only has 16 chapters. Now let me preach on the sin of lying.”
Life is full of lies. They show up online, at school, and in what we hear. Sometimes people lie to us, and sometimes we lie to them. Lies are almost everywhere, and there is little to stop people from telling them.
A recent survey found that 60% of people lie in conversation, telling an average of three lies every 10 minutes. Why so many? Because one lie often requires others to support it. This applies to all lies, even “white lies” we consider small and harmless. One writer says, “Those who think it’s okay to tell white lies soon become color-blind.” Abraham Lincoln said, “No one has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.”
Truth should be every believer’s goal. Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). But what is truth? Truth is something that can be proven to be real. Jesus said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). Jesus cannot lie. Living the way He wants us to live is the ultimate truth.
So how does truth set you free? Knowing and telling the truth protects you from believing lies. We learn the truth by checking facts. When something sounds off, you need to verify whether it’s true. It’s easy to believe everything you hear, but you can only know the truth by looking into it yourself.
God’s Word contains truth. When you have a personal relationship with Jesus, the Holy Spirit lives within you. The Spirit promises to “lead you into all truth” (John 16:13). Truth comes from spending enough time with Jesus and His Word to recognize lies when you hear them. The Holy Spirit within you will help you remain truthful when you’re tempted to lie.
Lies always lead to bad outcomes. Truth always sets you free. How will you choose to live today?