Financial Discipleship - the Bible on HonestyНамуна

“ And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:32

If the truth will make you free, then what will a lie do to you?

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). And there’s only one way to the Father: through Him.

Jesus made it very clear that the truth saves us (John 8:12). His word was what gave us access to His Father (John 8:31). And now that we are here to do His work by bringing others into the Kingdom, that means our word is also the introduction to someone else’s salvation. Lies and deceit not only harm us, but they harm them too.

God is not One that He should lie (Numbers 23:19). And we were created in His image. So, we should not lie (Deuteronomy 5:19). Even when it’s hard. Even when it’s painful. Even when it’s ugly.

Think about a time someone you know was living a lie. You may have given them an opportunity to tell the truth, but they chose to avoid it. They act differently. They flee and hide, and you can’t seem to get in touch with them like you used to. Their life may have taken a turn for the worse. It starts to unravel, and from the outside looking in, it’s disheveled. They’ve now even had to tell more lies to cover up the ones they told in the beginning. At this point, the lie has consumed them.

Maybe you’ve lived this way, too.

But how many times have you seen that telling the truth lifts the burden off your shoulders or the other person’s?

Yes, there may be repercussions for confessing a lie. But what are the repercussions for not confessing it? (Proverbs 6:12, 15; 19:9)

Lying is one of the seven sins the Lord especially hates (Proverbs 6:16-19). Even in the lie of omission, we must be careful. It’s a form of deceit, which, too, is a lie (Leviticus 19:11).

A lie is never worth it. The lies we tell affect more than our own lives. They also affect our families (Proverbs 15:27; Micah 2:1-3). If you get rich from a business scheme, no matter how good life may feel or how long, the day of reckoning will come. And the money will dwindle (Proverbs 13:11). At that point, it has affected your livelihood and the livelihood of those around you.

Living in the Kingdom requires being honest in every aspect of our lives. Our mission is to breathe life into others and love one another as He loved us. If we’re not completing this mission, no one else can witness our Father and Son's love for us all.

Whom the Son sets free is free, indeed (John 8:36). So, let’s be honest with each other. Let us speak and seek the truth. Because the truth shall set us free.

(excerpt taken from The Bible on Money, Compass-finances God's way, 2022)