HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 341
page A339
Can I lie without using words?
• PR O VE R B S 1 0 :1 8 | Hiding hatred makes you a liar; slandering others makes you a fool.
• 1 J O H N 1 :1 0 | If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that
his word has no place in our hearts.
You lie whenever you deceive God, others, and even yourself. Deception needs no words
to do its job. Deception is designed to look like something it is not—and that is lying.
Does it really taint my character if I occasionally stretch the truth?
• PSA L M 3 4 :1 2 -1 3 | Does anyone want to live a life that is long and prosperous? Then keep
your tongue from speaking evil and your lips from telling lies!
• PSA L M 1 2 :2 , 4 | Neighbors lie to each other, speaking with flattering lips and deceitful
hearts. . . . They say, “We will lie to our hearts’ content. Our lips are our own—who can
stop us?”
PROMISES FROM GOD
• PR O VE R B S 1 2 :1 9 | Truthful words stand the test of time, but lies are soon exposed.
• 1 PE T E R 3 :1 0 | “If you want to enjoy life and see many happy days, keep your tongue from
speaking evil and your lips from telling lies.”
• 2 T I MOT H Y 3 :1 6 | All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true.
Unfaithfulness See Betrayal; Sexuality; Sin
Unity & Teamwork See also Church; Communication; Peace; Serving
An orchestra can be transformed from cacophony to symphony by following the composer’s score and the conductor’s baton. In the same manner, when believers individually
follow God’s plan for their life and allow the Holy Spirit to lead them, great diversity within
the church can be dynamically unified in service to God. The Bible extols unity as one of
the highest goals of Christian relationships—whether in marriage, families, communities,
work, or church. God desires his people to live and work together in harmony because
then his people are at peace and great things can be accomplished.
Teamwork is a popular buzzword in business circles and is an important part of unity.
Working together, executives and managers can accomplish great things that could
not be accomplished if everyone pulled in different directions. This kind of cooperation
is essential in most sports as well. Coaches don’t emphasize rugged individualism;
they focus on teamwork—the ability to cooperate to achieve a common goal, to work
together for better advantage. Relationships also require unity and teamwork. Marriage
requires cooperation of husband and wife; family life requires cooperation of parent and
child, church life requires cooperation among the congregation. In fact, almost every
HelpFinder
We are often tempted to believe that little lies are relatively harmless and even useful
at times for getting us out of a tight spot. Initially, they actually seem to cover up our
minor character flaws. But God says that any kind of deception is not honest. If you’re
not honest with yourself, you deceive yourself into thinking the world revolves around
you. If you’re not honest with others, you destroy the bond of trust that is essential for
any relationship to be authentic. Any kind of dishonesty originates from the heart and
is eventually expressed in our speech. Our mouth can be our greatest enemy because
once words are spoken you can never take them back. If you are telling little lies, work on
changing your heart. And in the meantime, keep your mouth shut when you are tempted to
say something that just isn’t true.
U
• J A ME S 3 :5 -6 | In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.
But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And among all the parts of the body, the
tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body.
It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself.