1 Peter 3:10 (KJV)
10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:
Faith and Religion
What does it mean to tell a lie or to be a liar?
- a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive;an intentional untruth.
- something intended or serving to convey a false impression;imposture.
- an inaccurate or false statement.
- the charge or accusation of lying.
(according to Dictionary.com)
What are the forms of lying?
- Giving false witness or false statements – Giving a false declaration about someone or intentionally giving a wrong impression of some given matter by omission.
- The practice of cheating – Cheating on a test, cheating on your taxes or even cheating someone out of something they have (money or material goods).
- The act of not telling the whole story can sometimes add up to lying – Purposely omitting things in such a manner that it adds up to lying. We are never to protect wickedness or crimes.
- Betrayal of trust is a form of lying – Making promises to someone and not keeping them.
Why should believers not lie?
Lying is wrong and as you know, wrong-doing has its consequences. Believers of Christ must not lie. We are to be honest, dependable and trustworthy.
It is important to remember that all evil comes from lying; from lying to oneself as well as to others. Believers of Christ must make sure that they are not deceiving themselves, and they must not lie to others. If you lie to someone, than you do not respect or love that person. Lying is not reconcilable with love.
As a Believer of Christ, it is important to understand that trustworthiness and being true are very much connected with faith and righteousness. And, we are to first and foremost have love. If we have love for others, then we will not lie and we will know when to keep quite about things.
1 John 4:20
“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
Matthew 22:37
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
Believers of Christ must live as God wants us to live, in all things. Being true to God includes having love towards other people and helping them – yes, good works. Because, if we claim to be a believer, but lack love toward our fellow human beings, then we are a liar.
The Bible shows that believers are to love God and his son Jesus, first and foremost and to be true and faithful towards them. The scriptures also make it very clear that we must love our fellow human beings and be true towards them as well. We, as Believers of Christ, must be interested in other people and their needs, encourage them, support them, guide them and help them.
Readers: Do you have additional comments or thoughts on the subject of lying?
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Take a look at this Video and you will see how Blessed you truly are!
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God Bless You All!
Clipart by BNP Design Studio
Just yesterday I was reading a new post from CC @ I Love To Gossip about her recent ordeal with someone breaking into her house and stealing around $10,000 worth of jewelry, computers and more from her home. This was a terrifying event that happened to her and she felt victimized.
After reading CC’s post, I began to wonder why people would want to steal from someone else; taking items that don’t belong to them or that they didn’t work for. But more importantly, I sought out what God has to say about stealing by reading His Hold Word, the Bible.
Why do people steal?
Well, this is a tough question and one that only the “thief” could answer. There are many different reasons and justifications as to why someone would want to steal from someone else.
- A situation in which a person cannot control or believes they have no other option. Sometimes good people are faced with problems and situations which would cause them to do something that they would never have done before. For instance, say a person lost his job and his only source of income. This person has five children and a spouse to support. This person and his/her family are facing repossession of their home and have no money for food. They may feel they are “between a rock and a hard place” and have no other choice but to steal in order to provide for their family. Does that make it right? No. Does the ends justify the means in this case? To some it may, but according to God, no.
- To provide for a want that they can’t afford for themselves. Sometimes people steal to take things they want that they couldn’t afford to buy themselves. For instance, breaking in a home and stealing electronics, jewelry and other valuables. Not because they “have” to have the item to survive, but just because they want that particular item. This is wrong! No justification for this type of stealing!
- Stealing for the fun of it and for the “rush” it gives someone. Wow, what type of person would steal just for the thrill of stealing and seeing if they can get away with it? There are a lot of people out there (young and old) that are thrill seekers and don’t take the consequences of their actions into consideration. They just seek the thrill and the rush it gives them to break into someone’s home or vehicle, take something that doesn’t belong to them and then flee the scene without getting caught. If they get by with it one time, then they will do it again and again. This is wrong! No justification for this type of stealing!
As you can see, there aren’t any concrete reasons as to why someone would steal from others. It can be due to many factors. Only the thief and God knows why he/she did it. Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about stealing.
Bible Verses on Stealing:
Exodus 20:15
“You shall not steal.” (pretty straight to the point, don’t you think?)
Exodus 22:7
“If a man gives to his neighbor money or goods to keep safe, and it is stolen from the man’s house, then, if the thief is found, he shall pay double.”
Ephesians 4:28
“Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”
Romans 13:9
“For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Now, we know that God forbids us to steal. It is wrong and there will be consequences for our actions if we choose to steal. Can we be forgiven of this sin? YES. All you need to do is repent and ask God’s forgiveness and He shall forgive.
Common Things People Steal:
We often look at those who steal (stealing a car, robbing a bank, or robbing a retail/convenience store) as evil criminals that need to be punished. And, yes they deserve to be punished. However, did you know that even the most honest person could be guilty of stealing and not realize it? Yep, that is right. Most of us probably has stolen something in our life and we may not realize that we have done it or we may have just justified it because it was a “little” thing. Let’s take a look at some common things people steal.
- Paying for 1 newspaper from a vending machine and taking 3 newspapers.
- Taking a robe, towel or any other things from your hotel room while you were on vacation.
- Going to a convenience store and buying a fountain drink, taking a gulp out of the cup and then refilling it with more drink before placing the lid on it and paying for it. I’m guilty of this one – did you ever think of taking a sip of your drink before paying and then refilling as stealing?
- Going to a restaurant and placing individually wrapped condiments (sugar, Splenda, mayo, mustard, etc) in your purse to take with you (and this after you have already eaten in the restaurant).
- Paper or office supplies from work for non-work use.
- Did you ever sneak into the Movie Theater when you were a kid? Or pay for one movie, but kept sitting there through another movie?
I am sure there are many other small items that we are quilty of helping ourselves too, but just not realizing that it is wrong. Just remember ….
If ever in doubt, just put it back!
Readers: Are you guilty of taking that extra Splenda packet, etc? Have you ever really stopped to think about it and consider it stealing? Please share your experiences and/or thoughts on this subject.
1 John 4:7 KJV
” Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.”
Forgiveness is one of the greatest blessings that God has given us and one of the greatest blessings we can give to others. It isn’t always easy to forgive others for the betrayal and abuse that they have toward us, but if we don’t forgive then we can often hurt ourselves worse.
What does forgiveness mean?
- The act of excusing a mistake or offense. As a Christian, we must try to look past the small offenses and not get mad over small annoyances such as: someone honking their car horn at you or someone blocking the aisle in a store.
- The process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, and/or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. We must forgive and not try to seek revenge on others for their mistakes. We are not to take matters into our own hands. However, if we are dealing with illegal or abusive behavior, then you must contact the authorities.
What does the Bible say about forgiveness?
First and foremost, we must forgive others like God Forgives us. We are graciously forgiven for our sins and wrong doings by God, so we must extend the same forgiveness to others or we are considered hypocritical!
Matthew 18: 23-35
24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Colossians 3:1313Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.Matthew 6: 14-16
What does forgiveness not mean?
- Forgiveness does not mean we forget.
- Forgiveness does not mean there are no consequences.
A few tips on forgiving other people:
- Point out the wrong to a person. Sometimes they may not know what they have done to hurt you.
- Admin mistakes that you make and apologize for them.
Readers: What are you thoughts on forgiveness? Do you find it hard to forgive someone when they hurt you? How do you deal with the fact you have been wronged?
Psalms: Ch 23
1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Courtesy of King James Bible Online
