Truth has become negotiable. National leaders have tried to couch “the truth” with a statement like: It depends on what you mean by the word ‘is.’ Why has something so basic and crucial for healthy relationships become something so negotiable and undependable?! The believer must value the truth!
Famous American Fibs
The check is in the mail.
I'll start my diet tomorrow.
Money cheerfully refunded.
One size fits all.
Your luggage isn't lost, it's only misplaced.
Leave your resume and we'll keep it on file.
I just need five minutes of your time.
This will hurt only a little bit.
(Source: Bits & Pieces, December 9, 1993, pp. 12-13)
Do we value truth?
An odd instruction is given by the apostle Paul to the church of Ephesus: stop lying! You would think that would be obvious, right? Paul is exhorting Christians to walk away from lying. Two things concerning contextual background need to be mentioned to help understand this passage. FIRST, Paul is echoing the words of Zechariah 8:16, “Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace.” The Jews of Paul’s day would have recognized this as covenant language that emphasizes God’s people living in faithful community. SECOND, in Roman culture, telling the truth would have been selective and dependent on one’s people group. Paul offers the radical idea of telling the truth not just to your immediate group, but to all believers.
Some may say or think, “I tell the truth! I’m not a liar!” That definitely is what we should be doing, but before we rush to answer with the assumed correct answer, consider these areas we sometimes overlook:
CHOOSING SILENCE - the car is broken but you sell it as though it is in good condition.
CHOOSING LIES - telling someone to say you are not home to a phone caller when you are home.
EXAGGERATING FOR APPEARANCE'S SAKE - you left late for a meeting, but you blame the train for making you late.
EMBRACING HEARSAY - declaring rumors as truth, making no effort to verify their legitimacy.
BREAKING A PROMISE - promises easily made are easily broken.
What else does the Bible say about lying?
Here are few examples:
Not lying is one of the 10 commandments (Ex. 20:16)
Lying is an abomination to the Lord
“Lying lips [are] abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly [are] his delight.” (Prov. 12:22)
Lying is hated by God (Proverbs 6:16-19)
“These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,”
The Significance of Truth (4:25)
Back in 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded just 73 seconds after liftoff, killing all seven astronauts on board. Investigations later revealed that some engineers had warned about a faulty O-ring that could fail in cold weather. But their warnings were softened, minimized, or ignored under pressure to launch. The truth was not fully told, and the consequences were tragic.
When the truth is withheld or distorted, it impacts everyone connected to us! The church, and even society, breaks down when truth is absent. The stewardship of truth in our relationships is interconnected to the very foundation of everything we hold dear. Look at how Paul unfolds this teaching in Ephesians 4:20-25 to show the powerful significance of truth.
Remember Your Identity: The life of a liar is not who you are (4:20, 24). This is more than moral advice. This is the mark of the “new man” created in Christ.
Remember Your Teacher: You are taught by Jesus…and He is the truth (4:21)
Remember Your Choice: You made a choice when choosing Jesus (4:22)
Remember Your Change of Heart: A change of action requires a change of mind (4:23)
Remember Your Target: speak truth in love (4:15)
The Continuation of this Charge (4:25). The verbiage of this command uses a tense that has a starting point that follows with an ongoing action. This also means that this command will require a regular examination of our own motives and our heart meditations to remain honest with ourselves and with others. It is also important to note that this letter to Ephesus ends with instructions regarding spiritual warfare. In that section of scripture (6:10-18), Paul admonishes the church to stand against the devil (the father of lies, Jn. 8:44). This call for truth is a stance against the devil’s influence!
The conclusion of this charge is to value truth! A few years ago, a company recalled thousands of cars because of a faulty speedometer. The gauge looked fine, but it wasn’t telling drivers the truth. Imagine going 80 miles an hour when your dashboard says 55 mph! Sooner or later, disaster is unavoidable. A speedometer’s job is simple: tell the truth, even when the truth is uncomfortable.
This is what truth does for us all! Truth is not always easy to hear or convenient to express. But when truth is absent, our lives will swiftly go off course. Jesus and His word are truth…and it is truth that holds the body of Christ together.
So, when we value truth, we will:
Speak the truth with our neighbors (no exclusions).
Speak the truth having a consistent diet of the Word of God. This is important because the Bible is truth, so to know the Bible is to know the truth! (Jn. 17:17)
Speak the truth to strive together for unity. Paul uses the phase “we are members one of another.” Meaning, a body cannot function if one part lies to another. So, the church cannot function if dishonesty exists among the believers. Paul is saying that this integrity is crucial for unity!
(go back to 4:1-6, esp. verse 3)
Winston Churchill said, “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” That may be a common response to truth, but it places those who respond this way on the road to tragedy and destruction. There is no way to love and follow God without loving and following truth. The two cannot be separated.
Church, we will steward our relationships well when we choose to value truth!