Matthew 5:33-37

Jesus continues now in the Sermon on the Mount by dealing with this third topic of oath taking. The concept of oath taking for some may seem a bit confusing, but in reality, Jesus was simply addressing the issue of lying versus speaking the truth. Truth must come from a heart of truth, and this is what Jesus wanted for His disciples. A truthful heart is what would enable His followers to experience a righteousness that would exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees. Why do I say this? Because the scribes and Pharisees used the oaths they took as a way to lie to others. They did this while at the same time, in their own minds, justifying themselves before God with their oaths. However, Jesus knew their hearts, that they were far from Him (Mark 7:6).

Therefore, Jesus taught them, “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’  But I say to you, ‘Do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one” (Matt. 5:33-37).

The true intent of this Old Testament command.

The true intent of this command, to not swear falsely, simply meant that you should not lie, and especially not lie while taking an oath in God’s name. This command is found in Leviticus 19:12, where God declared, “You shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord.” Notice that the specific command was to not swear falsely using His name.

To understand more fully why Jesus was addressing this issue of oath taking, you must realize what these religious leaders were doing. The Pharisees taught that there were binding oaths, and there were non-binding oaths. They believed that if you took an oath, and used God’s name in the oath, then that was a binding oath. If you took an oath without using God’s name, then that was not binding. Thus, they used non-binding oaths as a way to lie to people. In other words, it was like making a promise to someone with your fingers crossed behind your back. This was a promise that you never intended to keep. It was just lying to a person. However, Jewish law did not allow for this interpretation, because in Numbers 30:2 it said, “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.” God’s intent with this particular law was to require us to be men and women of our word, and to only speak the truth. Therefore, whenever we make a promise, God expects us to keep our word. To swear falsely, or promise falsely, is a big deal with God who is a God of truth (Ps. 31:5). This is the background on this subject of swearing falsely.

If you think about the Pharisees swearing by heaven, or earth, or by Jerusalem, wouldn’t you immediately think this was a bit strange? Jesus did not want them to have to take any oath at all. He just wanted them to be men of their word. When they said yes, they would do something, He wanted them to do it. If they said no, they would not do something else, He wanted them to keep their word. The reality of this issue was that when someone would say, “I swear by Jerusalem. I swear by the Temple. Or, I swear by the throne of God,” these men were just playing word games with people, with no intention of keeping their promises. Jesus did not want them to swear at all, if they were going to use their oath as a pretext to lie. 

Do not swear at all.

Some look at Christ’s command, “Do not swear at all,” and conclude that Jesus believed you should never take an oath. However, this is a misunderstanding of what He taught. If you look at the context of the entire Bible, you cannot come to that conclusion. But you will hear some Christians declare, “If you go to court and they ask me to raise my right hand to swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I can’t do that as a believer. Yet, this is not what the Scripture is teaching in this passage. Why do I say this? Because Jesus quoted the commandment that specifically declared, “You shall not swear falsely.” That is His point. Don’t bear false witness, and lie. Yes, Jesus taught, “Do not swear at all,” but He meant in the context, not to swear falsely, or in a deceptive way. He simply wanted us to be men and women of our word. So, be careful not to take Christ’s statements out of their context. Therefore, let me show you the context of oath taking in Scripture.

The best proof that God is okay with truthful oath taking, is the fact that God Himself has taken oaths several times in Scripture. Therefore, oath taking itself cannot be an evil thing. In Hebrews 6:16-17 God’s word declares, “For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute.” Note that the Scripture declares in this verse exactly why people would take an oath in the first place. It was to end all dispute and to confirm their words of promise. The apostle goes on to say, “Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath.” Therefore, God swore an oath to Abraham and to his descendants that He would fulfill His promise to them. God wanted to end any dispute or question in Abraham’s mind that He would not keep His Word.

In Hebrews 7:21, God took another oath. Here the apostle is drawing the contrast between human priests and Jesus, who is our great High Priest. It says, “For they,” referring to the human priests, “have become priests without an oath, but He,” referring to Jesus, “with an oath by Him,” referring to the Father, “who said to Him: The Lord has sworn and will not relent you are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Clearly then God has taken two oaths. So, oath taking is not contradictory to Scripture.

In addition, Paul the apostle believed that oath taking was acceptable as long as you were going to tell the truth, and keep your word. He wrote in 2 Corinthians quoting directly from Christ’s words here in Matthew, after he had been accused of not keeping his word to come visit the Corinthian church. Paul said, “Therefore, when I was planning this, did I do it lightly? Or the things I plan, do I plan according to the flesh, that with me there should be Yes, Yes, and No, No? But as God is faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us – by me, Silvanus, and Timothy – was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes. For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. Moreover I call God as witness against my soul, that to spare you I came no more to Corinth” (2 Cor. 1:17-23). Paul explained in this passage why he did not come to them as quickly as they wanted. Note he asserted to the Corinthian’s that he was a man of his word, and that his Yes meant Yes, and his No meant No. This is a direct quote from Jesus in Matthew 5:37. But also, Paul then called upon God as a witness to the truth of his words. This was an oath! Therefore, if oath taking itself was wrong, God would never have taken an oath to Abraham, and neither would Paul have called God to be a witness to his words. In conclusion, Jesus was simply teaching men to tell the truth. Don’t play word games with people in order to lie, or use an oath to get around the truth. What Jesus wants is truth in your inward parts (Ps. 51:6). He wants believers to speak the truth from the heart, because that is the righteousness that will exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees.

How important is speaking the Truth?

Consider for a moment how essential it is for all of us to speak the truth with one another. What would it be like if you could not trust anything that other people said to you? Our society would cease to function. What would it be like if you could not trust your employer to pay you the wage he promised when you were hired? What if he changed your wages whenever he felt like it, or just didn’t pay you at all? Would you be able to pay your bills, or have any confidence that you could ever pay them? What would it be like for your employer, if you didn’t show up for work as you promised on the day you were hired? What if you just showed up for work when you felt like it? Could anyone run a business like that? What if no one ever kept their promise to return a borrowed item? What if you could not trust the list of ingredients on a food container? Or, what if you could not trust the most important thing, someone’s promise to love you and be faithful to you in marriage? Without people telling the truth our society would cease to function, because no one would have any trust that you would keep your word. This is why Jesus commanded in Matthew 5:37, “Let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No.” When you say yes to someone, you must speak the truth and keep your commitment. Your yes should always mean yes. Your no should always mean no. In other words, you must be a man or woman of your word. That is why Jesus taught this truth, because He knew how important truth is to our society as a whole. 

What is a lie?

Have you ever met a person, who when you catch them in a lie they say, “Well I don’t consider that a lie. It’s just a white lie, because it doesn't hurt anyone.” At that moment, I attempt to explain to this person, that even small lies hurt relationships. How would it hurt your relationship? When someone realizes that you are lying to them about little things, they will immediately wonder if you are also lying to them over more important things. When this occurs in a relationship, your trust in their word is destroyed, and your relationship will instantly be damaged.

What is the true definition of a lie? A lie is when you delete certain facts from a story that make you look bad. Also, if you add in facts or information because you are given to exaggeration, that is a lie. When you play word games or twist someone’s words around so you can gain an advantage in the conversation, that is a lie. Remember, word games were what the Pharisees were doing with their oaths. You are also lying when you change the subject when you get caught lying. When you blame-shift, or start charging another, and refuse to acknowledge your own faults, that is lying. When people lie in these, and in many other ways, it is always at the cost of the truth. Could you ever have an enduring relationship, and trust someone that you know continually lies to you? No way! It’s not going to happen. No relationship can endure based on lies, whether it’s a marriage, a friendship, or a business relationship. Lying is no small issue! Truth is fundamental for your relationship with the Lord, your relationship with people, and for our entire society. Every lasting relationship you have is based upon the truth. If you believe what I have just said is true, how then can you become a man or a woman of truth? The Word of God has an answer for you.

How can you become a man or woman of truth?  

Before I explain to you the principles that are found in God’s Word that will help you to become a man or woman of truth, I need to say something that might be hard to handle. I know that some of you reading this have great difficulty telling the truth. You struggle with lying on a daily basis. I have counseled several who have confessed to me, “I am a serial liar. I lie to people every day, and sometimes I don’t even have a reason to lie. I just do it. I have tried to stop lying after I became a Christian, but I am still battling this issue.” I have told people who have confessed this to me a simple truth. I encourage them, “Look, you have acknowledged this problem to me, and that reveals a change in your honesty and humility. This is a great start. You are halfway to a solution.” Why do I say this? The person that will not acknowledge their lying to themselves or others is still lying. This person will not change. Because the honesty and humility to first admit your problem to yourself, and to a counselor, is the best place to start. If you continue to rationalize and excuse your lying there is no possibility of change.

In Titus 2:14, Paul taught that Jesus came and, “Gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people.” You must believe that God meant what He said in this verse. He wants to redeem you from every lawless deed, and lying is just one of those deeds. I am absolutely sure that He can change you and purify your life in any area where you struggle. I say this because I want you to have hope today, that if you ask Him to begin the work, He will! I usually encourage people to stop and consider all the other places in their lives where God has already changed them. Focus your attention on those issues. If He has already changed your speech, so that you don’t use swear words in your conversations anymore, then He can also enable you to speak the truth. I am sure that most of us spoke like sailors before we became Christians. I know my language was filthy, but He has radically changed the way I speak today. So, focus on the powerful changes that He has already accomplished, and you will have faith to believe He can help you to stop lying. 

Now, let me give you some biblical principles that will help you become a man or woman of truth. 

1. Lying is first a heart problem. If you want to stop lying you must first deal with your heart. In Proverbs 12:20 Solomon wrote, “Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil.” Lying is an issue of the heart, this is why you must first begin here. Remember in this sermon, Jesus was after the heart of His disciples. He knew that this was where all change must begin. To the Pharisees, Jesus said that their hearts were far from Him (Mark 7:6). This was why they lived hypocritical lives. This was why He told His disciples that He wanted a righteousness that would exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. This righteousness that Jesus desired will always come from a changed heart. Therefore, if deceit is in the heart of men, then you need to completely surrender your heart to Him. David declared in Psalm 62:8, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Until you have poured out your heart before Him concerning lying, you really don’t want change. In fact, in any area where you struggle, until you take this step of giving your heart, and pouring out yourself to Him in prayer, you really don’t want change in that area of your life. So, begin by giving God your heart, so He can forgive and purify it.

2. As you do pour out your heart to Him, ask Him for a hatred for lying. If you are going to pray about your problem with lying, be specific. Ask Him for the same hatred that He has for lying. Think about this for a moment. Does God hate lying? Yes! Notice in Proverbs 6:16-19, “These six things the Lord hates, yes, seven are an abomination to Him: a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among the brethren.” In these seven things that God hates, two of these behaviors specifically refer to lying. A false witness, and one who has a lying tongue. But note that these behaviors are motivated by, “a heart that devises wicked plans.” So, if you truly want to change, your heart must hate lying. Why must you hate lying? Hating is the opposite of loving. Instead of loving unrighteousness, you need to hate it. David said, “You who love the Lord, hate evil” (Ps. 97:10). Hatred for sin is what motivates real repentance. Until there is a hatred for any sin, you will not turn from areas where you stumble. You must hate lying. If you want that hatred, then ask for it. You have not because you ask not (James 4:2). Please, ask for it right now!

3. Pray for a love for the truth. It is not enough to just hate what is evil; you must also love what is good. This love for truth is what motivates you to continue the process to become free from lying. In Psalm 119:163 David wrote, “I hate and abhor lying, but I love your law.” Notice that David connects these two issues of loving the truth and hating lies. Therefore, to hate lying is only one part of the work that God wants to do within your heart. He also wants to give you a love for the truth, which will always be found as you open up His Word. His Word is essential for the change to occur. God’s Word is where the conviction over your lying will came from, but it is also where you heart will become continually saturated in a love of the truth.

4. You need to plant the Word in your heart. When a person comes to me wanting help with the issue of lying, or any other sinful behavior, one of the first steps I ask them to perform is to look up all of the verses in the Bible that deal with that issue. Why is that important? When the Word is planted in your heart it becomes a powerful aid in bringing the conviction necessary, that results in real repentance and change. So, after you have opened your heart, asked God for a hatred for lying, and a love for the truth, the Word planted in your heart becomes a powerful inward motivator to lasting change.  

Here is how you can do this biblical search on the topic of lying. Go to the concordance or the topical index in the back of your Bible, and look up every single verse of Scripture that deals with lying, a lie, deceit, or dishonesty, and write them out. If you have a Bible computer program, this task is much easier. If you want to download a great free Bible study program, go to www.e-sword.net and check out this resource. Now that you have this list of Scriptures, begin reading over these verses, and allow the conviction of the Holy Spirit to penetrate your heart. For the person who is a serial liar, you may need to read this list of Scriptures every day. Then do another list over the words such as truth, true, honest, and honesty. The most important reason why this action is so important is found in 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Paul wrote, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” The word doctrine means teaching. As you open God’s Word, this is where God will teach you to hate what is evil, and love what is good. The Greek word rendered reproof in this verse, is translated many times in the New Testament as conviction. Paul was explaining that if you want to be a man or a woman of God, the Word of God is essential to accomplishing this result. The Word will teach you, bring conviction in your heart, which results in the correction of your behavior. In addition, every time you yield to this process of teaching, conviction, and correction, you are becoming disciplined to righteousness in your personal life. This is what Paul meant by, “A man of God… thoroughly equipped for every good work.” When you plant the Word in your heart, it will change your heart. This is the difference between behavior modification through self-effort, and biblical change to your heart and life. There are many Christians who just do behavior modification, who simply do the right things around people to please them, but in private they act as they please. This is hypocrisy, and this is who the Pharisees were. But you need conviction that changes your heart, and that changes your life, which disciplines you to true righteousness. That is the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. 

5. Ask God to set a guard over your mouth, so that your lips will not lie. In Psalm 141:3 David said, “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” Let me explain how this works. Probably most of you have experienced this happening to you at one time or another. You are about to say something you know that you should not say about a person or topic of conversation, and you stop short of actually saying it. It may be a lie, or an unkind word toward someone, or it might be gossip. But, just before the words come out of your mouth, there is that little check that you have in your mind. You think to yourself, I should not say that. So, you stop yourself. That is what David was talking about when he prayed for God’s help to guard his lips. This is exactly how God will also help you to guard your lips. What is it that stops you for saying things that you should not say? It is the conviction of the Spirit, and the voice of your conscience (Rom. 2:15; John 8:9). You know in your heart that these words that you are thinking would be wrong. Therefore, ask God for His conviction to guard your heart and lips, so you won’t speak things that you should not. When you ask God to keep watch over your mouth, He will sensitize you to stop this behavior. Try it! It will work!

6. Choose to put off the old you, and to put on the new you by the Spirit. This whole process I have been explaining in this study is what the Bible calls putting off the old man, and putting on the new man in Christ. This entire work of God inside of you, is done by the Holy Spirit of God, as you choose to surrender to His voice. Notice what Paul said in Colossians 3:9-10, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.” Paul was commanding them, “Don’t lie.” The reason you should choose not to lie is because you have put off the old man, or your old sinful nature. You have rejected your sin nature and its control over you. You have said within your heart, “I am not living the way I used to live anymore.” You have said to God, I want to live according to Your Word, and obey Your commands. I want You to create a new man or a new woman inside of me.” This is what Paul meant when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” You are a new creation! There is a new person being formed inside of you; and you now have a choice to continue in sin or turn away from it. The question every believer has, are you going to yield to the old man or the new man? This is why the word become in this verse is in the perfect tense, which refers to becoming as a past completed action with present and continuous results. Every time you yield to the conviction of the Spirit of God, because of the knowledge He has given you through His Word, you will be changed more and more into His image (Col 3:9-10). This is how you will stop lying, or any other ungodly behavior.

The second part of God’s renewing work is found in Titus 3:5. There Paul explained that, “According to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Spirit.” This whole renewing process is encouraged by the Word of God motivating you to surrender to the working of the Holy Spirit. The Word of God gives you the knowledge of what is right, but you also need the power of the Spirit to obey, and do what is right. You need God’s power at work inside of you to help you every step of the way. Paul said that he had the knowledge and will to do what was right, but he questioned where was the power to perform that which was good (Rom. 7:18). He explained in Romans eight that the power of the Spirit of God was his only means of deliverance from the power of his sinful nature. He said that the, “Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2). So, do you see your need for the empowering of the Holy Spirit to enable you to change your sinful behaviors, and to apply the truths that you know, in a practical way? Please, I encourage you to cry out for the power of the Spirit to help you put these truths into practice, and to stop lying! 

7. Acknowledge and confess your lying. This counsel is especially important for those who are habitual liars, but this also applies to you who occasionally lie. One of the most important ways to help you stop lying is to go back to people you have lied to, and acknowledge and confess your lies. Then ask their forgiveness for lying to them. When I tell people to do this, they say to me, “I can’t do that! Why can’t I just ask the Lord to forgive me? I don’t need to tell people that I lied to them. That would be so humbling for me to do that.” This is exactly the point. If you truly want to change, you must humble yourself. The next time you consider lying you won’t do it, because you know God requires you to go and confess it. This will be a powerful motivator to stop lying.

Now, let me show you this concept in both the Old and New Testaments. Confessing specific issues of sin was deemed essential in Leviticus 5:5. God declared, “And it shall be when he is guilty in any of these matters, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing.” Why does God say, “In that thing?” God wants us to be specific about our sin, because that is true humility. In the New Testament, James taught the same truth. He wrote, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Now, Scripture can’t declare this truth any more clearly than that. You must confess your trespasses to one another. Not just to God, but to one another. When you lie or sin against anyone, you need to go to them and get it right, which requires confessing your sin. 

A word of caution on confession.

Let me give you a word of caution with this principle of confession. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. God doesn’t want you confessing to everyone in the church during a prayer meeting about what happened between you and the person you sinned against. This confession is a private matter between you and that individual. When you sin against another person, that fault should only be discussed with that person alone. Jesus made this clear in Matthew 18:15. He said that your discussion should be between “you and him alone.” God doesn’t want you praying out at church, “Oh God, please forgive me for hating, and speaking evil of my friend John.” You should not do this! You need to only confess that gossip to John. When people get mixed up concerning this issue of who and where to confess, they get themselves into big trouble. Remember this fact; confess only to the individual that you have sinned against, not to all your friends, because it is none of their business.

Let me add one more thing on this subject that will specifically help parents. I encourage parents to always help their children with this issue of confession during their discipline. If your child struggles with lying, you need to specifically focus on their confession. This is how to address this issue. When your child comes and he or she asks forgiveness for something they have done, say something like this to them. “Okay, I forgive you, but what am I forgiving you for? What specifically did you do or say that was wrong?” Your child will usually respond with, “Well, I had a bad attitude.” You respond with, “Okay, but what was wrong with your attitude?” If they respond, “Well, I was arrogant and disrespectful to you,” then respond with, what did you do or say that was disrespectful?” They may answer, “I should not have said that you didn’t care, and that I hated you.” Once they have specifically confessed their sin say, “Yes. I forgive you for this.” I explain this method of dialogue, because your children usually want to generally request forgiveness, without specifically acknowledging exactly what they did wrong. If you allow them to be general and not specific, you are missing a very important training tool. I believe all of us should be very specific with God about our sin, because we all like those blanket prayers for forgiveness. “Oh God, please forgive me for all my sins.” But it is more effective for you to be specific about your sin before God. This will help all of us to humbly and specifically acknowledge exactly what we did wrong, which will help us to turn from our sin. There is power in saying the words, “I have hated them, or I don’t want to forgive that person, or I have been so selfish.” When you hear yourself specifically acknowledge what you have done, you are less likely to excuse and rationalize your behavior next time. 

8. Devote specific time in your prayer life to remove lying. Prayer is very important part in gaining victory over lying, but it is also essential for any issue where you struggle. You must invite the Lord to help you change. You need the power of the Holy Spirit to come upon you, because He is the only one who can transform your heart. As the Apostle James declared, “You do not have because you do not ask” (James 4:2). Prayer is a fundamental way that you are going to overcome any sinful behavior in your life. Notice that David prayed in Psalm 119:29, “Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me your law graciously.” This prayer makes it clear that David knew that only with God’s help would he be able to remove lying from his life. The Lord longs for us to come to Him for the help of His Spirit, to free us from the sinful habits that frustrate us. But, how much time in prayer do you focus on this issue of lying? Are you crying out to Him daily? If you want to change, prayer is what you need to do. Let Him hear you today declaring in faith, “Lord, I want you to put a guard in front of my lips. I want you to check my heart before I speak any lies. I want to speak the truth, and only the truth today. God, help me to have a heart of truth.” He will hear your cry for help!

9. Don’t associate with people who lie. If you struggle with lying, do not associate with anyone who also has a problem with lying. Why? Because they will influence you to continue lying. People influence you all the time, and sometimes you don’t even realize it. If you watch someone else lying, and you know that they are “stretching the truth,” it’s very easy for you to do the same thing. By you accepting and condoning their lies, you are compromising in your own heart, which will cause you to also compromise the truth. David again declared in Psalm 40:4, “Blessed is that man who makes the Lord his trust, and does not respect the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.” Don’t respect the proud, or those who lie. When you make friends and associate with people who are known to lie, you are giving respect to them. Rather, associate with those who speak the truth, and their influence will greatly benefit you.

10. Remember the greatest reason not to lie. If you want to be motivated to stop lying, let me give you the ultimate reason to turn away from this sin. What is it? Simply remember, someone who is a habitual liar is not going to heaven. That’s the bottom line. Revelation 21:8 declares, “But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” These are some of the last words of warning you find in the Bible concerning the ultimate fate of those who sin habitually. This verse of Scripture puts lying in the same list as some of the most evil things that take place in our society today. This fact should reveal to you that lying is a major concern to God, and that He counts lying as a very serious sin. In fact, if you think about it, to commit many of these other sins, you must lie to others and to yourself. Therefore, lying is at the heart of all sin. This is why lying is a big deal to God. Truth is fundamental to all change in your life, and your own salvation experience. Without truth, there is no salvation. Truth is associated with, whom? Who is the ultimate truth in this world? Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). The Holy Spirit is also called the Spirit of Truth. If the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, He is going to make you a man or a woman of truth. It will happen! In addition, who is associated with all lies? Who is called the father of lies? Satan is called a liar, and the father of all lies (John 8:44). Your decision then is very clear. Who do you want to be associated with? 

Be assured, Jesus placed truth as fundamental and essential to the Christian life. That is why Jesus addressed this subject with his disciples. He wanted them to be changed in their hearts. He wanted them to behave so differently from the hypocritical Pharisees. He wanted them to be true men of God. That is exactly what God wants to make you; a man or woman of God. But that requires you to be men and women of truth.

If you would like a more in-depth look at overcoming in your struggle with lying, please check out the chapter I wrote on this topic in my book, “Winning Your Personal Battles.” Within these pages, I address 20 different battles that we all are deal with in life, and how to overcome them. Winning Your Personal Battles: Steve Carr, Steve Carr, Steve Carr: 9780970619747: Amazon.com: Books