DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HONEST WITH

• “DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HONEST WITH YOU? ” – Many seem to pick & choose when to be honest • “Honesty is a provisional policy. ” – From the book, The Day America Told the Truth • • • 91% lie routinely about matters they consider trivial 36 % lie about important matters. 86% lie to their parents 75% lie to their friends 73% lie to their siblings 69% lie to their spouses – Integrity is desperately needed in our society!

• “DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HONEST WITH YOU? ” – Time Magazine (Oct. 5, 1992) • “The injunction against bearing false witness, branded in stone and brought down by Moses from the mountaintop, has always provoked ambivalent, conflicting emotions. On the one hand, nearly everyone condemns lying. On the other, nearly everyone does it every day. ” – Mark Twain, in “The Decay of the Art of Lying”: • “Lying is universal — we all do it. Therefore the wise thing is for us diligently to train ourselves to lie thoughtfully, judiciously; to lie with a good object and not an evil one; to lie for others’ advantage, and not our own; to lie healingly, charitably, humanely, not cruelly, hurtfully, maliciously; to lie gracefully and graciously, not awkwardly and clumsily; to lie firmly, frankly, squarely, with head erect. ”

• “DO YOU WANT ME TO BE HONEST WITH YOU? ” – Joseph Fletcher in his book, Situation Ethics: • “‘Is adultery wrong? ’ To ask this question is to ask a mare’s nest question. It is a glittering generality, like Oscar Wilde’s mackerel in the moonlight: it glitters but it stinks. One can only respond, ‘I don't know. Maybe. Give me a case. Describe a real situation. ’ Or perhaps somebody will ask if a man should ever lie to his wife, or desert his family, or spy on a business rival’s design or market plans, or fail to report some income item in his tax return. Again, the answer cannot be an answer, it can only be another question. ‘Have you a real question, that is to say, a concrete situation? ’ If it has to do with premarital sex or libel or breach of contract or anything else (you name it), the reply is always the same: ‘You are using words, abstractions. What you are asking is without substance; it has no living reality. There is no way to answer such questions. ’”

• THE HIGH PRICE OF DISHONESTY – ACTS 5: 1 -11 – What Ananias & Sapphira had seen • “All who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. ” – Acts 4: 34 -35 • “Barnabas…having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ” – Acts 4: 36 -37

• THE HIGH PRICE OF DISHONESTY – ACTS 5: 1 -11 – What Ananias & Sapphira did • “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. ” – Acts 5: 1 -2 • Nothing wrong with selling & giving only a portion of money • However, Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing (agreed together, v. 9) in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. ”

• THE HIGH PRICE OF DISHONESTY – ACTS 5: 1 -11 – What Ananias & Sapphira ended up receiving • “Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. ” – Acts 5: 5 • “Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. ” – Acts 5: 10

• WHY DO “PEOPLE” LIE? – CLASS COMMENTS: • • • To receive the praise of men To get out of something To protect themselves To get votes To hide something It’s convenient To get a raise Because people can’t handle the truth To not hurt their feelings

• WHY DO “PEOPLE” LIE? – CLASS COMMENTS: • • To avoid conflict To make themselves look good To cover up something To get a job Liars lie To fit in To receive some kind of gain It’s a habit

• WHY DO “PEOPLE” LIE? – – – To protect themselves To keep from hurting someone’s feelings To get out of trouble and/or avoid punishment To get something they want To be accepted by others Fear the discovery of the truth To gain an advantage (or exalt themselves) To cover up or hide something (like other lies or shame) To make themselves feel good To deliberately hurt someone To evoke sympathy

• COMMON LIES “PEOPLE” TELL (WHEN/WHERE/WHY? ): – CLASS COMMENTS: • • Getting a job Get caught doing something wrong Police Taxes

• WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY – “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. ” – Ex. 20: 16 – “Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue. ” – Psa. 120: 2 – “Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips. ” – Psa. 141: 3 – “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal truthfully are His delight. ” – Prov. 12: 22 – “A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies will not escape. ” – Prov. 19: 5, 9

• WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY – “A lying tongue hates those who are crushed by it, and a flattering mouth works ruin. ” – Prov. 26: 28 – “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 that devises wicked plans, feet that are swift in running to evil, a false witness who speaks lies, and one who sows discord among brethren. ” – Prov. 6: 16 -19

• WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY – “Therefore, putting away lying, Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor. ” – Eph. 4: 25 – “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. ” – Col. 3: 9 -10

• WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY – “Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. ” – Matt. 12: 34 -37

• WHY DOES THIS MATTER? WHY IS LYING SO WRONG? – It is contrary to the nature of God • Hebrews 6: 18; Titus 1: 2 – It is in accordance with the nature of the devil • John 8: 44 – It reveals the heart (heart of deceit) behind the words • Mark 7: 21 -23 – It defiles the whole body of the liar • James 3: 6 – It will send the liar to hell

• WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR HONESTY & INTEGRITY – Learn Bible principles • Memorize verses like Ps. 19: 14, Prov. 23: 23, Mt. 7: 12; 22: 39 – Set the right example before others • Before family members, neighbors, friends, coworkers – Encourage honesty & expect it from others • Keep promises. Don’t ask others to lie for you. Don’t cheat. – Be willing to confront dishonesty in others • Don’t be contentious, but correct mistakes & protect truth. – Make honesty a prayer priority. • Ask God to help you keep your word & keep truth separated in your mind from fiction.

• THE LESSON FOR US TO LEARN – There is an honesty crisis in our society. – We must pledge ourselves to do right, even when all others seem to be compromising their convictions. – Real honesty stays intact in both adversity & prosperity. – We must guard against “selective honesty. ” – Honesty pays dividends now & for eternity.