SEP 17

Ephesians 4:20
Memorise Ephesians 4:25
“but let your yea by yea; and your nay, nay…”

The opposite of one who would bear false witness, would be a man of honesty and integrity. Instead of lies, he would speak only the truth. If we truly desire to please God, then we ought to put off our deceitful ways, and seek after righteousness and holiness in our life. Ephesians 4:20-25 gives us certain guidelines as to how we, as Christians who are regenerated, ought to pursue after truth and not falsehoods.

1. First we realize that the absolute truth can only be found in Jesus. Only God and His Word is true, and every man a liar. If we want to be men of truth, then we must be men of Christ. We must actively learn Christ, know of His ways, and understand His will through His Word. In so doing, we are renewing the spirit of our minds, to be guided into truth and not deceitful lusts.
2. Second, we must put off the old man, to distance ourselves from how we once were, to mortify our carnal self which used to be ‘corrupt according to the deceitful lusts’. We have been washed by the blood of Christ, and cannot allow the stains of the sins of our past to continue to dirty us.
3. Third, we must put on the new man. Having been saved, God describes us as His workmanship, created unto good works. We are crafted in the image of God, patterned after His righteousness and His holiness. Thus in all things we only speak truth with our neighbour.
4. Finally, realise that as Christians, we are all one body in Christ, members one of another. It makes no sense if the different parts of our body would lie to each other – the stomach telling the brain it is full when in actual fact you are starving; or the senses deliberately not responding to the heat of a fire when your flesh is burning away. No, in order for the body to function, we must always communicate truthfully one to another. To do so otherwise would be to cause the breakdown of the whole body.

Thus we must sincerely pray and ask the Holy Spirit to renew our minds and help us to put away the old, and put on the new. A good testimony of honesty and sincerity takes years of truthfulness to build up. However, a single lie could destroy our reputation, and undo the good that a million truths would have for us. May we all be careful with what we say!

Thought: “Honesty is the best policy” – simple but true!
Prayer: Lord, may You teach me to guard my tongue, to put away lying and speak only truth with my neighbour.