To Lie or Not to Lie

In an article about an Associated Press-Ipsos poll, just over half of those who took the survey said lying was never justified, YET in the same exact poll nearly two-thirds said it was OK to lie in particular situations.  One “noted ethicist” even proclaimed that he was a proponent of lying and we have a moral obligation to lie.

The most dumbfounding aspect of this was that most would say that lying was necessary at the most ludicrous of times:  when asked about their age; whether they were very sick; how someone looked in a dress; etc.

Hopefully we can see how ridiculous this is, and these things would not be an issue for us.  But, what about the tougher predicaments? What if we were faced with something of a more dire nature?  Is it OK for us to lie to save someone’s life or in order to spare our own?

This is where some are more likely to go off the rail.  The short answer is no.  We do not have the prerogative to decide when we can lie.  The Bible does not say that it is OK to lie if a situation warrants it in our mind.  To believe that the Great God did not conceive of the dilemmas that we would face when He asked us not to lie is to discount God and to lack faith in Him.

It is a necessity to worship God in truth (John 4:24), and if we lie, it should go without saying that this is not of the truth (1 John 2:21). If we consider ourselves to be followers of what God instructs us in His Word, the Bible, we cannot lie to anyone, at any time, about anything (Colossians 3:9).

If we are of God, then we will keep His Word, the Truth.  If we believe that we have to lie, then we follow the originator of lying, the devil (John 8:44, 47). If we love and believe God and His Word, then we can rest assured that all will work out for good (Romans 8:28).