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Recap of December 14, 2008:
1. In Genesis 26 Isaac, following the bad example of his father Abraham, lies to Abimilech and the men of Gerar about his wife Rebecca calling her his sister to protect himself.
2. Lying of any magnitude (“little” or “big”) is dangerous because it dulls our senses to what is morally right, and will eventually erode our ability to distinguish the truth from falsehood.
3. The Old Testament condemns bearing false witness in the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20, Deuteronomy 5:20), in the prophets and in the Proverbs.
4. Lying is inconsistent with the nature of God within the Christian, for God’s nature is to be truthful. In fact, He is truth (Titus 1:2).
5. Lying is however consistent with the nature and language of Satan. He is the “father of lies” (John 8:44).
6. By example and by teaching the believer is exhorted to truthfulness in the New Testament (Acts 5, Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9). Lying is part of our old nature, the sin nature, which we are to be putting away by yielding to the Spirit of God and the Word of God as we are being remade in the character of Jesus Christ.
