However, there can be circumstances where to leave out, or fail to mention, some fact would amount to misleading someone and in a dishonest way. That can apply even where there is no Court involved and nobody is giving evidence. Our conscience has to guide …
Read More“The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
The above phrase comes from the wording of the oath which is used in Courts and Tribunals every day. But what does it mean? It is actually a carefully constructed phrase which forbids any kind of deception when a person gives evidence. It means that …
Read MoreLying is habit-forming and addictive. You can’t just lie occasionally.
Lying is addictive. If you continue lying then it will become a settled habit. You can’t set a limit on how often you’ll lie, or on what level of seriousness of lies you are willing to tell. If you are prepared to lie at all, …
Read MoreLies are natural to the Devil and to demons. They lie all the time
Lying comes naturally to us. It flows out of our sinful flesh nature. It also comes naturally to Satan and to his demons. They are compulsive liars and lie continuously. Even if a demon says something which contains some true facts, there will always be …
Read MoreIt is more important to have a good name than to be successful or rich
It is more important to preserve our good name and reputation than to be rich or successful. However, how many of us actually believe that? It cannot be very many, or we would not behave as we do. Yet the Bible says that it is …
Read MoreTruthfulness will inevitably make you unpopular with some people
Refusing to tell lies can make you very unpopular. I vividly remember my first day on patrol as a police constable in November 1983. I was put with my designated ‘tutor constable’, whose task was to teach me the practicalities of how to do the …
Read MoreBeing truthful means swimming against the tide and refusing to compromise
If you seriously set out to become totally honest from now on then it will frequently mean swimming against the tide. You will stand out from the crowd and your honesty will not be liked or appreciated by everybody. That is putting it mildly. Many …
Read MoreThen turn that decision to be truthful into an ingrained habit, so it becomes instinctive, without needing to think
Having made a genuine decision to eliminate all lying, no matter how small or seemingly justified it may be, you then have to take steps to turn that decision into an ingrained habit. That means sticking at it for a long enough period of time …
Read MoreHow we can develop ‘the love of the truth’ and the character quality , and habit, of truthfulness?
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,to all who call upon him in truth. Psalm 145:18 (RSV) Keep your tongue from eviland your lips from speaking deceit. Psalm 34:13 (ESV) Take heed lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and …
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