From “Growing in the character of a disciple”: Chapter 10 – How we can develop ‘the love of the truth’ and the character quality , and habit, of truthfulness?
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 to enable you to adjust. It also means praying for God to give you the love of the truth. As soon as you make that your aim, you will find that you have to make a stand on all sorts of small issues, day after day.
Eventually, the habit of truthfulness will be solidly formed in you. It then becomes automatic and instinctive for you to come out with the truth when under sudden pressure, rather than tell a lie. Your reflexes will be changed, so that truth becomes your default-setting. All of that is possible, if you really want it. Any Christian can become totally honest if they truly want to be. The sad reality though, is that very few people do want to be. Few even consider this issue at all, let alone resolve to change their ways.
Succeeding in the future at the Day of Judgment matters much more than succeeding today.
Every lie will have to be accounted for, whichever judgment we go to. That is the one day of your life that matters more than any other. How a Christian is assessed at the Judgment Seat of Christ is the ultimate priority, after salvation itself. That assessment and its consequences are eternal. What could possibly be above that? Therefore resolve never to allow the habit of dishonesty to tarnish the assessment that Jesus makes of your life. (See Book Four in this series which deals with the Judgment Seat of Christ)
