THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT

Program Air Date - 7-20-08

LESSON TITLE: "THE THINGS WHICH GOD HATES: GOD HATES A LYING TONGUE"

WELCOME

Thank you for joining us this morning for the Living Word Program. A work of our Lord committed to studying His Will and to doing things in His Way. As always, it is our hope and prayer that everything we do together will be edifying to each of us, but ultimately it is our goal to glorify God, the Almighty! Let me encourage each of us to do our part this morning in making this time together profitable in His sight. Now, let's talk to the Father in prayer!

(PRAYER)

Our first hymn of the morning is focused on the wondrous blessing of God. I hope you all will join with the congregation and lift up your voice in praise to God as we sing together, "I Stand Amazed."

(SONG # 1)

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

Sometimes we forget just how blessed we are to be able to have our own copies of God's Word. The whole Bible is such a wonderful gift from God, which provides us with all the knowledge that we need from Him. Even the Old Testament is so profitable for our learning. In fact, it was Paul who said, "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope," Romans 15:4.

One great and encouraging passage which is found in the Old Testament is Psalms 16:11. There David gave us several things to think about, concerning our Wondrous God. In that verse we read, "You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Notice the many areas of instruction covered here in this one short verse.

First, we are reminded that God shows us the way to live in His holy book. How wonderful it is to have a guide that gives us the answers, as to how we should act and what we should say. What greater guide could we have today than that which is from the creator Himself!

The second thing David reminded us of is that God is with us. How exciting it is to know that we are never alone and that God will always be by our side. Furthermore, notice that this presence of God brings us joy. What greater joy can we experience, as followers of God, than to know that God is always there for us - helping us, caring for us, providing for us and protecting us. The final thing mentioned by David is concerning our reward, if we are found faithful. We have been promised that we will live with God forever, because of the hope we have through Christ Jesus. What greater promise could we have than eternal life? Especially, when that eternal life is promised in an eternal paradise!

As you see, truly the things of old are very profitable to those who desire to please God today. We can learn so much from the lives of others who have gone on before. Sometimes the lessons are positive in the fact that we follow the example of those who have been pleasing to God. However, sometimes the examples are negative, in that we can learn not to make the same mistakes that others have made as followers of God in the past. May we all learn to study God's Word more often, so that we can learn the things which He would have us to do.

Today we will be continuing our series on "The Things Which God Hates." Our specific message of the day is entitled; "God Hates A Lying Tongue." So please stay with us this morning, and after our next song together I will return with this study from God's Word. For now, won't you return with the congregation to our songs of praise? Let's all join together in the next song of the day, its name, "Soldiers Of Christ Arise!"

(SONG # 2)

LESSON

By Ray Sullins

Thank you for continuing with us this morning as we go back to God's Word and consider another lesson concerning those things which God hates. We've looked now together at several different ideas in relationship to the verses found in Proverbs chapter 6 which we've used as kind of a springboard to introduce to us the things the scriptures say that God hates or actually are even an abomination to God.

Last week, we began together by looking at the idea of arrogance. The verse actually says, "A proud look." Therefore, we learn that we are to be those who are humble or Christ-like. Humility is certainly a Bible characteristic and a Christ-like characteristic.

And so this morning as we look there at verse 17, the next idea that is spoken of about what God hates is "a lying tongue." As we think about the idea of a lying tongue maybe we certainly misunderstand what exactly the concept of a lie is all about. For often we hear someone say that another person lied or even to accuse us, "Oh, you lied," or "You're lying to me." Well if we think about that, what is really the definition? If we were to go there to the book of Webster or even the American Heritage Dictionary, what we find is that "a lie is an untruth spoken." It is a statement that is untrue and most people stop there. But if we go on in the definition what we learn is that "a lie is an untrue statement spoken with the intent to deceive or to harm." Now that makes quite a big difference doesn't it? Because it means I am saying something to deceive someone or to harm someone. Now there are many then that we can think of in our society who do lie at times to hurt others or to deceive others. And there are those that we have known. But before we forget ourselves, we all have been guilty no doubt of lying from time to time. Maybe it has been as simple as calling in sick to work and really you weren't sick. We've told a lie and said something that wasn't true and we have deceived someone. Maybe we haven't hurt them specifically but we might have hurt them in a round about way.

We want to be careful about our words because what the Proverb writer said there, Solomon, the wisest man that ever lived, is that we have a lying tongue and a lying tongue certainly hated by God, an abomination of God is something that we can have no part in.

So if we were to look at this concept of tongue then, where might we next go? I think James does a good job in showing us the power of the tongue over in the book of James chapter 3. He first warns us there that teachers should be careful because they heap upon themselves greater judgment for when we teach others and they obey or hear us and we speak something that is false, guess what. We will be judged accordingly.

But there he goes on in the next verse, verse 2 of chapter 3, to say this, "We are to be those who stumble sometimes in many things but if we are individuals who can (do what?) bridle the tongue or control the tongue," it says here that "we are able to control our whole body." You see, what is the goal? Controlling the tongue. How do we lie? We lie when we use our tongues to speak an untruth that eventually as we would say would deceive or hurt. So therefore we control our tongues to make sure that they do not do something that they are not supposed to do for God hates lying with tongues. And so therefore as we read in this same text, "A tongue is like a mighty fire. It starts with a spark, but look at the great forest that it can burn. A tongue is like that ship and the small rudder that turns it right or left but yet it moves the whole ship and has great power." You see a tongue is small but powerful. When we use it to lie, we use it against the will of God. So therefore in verses 11-12 we read examples such as: "A spring does not bring forth bitter water and fresh water at the same time, just as the tongue must bring forth righteous things or unrighteous, must bring truthful things or lying things." So what will we use our tongues for? Will we allow ourselves to be hated in our actions by God because we have a lying tongue? Or will we use our tongues for really the intent that God made them?

There's another reason why we may be interested in our discussion this morning because even in the book of Revelation when we start looking at some final things, we find that lying is mentioned amongst many other sins that are condemned by God unto spiritual death. If you were to state some things that are wrong that would send your soul to Hell, what would they be? They would be big sins. We like to classify sins. But what are some of the things that are mentioned there in Revelation 21 and verse 8? He speaks of "the cowardly the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters," and then most of us might stop there, but do you know what he goes on to say? "All liars (will what?) will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone" which is the description of the Hell fire.

If you look also over into chapter 22, it is interesting because it talks about in verse 14 how "blessed those are who keep the commands of God for they will have Heaven."

But then do you know what it says in verse 15? It says, "Those who are outside the city of Heaven are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters," and then do you know what it adds to that? Of all the things that it could have said, it says, "And whoever loves and practices a lie." You see, God hates lying! He will not allow the liar to take part in the wondrous rewards that are spoken of there in the scriptures. The promises today and forever more in eternal life in Heaven or Paradise with our God.

So consider where lying comes from. We can go all the way back to the beginning of the Bible in Genesis 3 in the Garden of Eden and find Satan speaking the first lie. Do you remember there when he told the woman some things that were certainly untrue about the forbidden fruit that they were not to eat of? He lied. He told an untruth in order to deceiver her to eat of it. And what did she do? She ate of it and therefore she sinned.

Now how do we know that Satan is that liar or father of lies? Probably one of the best descriptions is given to us by Jesus in John chapter 8. There in verse 44 hear the words of Christ as He says, "You are of your father, the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it." So who started lying? Well, Satan himself. The wicked one. The evil one. As many of the scriptures that speak about language or the tongue also refer to. And so therefore we cannot partake in lying for now not only do we see that God hates it and it is abominable and we will lose our souls, but now we learn that those who do are of their father, Satan, and are servants of Satan. So I hope we are beginning to see just how serious this matter is.

So rather than lying, what is it that God wants of you and I? He wants us to have a speech that is always trustworthy and truthful, that is always right and never wrong. So therefore, we read examples such as are found in Matthew chapter 5 there in verse 37 the Bible says this, "But let your yes be yes and your no be no for whatever is more than these is from (notice) the evil one." He says, "When you say yes, make sure it is yes; when you say no, make sure it is no for anything more than that is of Satan, the evil one." Why? Because it is a lie and lies are of the father of lies.

We also find a similar idea again if we go all the way back near the end of the New Testament to the book of James again. James chapter 5 and verse 12, notice how he puts this as well. He says, "Above all my brethren, do not swear by Heaven or Earth or with any other oath, but let your (what?) yes be yes and your no be no." He says to make sure when you say what you mean to say that your word is your bond. You don't have to swear by anything. But then notice how he ends that. "Lest you fall into judgment." Now again the idea that we will be judged. John chapter 12 tells us that "by our words we will be (what?) judged, justified or condemned." We'll see that as well in a few verses in just a moment.

Our words must also be those that are for the profit of the hearer. Lying certainly is not for the profit of the one who hears or for others who might be caught up in the lie. Lying is to what? Deceive or to harm. So therefore what is it that Paul spoke to the Ephesians in challenging them to know what it was to use the tongue, not as a lying tongue, but as a proper or righteous tongue.

In chapter 4 and verse 29, the Bible says, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification that it might impart grace to the hearer." What is the purpose of our speech? That we might impart grace, mercy, favor, even favor that is (what?) undeserved. When you think about the grace God gave to us, do we deserve it? Certainly not! We all still sin even those of us who are Christians. We may not want to but we certainly give in from time to time and therefore, we are unacceptable before God except we repent. And so here we see the idea of a grace we extend by our words no matter what. It kind of makes me think of the great Sermon on the Mount there in Matthew chapter 5 when Jesus spoke about loving even our enemies. Do we say bad back to those who say bad against us or do we try to hurt those who hurt us? That's not what the Bible teaches. Do good unto others as you would have them do unto you. That's the challenge of God to us. That's the challenge of the scriptures to make sure that they are not corrupt words, lying tongues, profanities and wicked things out of our mouths, but the things that we say and do again give glory to God.

This same idea is found over in Colossians chapter 4 and in verse 6 he says there, "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt that you may know how to answer each one." He again talks about the same idea of having a speech, words that again are for grace favor of the hearer and as what? Salt. I don't know about you, but I love to use salt on my food, especially now that we've got ripe watermelon and cantaloupe. Salt is great. It is an enhancing flavor on many different types of vegetables, fruits and even meats. So when we read here about that speech being like salt, it is to enhance. It is to bring out. It is to draw out and make better the flavor. So speech is to improve for grace to the hearer, for helping, for edification, for encouragement, for love, for godliness, for righteousness. That is the purpose of our tongue. Will we use it to the glory of God or will we use it in a way that is unacceptable to God?

There are some other verses that we might make a brief reference to that show us that our words should be trustworthy, that we should be able to be counted on no matter what we say that we should be dependable. These are all words that go back to what we say with our mouth for Jesus in the flesh and God have always been described as those who are faithful.

Verse 24 of chapter 5 there in 1 Thessalonians speaks of our God being faithful in His promises. Isn't that wonderful to know that God has said things and that we can trust everything that He has said and that we can be sure that it will take place?

Again in Hebrews chapter 10 and there in verse 23 it says, "Let us hold fast the confession there of our faith without wavering for He who promised is (what?) faithful." He is trustworthy. What He has said is true and right and will be done. God has said it and it is true. That is what we strive for. That people see God in us for they know that we are striving to be like Him in word and deed.

Isn't that what Colossians 3:17 says? "Whatever we do in word or deed do all in the name of (by the authority of) Jesus Christ." Whatever I say, whatever I do, whatever I use this tongue for is to God's glory. It's for His purpose. It's according to His will and if I can learn that then I learn to control my tongue and I learn that to have a tongue that is not despised by God, hated by God or even considered an abomination for it lies or does things that are improper for the Christian tongue. But I have a tongue that is focused again on those things that are pure again, holy, righteous, godly, all those things that exemplify exactly what our God wants of each and every one of us.

I want to end with a verse that is found over in Proverbs 16 and verse 24 because notice what it says here about the words we make with our tongue. The verse says this: "Pleasant words are like a honey comb, sweetness to the soul and health to the bones." Now we learn that good words don't only benefit the hearers, those receivers, but good words build us up. They encourage us for we see the results of good words. We see the results of a proper tongue used as the rudder of the ship, as the bit in the horse's mouth, as the good spring of water used to refresh the one who is thirsty. We have words and a tongue that is profitable in all things that God would say and pleasant, so pleasant as those most precious things of this earth.

Let me encourage you to look at your life, to consider what you have done with your mouth and ask the question: "Am I using my tongue to the glory of God?" May we never have a lying tongue, abominable and hated by God, but maybe use it to the glory of God for our own salvation and the sake of it, but also for the salvation of those who hear that they might hear the precious words of God from our mouths, that they might believe in Him and make that great confession, that they might repent and turn away from sin in order that they might live to Christ changing from sin and that they might be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit washing away those sins, added by God to His church. Will you do what He asked this day and then will you use your tongue to His glory so that you might continue to be found faithful in His sight in order that we might all end up in Heaven together someday in the end?

(SONG # 3 - "The Glory Land Way!")

CLOSING COMMENTS

Again, let me thank you for putting God first and choosing to give this time to Him. It is always a pleasure to have you with us. We invite you to join us every Sunday morning at 7:30, as we commit ourselves to worshiping God in His way!

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May we all strive to be truthful, as God is truthful, for what better way is there to show we are of God than to be trustworthy as God commands?

(Program closing)