I am astounded daily by all the lies that surround us.  So many people have been convinced that lying is acceptable for one reason or another.  The Jews and the Jesuits, and the Islams and Muslims believe that they are allowed or even commanded to lie to the “infidels”.   Police and others in authority have been trained to lie to the people to get the arrest or conviction that lines their pockets.  Politicians “spin” the truth to present a pretty picture, and convince people something is what it’s not.   But, what does God say about lying?  (From the KJV; bold emphasis is mine.)

John chapter 8 records how Jesus forgave a woman her adultery.  The scribes and Pharisees had set Jesus up to find fault so they could have a reason for killing Him.  Jesus replies to the Pharisees’ accusations with a discussion of the difference between His father (God) and their father.  John 8:38, “I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.”

The scribes and Pharisees claim Abraham for their father.  But Jesus goes on to explain that as they are not doing the will of God, as they are not hearing the words of God, then they are not of God.  And anyone who is not of God, is of the other, the devil.

“Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.“  John 8:44

Jesus called Satan, the devil, a murderer from the beginning.  But in Genesis, in the beginning, Satan didn’t pull a knife on Eve.  He didn’t throw her off a cliff.  He didn’t twist a vine around her neck and strangle her.  He didn’t hit her over the head with a rock.  That would have been too overt.

In the beginning, the devil lied to Eve by adding one word to God’s commandment.  The one little word,  “not”.   In Gen. 2:17 God’s commandment to Adam was clear.  “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. ” 

Satan changed God’s commandment.  Gen. 3:4, “And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:’…. ”  One little word added, and he lied to Eve.  He played on her naivete, on her desires, and on her mind.

Gen. 3:5,  “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.”   Tempting the eyes, tempting the belly, and tempting the mind… mind games.   Manipulation!

Gen. 3:6,  ” And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”  

Eve believed a lie.  She did not test it against God’s word first.  She didn’t wait to ask God directly, when she could have.  She acted on the temptation that was presented by Satan’s lie.   She let someone else convince her to do something she wanted to do.  Rationalization.  Satan poisoned her mind with a lie!

When questioned, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent.  The result was a separation from God (a spiritual death), eviction from the garden, and eventual physical death of the carnal body.  The result of the lie was a murder of the truth, and the murder of the spiritual covenant relation they had with God, and the murder of the body.

Because someone who believes a lie, takes action based upon that mistaken belief, and because the consequences of those actions can, and often do result in death, any one who lies to you doesn’t care whether you live or die.

Thus, our Heavenly Father equates lying with murder.  Everyone who has been told that lying is an effective police tool, or is necessary for the security of the people, or is acceptable behavior to be used against other people, needs to understand that God sees a liar the same as a murderer.  Every politician, every government officer, every bureaucrat, every police officer who lies to you is a murderer in God’s eyes.

Jesus remonstrates with the Pharisees a little longer, and finishes in John 8:58,  “….. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”    He ought to know.  He was there!

John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Gen. 1:26,  “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:…”  Ex. 3:14, ” And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”   I John 1:1-2,  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;  (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

Jesus was with the Father, was of the Father; nothing was created without Him.  He brought us the word of life.  Anyone who says anything contrary to that Word, is not of the Heavenly Father.  If they are not of the Heavenly Father, they are of the devil, who is the father of all lies.  And, as every liar is of their father the devil, they are all murderers in God’s eyes.

Our instruction is to tell the truth.  James 5:12, ” But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”  Say what you mean, mean what you say, and keep your word.

How many lies have been told about the Bible, and about Jesus?  Countless.  We are swimming through them daily.  Check always with God’s word.  Test the things you hear to see if they are true.  Hold fast to that which God has given us.  Do not trust in anyone who says differently.  Anyone who says something contrary to God’s word is lying to you, murdering you, costing you your soul and your hope of eternal life!

Liars and murderers… they are the same.