Absolutely, Entirely, Truthful

Exodus 10:16 reminds us,  “Do not give false testimony against your neighbor.” God is vehemently opposed to bearing false witness for many reasons. 1) Bearing false witness is an inaccurate reflection of God’s character. The Lord is a truthful God who does not and cannot lie. 2) Bearing false witness against another is harmful to our own character. You become the victim of the lies you tell or the false truth you share, and your credibility and reputation suffer. 3) Bearing false witness undermines society as a whole and the community in which we live.

Bearing false witness remains a criminal offense today. When someone testifies in court and willfully tells an untruth it is called PERJURY which comes from the Latin prefix “per” (meaning harmfully) and “jurare” meaning to confess, swear or declare. Witnesses who perjure themselves do harm to the truth. To lie, gossip or backbite destroys how a person is viewed in the eyes of others. To resort to flattery of another to better ourselves is to speak falsely. Every false witness against another person is a violation against God, because that person bears the image of the God of truth. To teach or advocate mistruths about God’s character is to bear false witness. To distort the meaning of God’s Word by using it incorrectly is to bear false witness. To believe lies and pass them along – even with good intentions – is to bear false witness.