Slanderers and Liars

(Prov 19:9 NLT) A false witness will not go unpunished, and a liar will be destroyed.
This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Power of Proverbs - the Wisdom of God.” Yesterday Solomon told us that we basically do ourselves a favor when we learn all we can and then retain what we learn. In this verse Solomon goes back to a reoccurring theme of his teachings: telling the truth and avoiding lies, deceit, and slander.

Let me give you just a few of the previous mentions. In chapter two Solomon said this of God: "He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity" (2:7). In chapter eight God said this through Solomon: "For I speak the truth and detest every kind of deception. My advice is wholesome. There is nothing devious or crooked in it. My words are plain to anyone with understanding, clear to those with knowledge" (8:7-9); and "I walk in ways that are honest. I take paths that are right. I leave riches to those who love me. I give them more than they have room for" (8:20,21).

It's not hard to figure out the fact that our heavenly Father is completely honest and that He expects us, as His children, to be the same. Furthermore, honesty and truthfulness directly contrast satan's characteristics. Not only is the devil a liar, but he is the father of lies; lying is his native tongue (see John 8:42-44). You don’t want to be associated with satan and his ways.
In this verse and in 19:5 Solomon lists bearing false witness and lying separately. To explain why I will quote something I said previously in this series: “You, like God, are a tri-partite being; meaning that there are three parts of you. You are a spirit, you possess a soul, and you live in a body. If your spirit desires one thing, but your soul another, and yet your body is pulling you in a third direction, then you are not fully integrated. This inward struggle will eventually lead to a conflict and hence, a violation of your integrity. If you can learn to control your tongue then you will literally learn to control your life, because what comes out of your tongue is an outward representation of what is going on inside of you. Believers who lie are people who are losing the battle on the inside." God is against lying because He wants us to walk in integrity (to be fully integrated). Walking in integrity is a matter of controlling yourself and overcoming the inward struggle. However, bearing false witness is different because it involves someone else. There are three main categories of faults: Iniquity (inward), transgression (outward), and sin (upward).

When you bear false witness – when you intentionally lie about the actions of another – you are committing all three at the same time. You are sinning (upward) against God, you are committing a transgression (outward) against man, and it is all because of your inward flaws.

It is one thing to lie and violate yourself, but quite another to lie on someone else and attempt to bring them down. Slander is an attempt to defame someone's good name. Jehovah hates this because it shows that you clearly don't value the life of the other person. You are not the creator. You don't know what God wants to do with that person. You don't know their destiny. You don't know the plans that God has for them. When you speak lies against someone you may very well be coming up against God's purpose for their life. When you come up against them, you are coming up against all that God wants to do in and through them.

So what does this mean to you? Simply put, it means that you are called to walk in integrity (which will benefit you) and truth/honesty (which will benefit all those around you). If you don't, this scripture promises that you will pay the price!

Father, I thank You for the reminder this morning. I declare, by faith, that I will use my tongue to build up and never to tear down. I take control of my thought life and I bring all wayward thoughts into subjection. I force my entire being – spirit, soul, and body – to align with what You desire to accomplish in my life. In so doing I make myself a person of integrity. Furthermore, I refuse to violate others. I will not "put my mouth" on anyone. I will use my words to bless and not to curse. I am not the Creator, You are. I don't know what You want to do in their lives, You do. Therefore, I will be careful to not negatively interfere with Your plans and purposes for others! I speak the truth in love every day and in every way! In Jesus' name. Amen!