Brief on lying

Burrard Inlet

Nov 24 1999 

The link presents a Pastor Michael Phillips sermon that I recently listened to.

I provide brief sermon commentary for this website.

James 1:26

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not [a]bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Footnotes: James 1:26 Or control

Baxter on the Tongue #4: Lying

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Baxter begins this chapter with a few words of definition. What is a lie? He says it is two things:

"Lying is the speaking of a known falsehood, with purpose to deceive". This he calls "the grossest" form of lying (or, the most obvious). Kids often do this. "Who made this mess? you want to know. "It wasn't me" they all reply. Kids often do this. But not only kids. Lying is an even bigger problem with adults.

The second kind of lying--Baxter says--is "Speaking falsely through culpable ignorance, error, or inconsiderateness". 'The key word here is "culpable" or blameworthy...'
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In general terms, not exhaustively, summarizing these two points:

1. A known falsehood with the motive of deception.

(I live in the 19th century)

2. A falsehood in error, perhaps in intellectual laziness.

(In court: Yes, your honour, that was the accused, even though I saw him running, from fifty feet away, in the rain, in the dark night.)

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One day I asked him about the Mexican state of Chiapas. He knew all about it, of course, and explained every detail with great confidence. It sounded funny to me, so I looked it up and found--the man was wrong on every point! Was he trying to deceive me? I don't think so. What was he doing? He was posing as an authority on a subject he knew nothing about. Baxter says that too is lying.

Again...

Was he trying to deceive me? I don't think so.

There may be self-deception by the person lying!

I listened to this online sermon three times, and when I heard this example, it strikes me as intellectual laziness. The person telling the story about the Mexican state wants to look informed, perhaps informed to the pastor; but rather than performing the intellectual work to be informed, he presents falsehoods.

There are certainly other aspects which lead to lying in error and ignorance, including pride. A person wants to save face. Stating an untruth as opposed to admitting that one is simply ignorant in regards to an issue.

In my view, sometimes a stated guess is more harmful than useful.

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Rather than splitting hairs half-the-night, let me sum up Baxter's view of lying. In effect, you're lying--he says--whenever you're talking...but not telling the truth. 

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DON'T DO THINGS YOU'LL NEED TO LIE ABOUT LATER

"Unclean bodies need a cover and are most ashamed to be seen. [Shameful things] cause lying and lying leads to more [shameful things]. The best way in the world to avoid lying is to be innocent". This is a good point! What sort of things do we lie about? We lie about things we're ashamed to admit. Don't do those things and the temptation to lie about them will be gone.

Based on a fear of God and also pragmatically, by grace through faith, I  have attempted to live this way. Imperfectly.

A sign of being in Jesus Christ (James 1: 26) is the motive in prayer and life, to have the Holy Spirit sanctify human nature, desires, will, thoughts, speech, acts and actions.

BARCLAY, WILLIAM (1976) The Letters of James and Peter, Philadelphia, The Westminster Press. 

CARSON, T. (1986) ‘James’, in F.F. Bruce (ed.), The International Bible Commentary, Grand Rapids, Zondervan.