International Gospel Hour

Guy Hester: Lie not to one another. You know, that command was written to Christians. And if Christians need reminded, so does everyone. Our discussion about lying is just ahead from the International Gospel Hour.

J. Webb: Hi, this is J. Webb for International Gospel Hour. Welcome to our broadcast today. For over 90 years, Churches of Christ have proclaimed God's word through our broadcasts. Just ahead is another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archey of International Gospel Hour. Let's begin.

Jeff Archey: Well, thank you to our J. Webb and greetings to all of you. As we begin our broadcast today, a quick reminder that everything that we offer from International Gospel Hour is absolutely free. And from time to time, we'd like to share with you a bonus offer, if you will.

My friend and brother in Christ, Dave Miller, penned a wonderful book called Why People Suffer. We would love to send you this book absolutely free. Maybe you are being challenged with a number of things of suffering and pain in your life. We hope this free book will help you.

All you have to do is call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name and address and just say "suffer." That's all you have to do. You can also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and leave us the same information: your name, address, and type "suffer" in the message box.

In just a little bit, we're going to offer our free Bible study course by mail. And if you would like to have that course as well, just say "home study" when you also leave the word "suffer," and we can make certain that you get both of those, and you only need to make one phone call.

Guy Hester: Faithful Christians look with horror on some sins like fornication or drunkenness, but somehow, they seem to overlook the sin of lying. The apostle Paul wrote concerning lying when he said, "Lie not one to another" (Colossians 3:9), and to the Ephesians in Ephesians 4:25, "Wherefore putting away lying."

Note, these are not mere suggestions but are commands. Now, what is a lie? Well, it's any deception or misrepresentation, and there is no such thing as a little white lie. A lie is a lie is a lie. From Proverbs 6:17, we know that one of the things God hates is a lying tongue.

There are four prohibitions that I have heard to do with lying that are worthy of our serious consideration. Let's consider our first one: do not make a lie. The devil told the first lie, and when we lie, we are following in his footsteps as he is the father of lies (John 8:44).

And people often tell lies on others because of envy. Well, love does not envy (1 Corinthians 13:4), and we are to love our neighbor. In Matthew 19, beginning with verse 16, one came to Jesus and said, "Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"

So, Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself."

And we note from Romans 13:10 that love works no evil to his neighbor. So friends, first of all, first and foremost, do not make a lie. Number two: do not take a lie. We indeed need to take heed to what we hear. Those are the simple words of Jesus in Mark 4:24.

When he said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you, and to you who hear, more will be given." We have the privilege and responsibility to investigate what we hear. Matthew 18:16 speaks of taking with you one or two witnesses when you have a disagreement with someone.

How several times the Bible speaks of witnesses or bringing those in the plurality or the plural. The mouth of two witnesses back in the old law in Deuteronomy 19:15. In 2 Corinthians 13:1, Paul states in the mouth of two or three witnesses. Paul says two witnesses are needed before receiving an accusation against an elder (1 Timothy 5:19), a leader within the church.

Jeff Archey: And when you look within that context, also to those who are older, we understand that we need not take a lie, that we must affirm the things that are there.

Many times within social media, we see a statement or a comment that is made. Do we truly follow up on it to see if it is true? We could read about a coach, for example. I think about in professional football how they are looking at this coach or that coach, and you see something posted that this coach will be hired.

Then you follow up on that team's page, and you find their reporter is not affirming as much. And he simply says, "Until I hear from it through the proper channels, I'm not going to affirm something that may be a rumor." He did his follow-up work.

Guy Hester: Folks, do not make a lie. Number two, do not take a lie. Number three: do not repeat a lie. We must not repeat something that we do not know is true because we will stand before the Lord and give account for our words as well as our actions.

In Matthew 12:36 and 37: "But I say to you that for every idle word that men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Now folks, let's review what we've covered so far about lying.

Do not make a lie. Do not take a lie. Do not repeat a lie. And number four: do not love a lie. When we love lies, we are of the devil. But when we love truth, we are of the Lord. For Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life."

And God's truth is linked with freedom from sin and salvation. For the words of our Lord in John 8:32 reminds us how the truth will make one free. And how the apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:22 told those Christians that they had purified their souls in obeying the truth.

What will be the final end of liars? This is told in no uncertain terms from Revelation 21:8: "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Take note of whom or with whom liars are classified. We note again in Revelation 22:15 with the sexually immoral, the murderers, and the idolaters. May we be people of whom it can be said, "His word or her word is his or her bond." Lie not one to another.

Jeff Archey: Friends, these are matters of which we study within the scripture, and we encourage good scripture, good Bible study in between our broadcast here from International Gospel Hour. Now, I mentioned moments ago about the free book today, Why People Suffer by Dave Miller.

And you can call us and let us know you want that book and just be sure you say the word "suffer," and we know the book that you mean. But you may want to also request our free Bible study course by mail. Now friends, you can't top that. I mean, to receive things that are absolutely free, a book of which you can study that will be of help to you in your suffering or maybe to help others.

And also a free Bible course that you can study to open the Bible in the quiet and the privacy of your home, to study and to seek those things. There were those in Berea in Acts 17:10 and 11 who were more noble than those in Thessalonica, more fair-minded in that they received the word with readiness of mind, just as you are doing today. But here's what else they did: they searched the scriptures whether those things were so.

And we'd like to encourage you to search the scriptures of the things of which we have discussed today or from any broadcast here from the International Gospel Hour. I'm going to defer to our J. Webb who will tell you how you can receive your free Bible study course by mail.

J. Webb: Our long-time free Bible study course by mail is always available. Have you tried it yet? Just call us toll-free at 855-444-6988 and leave your name, address, and just say "home study." That's it. You may also go to our website at internationalgospelhour.com, click on the contact tab and leave us the same information: name, address, and type "home study" in the message box. Study the Bible at your own pace. Again, it's free from your friends here at International Gospel Hour.

Jeff Archey: Friends, as a reminder, with one phone call or your contact wherever you send us the information how you make us aware of your name and address, let us know that you'd like the book by Dave Miller, Why People Suffer, and of course the free Bible study course by mail. You can do that in one call or one message. Just say "suffer" and "home study" and we know exactly what you mean and we'll get those to you as soon as possible.

Today has been one of our "Turn Back the Clock" broadcasts. Through this broadcast, we were allowed to present the lesson "Lie Not One to Another," and this lesson was by the late Guy Hester, who lived from 1936 to 2013. Brother Guy preached the gospel for 64 years in several states and did foreign and domestic mission work in preaching and training preachers.

And we are blessed to share his work and in the spirit of Abel in Hebrews 11:4, although being dead, he still speaks. May I mention that the insert and comments concerning social media and so on, obviously, that part I did add in for emphasis sake within the context of his lesson that he delivered a number of years ago.

Again, we are blessed to present lessons from the past, our "Turn Back the Clock" segment. We'll do that at another time and we will study together at another time, dear friends, but for now, our time is gone, and thank you for joining me today here on the International Gospel Hour. I'm Jeff Archey, and friends, keep listening.

J. Webb: Thank you for listening to our broadcast today, and we hope you continue onward with your search and study of God's word. Please join us next time and visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.