Billy Graham Evangelistic Association –
Decision Magazine Devotion – Wednesday, 27 November 2013 –“False Witness:
Unbearable” by Don Wilton
Hope
The bearing of false testimony is
strictly prohibited by God, no matter how innovative we become! Any
understanding of what God was saying to His children is greatly enhanced by a
clear understanding of what it means to tell a lie. Bearing false testimony
also carries with it the basic idea of fabrication, which, simply put, means to
make something up. Exaggeration fits right in with God’s prohibition because
any effort to stretch the truth is, in and of itself, a fabrication. When God
said, “You shall not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16), He was definitively
pointing to the heart of man. Not even a person’s creativity with the truth is
acceptable to God.
The question is what to do if this sin
has become part of your landscape. Perhaps four steps need to be taken. First,
stop bearing false witness! Recognize this as sin before a holy and righteous
God. Confess this to the Lord Jesus (1 John 1:8-9) and ask Him to forgive you
for it. Second, recognize the damage it may have caused to another person. Take
note of this and write it down. You will have a key part to play in the healing
of someone who has been hurt. Third, go to that person. Ask them to forgive you
and tell them you will do whatever you can to restore and make things right.
Finally, open your heart to the Lord. He will enable you to conquer this propensity
you have to bear false witness.
Go deeper:
Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias
illustrated the many ways a person can tell the truth when he told the story of
two brothers. Evidently the brothers were rather corrupt in their ways, even
though they had both succeeded greatly in business. When one of the brothers
became critically ill with cancer, the other one approached the local pastor
with this proposal: He would donate a huge sum of money to the church if only
the preacher would say at his brother’s funeral that his brother was a saint.
On the day of the funeral, the pastor, having accepted the challenge, looked
for a way to state those unlikely words before the congregation. Finally he
said, “Before we close this memorial service, I want to say that, compared to
his living brother, Joe was a saint!”
The bearing of false testimony is
strictly prohibited by God, no matter how innovative we become! Any
understanding of what God was saying to His children is greatly enhanced by a
clear understanding of what it means to tell a lie. Bearing false testimony also
carries with it the basic idea of fabrication, which, simply put, means to make
something up. Exaggeration fits right in with God’s prohibition because any
effort to stretch the truth is, in and of itself, a fabrication. When God said,
“You shall not bear false witness” (Exodus 20:16), He was definitively pointing
to the heart of man. Not even a person’s creativity with the truth is acceptable
to God.
The verb to bear implies the act of
carrying or transmitting something, while the adjective false describes content
that is untrue. The speaking of an untruth renders what is said as unreal,
thereby rendering it artificial and invalid.
People can be greatly hurt by this
malicious form of robbery. Bearing false witness robs the victim of the cloak
of truth and is closely allied with God’s command not to steal.
Let’s take a closer look at this. Most
cultures over the centuries have included this prohibition in their legal
course. Justice can never be served by untruthful testimony. In our civilized
world, all witnesses in our courts of law have to “swear to tell the truth, the
whole truth and nothing but the truth—so help me God.” This applies equally to
both the prosecution and the defense, because accuracy can never be determined
if false witness is presented as truth. One wonders just how many people’s
lives have been destroyed because they were falsely accused of something they
had nothing to do with.
There are several ways in which false
witness can be borne. A person can help spread a rumor and thus join hands with
a perpetrator. One can indulge false witness by turning a blind eye when truth
is known. Someone can determine to bear false witness and therefore be guilty
of premeditation. A person can simply fail to come forward with the truth or
insinuate falsehood without actually saying it is so. And, perhaps worst of
all, a person can spread gossip about another, thus engaging in some of the
worst forms of character assassination.
God may well have been speaking to the
children of Israel from the top of Mount Sinai, but I really believe He was
looking into the heart of every one who calls on His name. The New Testament
affirms all that God had to say on this subject. Jesus made it clear to His
disciples that false testimony was a key indicator of an unclean heart (Matthew
15:16-20). He pointed out that those things that come out of the mouth are a
direct result of a disconnect between man and God. Jesus Himself became the
victim of false testimony when He was brought before the Sanhedrin. The
Pharisees lied to Caiaphas the high priest, resulting in the call for our
Savior’s indictment on charges of blasphemy (Matthew 26:57-68). The first
Christian martyr, Stephen, was later accused falsely in Acts 6 and ultimately
stoned to death.
The bottom line is that the bearing of
false witness indicts the heart of man. This is so serious it is included in
the seven things God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19). Perhaps God knew that a failure
to adhere to this commandment would easily lead to a barrage of sin against His
name.
The question is what to do if this sin
has become part of your landscape. Perhaps four steps need to be taken. First,
stop bearing false witness! Recognize this as sin before a holy and righteous
God. Confess this to the Lord Jesus (1 John 1:8-9) and ask Him to forgive you
for it. Second, recognize the damage it may have caused to another person. Take
note of this and write it down. You will have a key part to play in the healing
of someone who has been hurt. Third, go to that person. Ask them to forgive you
and tell them you will do whatever you can to restore and make things right.
Finally, open your heart to the Lord. He will enable you to conquer this
propensity you have to bear false witness.
Finally, a word to those who are the
victims of false testimony. Allow me, as a pastor and friend, to suggest five
steps to healing: First, pray about it. It is not uncommon to feel hurt. Tell
God everything. He loves you and identifies with your pain. Second, stay calm.
Watch the Lord work. He will bring justice, and He will convict those who have
hurt you. This is what His Holy Spirit does. Third, stay alert and be on your
guard, and don’t forget the devil is “like a roaring lion” (1 Peter 5:8).
Fourth, stand firm in the Lord. Claim His promises. Someone once said, “The
future is as bright as the promises of God!” Believe it! Finally, trust in
God’s grace. He has not abandoned you, despite all that has been said about
you. He has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you”! (Hebrews 13:5).
?©2013 Don Wilton
Scripture quotations are taken from The
Holy Bible, New King James Version
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Prayer:
Dear Lord, we acknowledge that You are
the truth and that we are to worship You in Spirit and truth. Please forgive us
for any ways that we bear false witness, and please reveal the ways we do this
that are unknown to us so that we can ask forgiveness and repent. Thank You
that the truth sets us free! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Bible passage taken by permission from
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright ©1979, 1980, 1982 Thomas
Nelson, Inc., Publishers, Nashville, Tenn. From “Thou Shalt Not Bear False
Witness,” by Don Wilton, Decision magazine, November 2013 ©2013 Don Wilton
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