January 2009

Character Trait

D. Chaney

WHAT WOULD THEY BE ?

IF YOU COULD BEG 2 FAVORS FROM GOD,

Proverbs 30:7O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die.

First, help me never to tell a lie

Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Proverbs 30:8

A Lying Society

• Dishonesty has become the

norm

• Dishonesty is promoted everywhere

• Presidents, politicians, parents, pupils, people of all sorts

Doctors say these behaviors are signs that someone is probably lying:when done in clusters

• Blinking, dilating the pupils

• Eye contact

• Speech pauses and changes

• Self-touching, hand shrugging

Behavioral scientists say there are 4 basic types of lies:

• To protect someone, to help others

• To avoid embarrassment

• To protect yourself from punishment

• To hurt someone intentionally

Psychologists say children progress through these stages of lying:

• Avoid punishment

• Doing right for self-serving reasons

• Fitting in with others

• Out of duty

• Following rules

• Acting on principles

The Bible is full of verses on the topic

• Lying

• Cheat

• Deceit, deception

• Dishonesty

• Falsehood

• Untruth

• Fraud

Bible stories and people, involved with lies/dishonesty

• Adam/Eve

• Cain/Abel

• Noah’s generation

• Abram/Sarai/Lot

• Isaac/Jacob/Esau

• Joseph

• And that’s just Genesis!!!!!!

The real issue is TRUTH!• “Jesus said,

I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life.”

John 14:6• Jesus was “The Word” . John 1:14• That means there is absolute truth, and absolute

right and wrong• Absolutes!

Jesus and the Bible• Reveal truth

• Declare truth

• Teach truth

• Call us to live the truth

• Challenge us to walk in

truth

• Correct us when we’re

not being truthful

Jesus is 100% truth• In him there is no falsehood, lies, deceit,

cheating, fraud or dishonesty

• Over and over in the New Testament, He said, “ I tell you the truth…”

• (over 80 times)

John 8:34-47 - Who’s your daddy?

• I tell you the truth…

• You are imitating your real father …

• You are children of your father the devil …

• You do the evil things he does …

• He hated the truth , there’s no truth in him…

• He is a liar, the Father of lies…

• I’m telling you the truth …

Jesus said:

The simple truth is…

• When we align ourselves with truth, we align ourselves with Jesus

• When we align ourselves with lies, we align ourselves with the devil

• Lies – following the devil

• Truth – following Jesus

Choosing the way of truth

• Our practiced decisions become habits

• Choosing truth and honesty develop not just honesty but integrity

• Integrity is the quality of being 100% morally sound in character

• We are called to be men and women of integrity – that’s our goal!

• Job 1 & 2 – complete integrity

3 John 4• “I could have no greater joy than to hear

that my children are following the truth.”

OR

If you could beg 1 favor from God, what would it be?

• Help me not to tell a lie, and

help me be a person of complete integrity

• Father, please forgive me…