I've been writing a series of letters to my kids based on the 10 Commandments. You can find my other letters in this series by following the links below.
- first letter (introduction)
- second letter (first commandment - no other gods)
- third letter (second commandment - no idols)
- fourth letter (third commandment - don't misuse God's name)
- fifth letter (fourth commandment - keep the Sabbath day holy)
- sixth letter (fifth commandment - honor your father and mother)
- seventh letter (sixth commandment - do not murder)
- eighth letter (seventh commandment - do not commit adultery)
- ninth letter (eighth commandment - do not steal)
Dear.....
Greetings from Oregon! How are you doing? I hope this letter finds you well. We have changed seasons again here in our little corner of the world. Summer has come to an end, and Autumn has arrived. The temperatures have dropped, and our days and nights are cooler. The rains have returned, and all the leaves are falling off the trees. I think this is my favorite time of year.
Let's talk about the next commandment, shall we? This is the ninth out of ten - we are almost done! Exodus 20:16 says, "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." This is just another way of saying, you must not lie. We give "false testimony" by leaving something out of a story, telling a half-truth, twisting the facts or simply making up things that are not true.
We find further instruction about lying in Ephesians 4:25 - "So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body."
Anytime we mislead or trick someone into believing something that is not true we are lying. We can even lie by the way we act. If you pretend you are happy when you are not, you are lying to those around you.
In the Bible we see that Satan or the devil is the "father of lies". In John 8:44 it says, "For you are the children of your father the devil and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."
But in John 14:6 we see something entirely different - 'Jesus told him, "I am the the way, the truth and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me."' JESUS IS THE TRUTH!
If you have ever been lied to, you know how bad it feels. Sometimes telling the truth can be hard, but it's always the best way. God doesn't want us to get tangled up in a web of lies. He wants us to be like Jesus and Jesus is the truth.
I hope this encourages you to tell the truth and thus keep this command. May God bless you.
