“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:9-10)
Sex, anger, and now lying. Paul says deception is definitely an old-you way to live. It doesn’t go with any of the new character qualities you’ll be wearing as the “new you in Christ.” Lying will just look ugly on you.
Nobody likes to be lied to, but lots of people in our culture have a grudging respect for a good liar. You’ll hear that lying is an art, that it’s a skill, that it’s as natural as breathing. Whatever we call it, lying is something Jesus never did – and will never do. One of His names is “the Truth.” (See John 14:6.)
And God – right this second – is actively changing you to be like him. He is renewing this new version of you – in what you know – to make you more and more like the One who made you. You are in Christ, and that’s the most important thing about you.
Do you believe that?
Think: On a scale from 1 to 10, how easy is it for you to lie without even thinking about it? What strategies have you tried – or could you try – to make it harder for you to lie?
Pray: Ask God to help you not to lie. Thank him that he is renewing your new self in knowledge in the image of your Creator.
Do: Read the list of “7 Things God Hates” from Proverbs 6:16-19.