Laying Down Lying (Ephesians 4:25)

As Christians, our lives must be marked by the truth. Because God does not lie and because we are members of one body, we must aggressively throw any lie, hypocrisy, or duplicity from our lives.

In this study from Ephesians 4:25, Nathan talks about truth, lying, and how both are far more than merely the words we say but also include how we live our lives.

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Key Passage: Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
– Ephesians 4:25

Put Off / Put On

• Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
  • Aggressive removal of “putting off” (throw a rock)
• Ephesians 4:15 – … but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is Christ …
• Colossians 3:9 – Do not lie to one another, since you put off the old man with its evil practices …
• Frank Thielman – … telling lies is perhaps the most obvious vice of a former way of life whose chief characteristic was deceit. ⁽¹⁾

Why is Lying Wrong?

1. God is not a liar

• Exodus 20:16 – [Ten Commandments] You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
• — A revelation of God’s nature
• — We image Him … and because He isn’t a liar, we can’t either
• Hebrews 6:18 – … it is impossible for God to lie …
• John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.”
• 1 John 2:21 – … no lie is of the truth.

Indwelling Holy Spirit

• John 14:17 – “… the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him. You know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.”
• John 16:13 – “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth …”

Satan’s Nature

• John 8:44 – “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
• — Lying is his natural response (nature)

2. We are members (one body) with one another

• Ephesians: We are one body (Eph 1:23), we have been united in Christ (2:14–15), Gentiles are fellow heirs and one body with the Jews (3:6), there is only one body (4:4) that is growing up into the head, Christ (4:15) … and this body is so unified it is illustrated in the “one flesh” of marriage (5:30–32)
• Romans 12:5 – … so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another …
• John 13:35 – “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
• Romans 13:8–10 – Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For this, “YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this word, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Love does not work evil against a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.
  • There is no lie in love
• 1 Corinthians 13:6 – …[love] does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth…

Quotation from Zechariah

• Zechariah 8:16–17 – “These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judgment for peace in your gates. Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love false oaths; for all these are what I hate,” declares Yahweh.
• Peter Thomas O’Brien – … [Zechariah 8:16] is directed to the remnant of God’s people. They will inhabit Zion, which will be called ‘the City of Truth’ because of the indwelling presence of Yahweh (v. 3). His people will be characterized by truth, righteousness, and holiness, and thus the neighbour, who is a member of this community, may expect to be dealt with truthfully. Ephesians 4:25 picks up this first exhortation and addresses it to the new community in Christ, the ‘new man’, that is created to be like God in ‘righteousness and holiness of the truth’. Within this new society one’s neighbour is a fellow-believer, who has a right to the truth. ⁽²⁾

God hates lying

• Proverbs 6:16–19 – There are six things which Yahweh hates, even seven which are an abomination to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked thoughts, feet that hasten to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.
  • Also see Proverbs 12:22; 12:19; 20:17; 21:6
• Revelation 22:15 – Outside [the city gates] are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.
• Revelation 22:15 [AMP] – … and everyone who loves and deals in falsehood (untruth, error, deception, cheating).

What is Lying?

• Pseudos – a lie; conscious and intentional falsehood; in a broad sense: whatever is not what it seems to be (of perverse, impious, deceitful precepts); a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
  • any twisting or hiding of the truth
• Believer’s Bible Commentary – Lying here includes every form of dishonesty, whether it is shading of the truth, exaggeration, cheating, failure to keep promises, betrayal of confidence, flattery, or fudging on income taxes. ⁽³⁾

Lying while speaking truth

• The heart of lying: causing someone to believe a lie (even if you speak the truth)
  • Lying is not just words spoken, but how you live your life
    • hypocrisy, duplicity
    • Saying you live for Christ but your whole life is wrapped up in yourself
    • Declare the Bible is important but you reason and make decisions from your own wisdom
    • You say you have the heart of God but lost people going to hell doesn’t stir you
    • “I’ll pray for you” and never do
    • 1 John 1:6 – If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not do the truth …

Ananias + Sapphira

• Acts 5:1–4 – But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge. And bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why is it that you laid this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
  • He could have given a portion of the money to the Church … but pride and wanting recognition for “giving all” but holding back some
• Acts 5:11 – And great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard these things.

Marked by Truth (Jesus)

• Warren W. Wiersbe – The Christian’s life is controlled by truth. ⁽⁴⁾
• Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.

FOOTNOTES

(1) Frank Thielman, Ephesians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2010), 311.
(2) Peter Thomas O’Brien, The Letter to the Ephesians, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1999), 337–338.
(3) William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1938.
(4) Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 41.

Photo Credit: Dmitry Vechorko

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In Our Next Study Together …

I invite you to join me on this journey from the book of Ephesians to discover God’s eternal purpose, His plan for your life, and learn how to practically live out an abundant and fruitful Christian life. 

• The focus of our next study: Ephesians 4:26
  • We are going to dive into Paul’s exhortation against anger in Ephesians 4:26.
  • I encourage you to read through Ephesians a couple of times this week and focus specifically on Ephesians 4.