“What is eros love?”

Unlike English, in which the word “love” means many different things, the Greek uses three words to describe the range of meaning that our word “love” conveys. The first word iseros, from which we get the English word ‘erotic.’Erosis the word used to express sexual love or the feelings of arousal that are shared between people who are physically attracted to one another. By New Testament times, this word had become so debased by the culture that it is not used even once in the entire New Testament.

The second Greek word for love isphileo, which forms part of the words ‘philosophy’ (“love of wisdom”) andorphilanthropy(“love of fellow man”). This word speaks more of the warm affection shared between family or friends. Whereaserosis more closely associated with the libido,phileocan be more associated with the emotions, or the heart (metaphorically speaking). We feel love for our friends and family, obviously not in theerossense, but a love that motivates us to want to treat them kindly and help them succeed. However,phileois not felt between people who are at enmity with one another. We can feelphileolove toward friends and family, but not toward people whom we dislike or hate.

Different from both of these is the third Greek word for love,agapao, typically defined as the “self-sacrificing love.” It is the love that moves people into action and looks out for the well-being of others, no matter the personal cost. Biblically speaking,agapaois the love God showed to His people in sending His Son, Jesus, to die for their sins. It is the love that focuses on the will, not the emotions or libido. This is the love that Jesus commands His disciples to show toward their enemies (Luke 6:35).Erosandphileoare not expressed to people who hate us and wish us ill;agapaois. InRomans 5:8, Paul tells us that God’s love for His people was made manifest in that “while we were still sinners [i.e., enemies], Christ died for us.”

So, moving from the base to the pure, we haveeros,phileo, andagapao. This is not to denigrateerosas sinful or impure. Sexual love is not inherently unclean or evil. Rather, it is the gift of God to married couples to express their love for one another, strengthen the bond between them, and ensure the survival of the human race. The Bible devotes one whole book to the blessings of erotic, or sexual, love—Song of Solomon. The love between a husband and a wife should be, among other things, an erotic love. However, a long-term relationship based solely on erotic love is doomed to failure. The ‘thrill’ of sexual love wears off quickly unless there areis somephileoandagapaoto go along with it.

Conversely, while there is nothing inherently sinful with erotic love, it is in this sphere of love that our sinful nature is made most manifest because it primarily centers on the self, whereasphileoandagapaofocus on others. Consider what the Aapostle Paul tells the Colossian church: “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). The Greek word for “sexual immorality” is the same word from which we get ‘pornography’ (Gk.porneia), which essentially covers the gamut of sexual sin (adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bestiality, etc.).

When shared between husband and wife, erotic love can be a wonderful thing, but because of our fallen sin nature,erostoo often becomesporneia. When this happens, human beings tend to go to extremes, becoming either ascetics or hedonists. The ascetic is the person who completely eschews sexual love because its association with sexual immorality makes it appear evil and therefore must be avoided. The hedonist is the person who sees sexual love without restraint as perfectly natural. As usual, the biblical view is seen in the balance between these two sinful extremes. Within the bonds of heterosexual marriage, God celebrates the beauty of sexual love: “Let my lover come into his garden and taste its choice fruits. I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride; I have gathered my myrrh with my spice. I have eaten my honeycomb and my honey; I have drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, O friends, and drink; drink your fill, O lovers” (Song of Solomon 4:16–5:1). But outside of biblical marriage,erosbecomes distorted and sinful.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/eros-love.html#ixzz2lpMuU5NL

“What is the love of Christ?”

The phrase “love of Christ,” as opposed to “loveforChrist, refers to the love that He has toward mankind. His love can be briefly stated as His willingness to act in our best interest, especially in meeting our greatest need, even though it cost Him everything and even though we were the least worthy of such love.

Though Christ Jesus, being God in nature, existed from the beginning of time with God the Father (John 1:1) and the Holy Spirit, He willingly left His throne (John 1:1-14) to become a man, that He might pay the penalty for our sin so that we would not have to pay for it for all eternity in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). Because mankind’s sin has been paid for by our sinless Savior Jesus Christ, God who is just and holy can now forgive our sins when we accept Christ Jesus’ payment as our own (Romans 3:21-26). Thus, Christ’s love is shown in His leaving His home in heaven, where He was worshipped and honored as He deserved, to come to earth as a man where He would be mocked, betrayed, beaten, and crucified on a cross to pay the penalty for our sin, rising again from the dead on the third day. He considered our need of a Savior from our sin and its penalty as more important than His own comfort and life (Philippians 2:3-8).

Sometimes people may give their lives willingly for ones they deem as worthy—a friend, a relative, other “good” people—but Christ’s love goes beyond that. Christ’s love extends to those most unworthy of it. He willingly took the punishment of those who tortured Him, hated Him, rebelled against Him, and cared nothing about Him, those who were most undeserving of His love (Romans 5:6-8). He gave the most He could give for those who deserved it the least! Sacrifice, then, is the essence of godly love, calledagapelove. This is God-like love, not man-like love (Matthew 5:43-48).

This love which He demonstrated toward us on the cross is just the beginning. When we place our trust in Him as our Savior, He makes us God’s children, co-heirs with Him! He comes to dwell within us through His Holy Spirit, promising that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). Thus, we have a loving companion for life. And no matter what we go through, He is there, and His love is ever available to us (Romans 8:35). But as He rightfully reigns as a benevolent King in heaven, we need to give Him the position He deserves in our lives as well, that of Master and not merely companion. It is only then that we will experience life as He intended and live in the fullness of His love (John 10:10b).

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/love-of-Christ.html#ixzz2lpMgPF2Y

WHY DOES GOD LOVES US

This short question is among the most profound questions ever asked. And no human would ever be able to answer it sufficiently. One thing is certain, however. God does not love us because we are lovable or because we deserve His love. If anything, the opposite is true. The state of mankind since the fall is one of rebellion and disobedience.Jeremiah 17:9describes man’s inner condition: “The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked. Who can know it?” Our innermost beings are so corrupted by sin that even we don’t realize the extent to which sin has tainted us. In our natural state, we do not seek God; we do not love God; we do not desire God.Romans 3:10-12clearly presents the state of the natural, unregenerate person: “There is none righteous, no, not one; There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is none who does good, no, not one.” How then is it possible for a holy, righteous, and perfect God to love such creatures? To understand this we must understand something of the nature and character of God.

First John 4:8and16tell us that “God is love.” Never was a more important declaration made than this; never was more meaning crowded into a few words than in this short sentence—God is love. This is a profound statement. God doesn’t just love; He is love. His nature and essence are love. Love permeates His very being and infuses all His other attributes, even His wrath and anger. Because God’s very nature is love, He must demonstrate love, just as He must demonstrate all His attributes because doing so glorifies Him. Glorifying God is the highest, the best, and the most noble of all acts, so, naturally, glorifying Himself is what He must do, because He is the highest and the best, and He deserves all glory.

Since it is God’s essential nature to love, He demonstrates His love by lavishing it on undeserving people who are in rebellion against Him. God’s love is not a sappy, sentimental, romantic feeling. Rather, it is agape love, the love of self-sacrifice. He demonstrates this sacrificial love by sending His Son to the cross to pay the penalty for our sin (1 John 4:10), by drawing us to Himself (John 6:44), by forgiving us of our rebellion against Him, and by sending His Holy Spirit to dwell within us, thereby enabling us to love as He loves. He did this in spite of the fact that we did not deserve it. “But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

God’s love is personal. He knows each of us individually and loves us personally. His is a mighty love that has no beginning and no end. It is this experiencing of God’s love that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions. Why does God love us? It is because of who He is: “God is love.”

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/God-love.html#ixzz2lpMLzkEG

Are we to love the sinner but hate the sin?”

Many Christians use the cliché “Love the sinner, hate the sin.” However, we must realize that this is an exhortation to us as imperfect human beings. The difference between us and God in regard to loving and hating is vast. Even as Christians, we remain imperfect in our humanity and cannot love perfectly, nor can we hate perfectly (in other words, without malice). But God can do both of these perfectly, because He is God. God can hate without any sinful intent. Therefore, He can hate the sin and the sinner in a perfectly holy way and still be willing to lovingly forgive at the moment of that sinner’s repentance and faith (Malachi 1:3;Revelation 2:6;2 Peter 3:9).

The Bible clearly teaches that God is love.First John 4:8-9says, “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.” Mysterious but true is the fact that God can perfectly love and hate a person at the same time. This means He can love him as someone He created and can redeem, as well as hate him for his unbelief and sinful lifestyle. We, as imperfect human beings, cannot do this; thus, we must remind ourselves to “love the sinner, hate the sin.”

How exactly does that work? We hate sin by refusing to take part in it and by condemning it when we see it. Sin is to be hated, not excused or taken lightly. We love sinners by being faithful in witnessing to them of the forgiveness that is available through Jesus Christ. A true act of love is treating someone with respect and kindness even though he/she knows you do not approve of his lifestyle and/or choices. It is not loving to allow a person to remain stuck in sin. It is not hateful to tell a person he/she is in sin. In fact, the exact opposites are true. We love the sinner by speaking the truth in love. We hate the sin by refusing to condone, ignore, or excuse it.

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/love-sinner-hate-sin.html#ixzz2lpM7priU

“What does the Bible say about hate?”

Biblically speaking, there are positive and negative aspects to hatred. It is acceptable to hate those things that God hates; indeed, this is very much a proof of a right standing with God. “Let those who love the Lord hate evil” (Psalm 97:10a). Indeed, the closer our walk with the Lord and the more we fellowship with Him, the more conscious we will be of sin, both within and without. Do we not grieve and burn with anger when God’s name is maligned, when we see spiritual hypocrisy, when we see blatant unbelief and godless behavior? The more we understand God’s attributes and love His character, the more we will be like Him and the more we will hate those things that are contrary to His Word and nature.

However, the hatred that is negative surely has to be that which is directed against others. The Lord mentions hatred in theSermon on the Mount: “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22). The Lord commands that not only should we be reconciled with our brother before we go before the Lord, but also that we do it quickly (Matthew 5:23-26). The act of murder itself was certainly condemned, but hatred is a “heart” sin, and any hateful thought or act is an act of murder in God’s eyes for which justice will be demanded, possibly not in this life but at the judgment. So heinous is the position of hate before God that a man who hates is said to be walking in darkness, as opposed to the light (1 John 2:9,11). The worst situation is that of a man who continues professing religion but remains at enmity with his brother. The Scriptures declare that such a person is a liar (1 John 4:20), and he may fool men, but not God. How many believers live for years pretending that all is well, putting on a front, only to be found finally wanting because they have harbored enmity (hatred) against a fellow believer?

Hatred is a poison that destroys us from within, producing bitterness that eats away at our hearts and minds. This is why the Scriptures tell us not to let a “root of bitterness” spring up in our hearts (Hebrews 12:15). Hatred also destroys the personal witness of a Christian because it removes him from fellowship with the Lord and other believers. Let us be careful to do as the Lord advised and keep short accounts with everyone about everything, no matter how small, and the Lord will be faithful to forgive, as He has promised (1 John 1:9;2:1).

Read more:http://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-hate.html#ixzz2lpLkPZvN

The Bible does not specifically mention the word abortion, but it has a number of significant things to say about unborn children.  These Biblical statements indicate that the unborn are persons.  Therefore, abortion is wrong since it is killing a human being.  A simplified form of our argument is the following:

Premise #1: It is wrong to murder a person.
Premise #2: The unborn is a person.
Conclusion: Therefore, it is wrong to murder the unborn.

Premise #1: It is wrong to murder a person.

There are few objections to the notion that it is wrong to murder a person.  Murder is the unlawful taking of someone’s life, while killing is the lawful taking of someone’s life.  For just a small sample of the Biblical passages forbidding murder, see Gen. 9:6Mt. 15:1919:18Mk. 10:19Lk. 18:20Jn. 8:44Acts 3:14; and Rom. 1:28-29;13:9.

Premise #2: The unborn is a person.

It is this premise which is disputed by many in our culture today.  However, the Bible clearly teaches that the unborn is a person due to the following reasons.

Possession of Personal Attributes

First, the unborn possesses personal attributes such as sin and joy.  In Psalm 51:5, David says, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”  In Luke 1:44, “For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy.”

Described by Personal Pronouns

Second, the Bible also uses personal pronouns to describe unborn children.  Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”  Matthew 1:20-21 states, “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.’”

Jesus: A Baby at Conception

Third, regarding the conception of Jesus, Matthew 1:20 says, “But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.’”  The fact that the angel tells Joseph that “the Child who has been conceived” is “of the Holy Spirit” indicates that Jesus certainly was a person at the moment of conception.

Called Children

Fourth, the unborn are called children.  Luke 1:41 states, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the babyleaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit (1:44).”

Protected by the same Punishment as for Adults

Fifth, perhaps the strongest argument against abortion from Scripture is the fact that the same punishment is applicable to someone who kills or injures an unborn child as for one who kills or injures an adult.  Exodus 21:22-23 states, “If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide.  But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life . . . .”  This strongly indicates that the Mosaic Law viewed the unborn as persons worthy of the same protection and rights as adults.

Called by God before Birth

Sixth, the unborn are even called by God before birth.  Almost echoing the prophetic commission of Jeremiah inJeremiah 1:5Isaiah 49:1 says, “Listen to me, O islands, And pay attention, you peoples from afar, the LORD called me from the womb; from the body of my mother He named me.”

Known Personally by God just like any other Person

Seventh, the unborn are known personally and intimately by God in the same way He would know any other person.  Describing David, Psalm 139:15-16 says, “My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written; the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”  Describing the prophet Jeremiah, Jeremiah 1:5 says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Conclusion

The Bible definitely teaches that the unborn are persons because the unborn possess personal attributes, are described by personal pronouns, Jesus is called a child at conception, the unborn are called children, are protected by the same punishment as for adults, are called by God before birth, and are known personally by God just like any other person.  Since abortion is murdering a person, abortion is morally wrong (Gen. 9:6Rom. 1:28-29).

Sources

WHAT THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT HEALING?

Isaiah 53:5, which is then quoted in 1 Peter 2:24, is a key verse on healing, but it is often misunderstood and misapplied. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” The word translated “healed” can mean either spiritual or physical healing. However, the contexts of Isaiah 53 and 1 Peter 2 make it clear that it is speaking of spiritual healing. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). The verse is talking about sin and righteousness, not sickness and disease. Therefore, being “healed” in both these verses is speaking of being forgiven and saved, not physically healed.

The Bible does not specifically link physical healing with spiritual healing. Sometimes people are physically healed when they place their faith in Christ, but this is not always the case. Sometimes it is God’s will to heal, but sometimes it is not. The apostle John gives us the proper perspective: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15). God still performs miracles. God still heals people. Sickness, disease, pain, and death are still realities in this world. Unless the Lord returns, everyone who is alive today will die, and the vast majority of them (Christians included) will die as the result of a physical problem (disease, sickness, injury). It is not always God’s will to heal us physically.

Ultimately, our full physical healing awaits us in heaven. In heaven, there will be no more pain, sickness, disease, suffering, or death (Revelation 21). We all need to be less preoccupied with our physical condition in this world and a lot more concerned with our spiritual condition (Romans 12:1-2). Then we can focus our hearts on heaven where we will no longer have to deal with physical problems. Revelation 21:4 describes the true healing we should all be longing for: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

What Does The Bible Say About Lying

As the moral climate of our society has been deteriorating, lying and deceit have become major problems. The business world is particularly plagued by this problem-men’s dishonesty with each other, meetings “forgotten”, company theft, promises not kept, contracts broken, etc. Lawyers have increased in numbers over the last decade, mainly because of irresponsibility and broken contracts among men due to lying and deceit.

The Lord has put on my heart the past few weeks a desire to learn more about the subject of lying and deceit. In the brief time I have studied it I have discovered that there have been volumes of material written on the subject of lying, not to mention the ethics and moral issues regarding lying. Therefore, in the time we have tonight, I can only scratch the surface on the subject of lying. What I have to say can no means be construed as the final say on the subject. I am not an expert, but the goal of my instruction tonight is to:

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Look at the definition of lying

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Determine at least one principle truth about lying which everyone would agree. We will do that by examining Scripture and looking at a couple of illustrations, one secular and one biblical

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Show how applying this principle of truth can help us guard against a couple of common mistakes as to what constitutes a lie

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Offer a couple of points of application

 Definition

What does the Bible say about lying?

Col 3:9-10
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him

Lev 19:12
12’And you shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the LORD.

 Prov 25:18
18 Like a club and a sword and a sharp arrow Is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

Zech 8:17
17’Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,’ declares the LORD. “

Prov 14:5
5 A faithful witness will not lie, But a false witness speaks lies.

1 Kings 22:16
16 Then the king said to him, “How many times must I adjure you to speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?”

Prov 19:5
5 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will not escape.

Deut 19:17-19
17 then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days.
18 And the judges shall investigate thoroughly; and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely,
19 then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you.

Rev 21:8
8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Prov 19:9
9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish.

Prov 24:28
28 Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips.

Ps 58:3
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.

James 3:14
14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.

Ex 23:1
1 “You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.

Prov 12:19
19 Truthful lips will be established forever, But a lying tongue is only for a moment.

A lying tongue is not only something God hates, it is also something that is an abomination to Him.

Prov 6:16-19
16 There are six things which the LORD hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him:
17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that run rapidly to evil,
19 A false witness who utters lies, And one who spreads strife among brothers.

So, if a lying tongue is something that is an abomination to our LORD, then would it not behoove us to understand what constitutes a lie?

Let us first give a definition as to what a lie is according to Webster’s dictionary:

  1. To make a statement that one knows is false, especially with the intent to deceive.

  2. To give a false impression or action or false statement, especially with the intent to deceive.

  3. To make a false statement in order to evade the truth.

  4. The invention of a false story or excuse in order to deceive.

lie2

lie (linoun

  1. A false statement deliberately presented as being true; a falsehood.

  2. Something meant to deceive or give a wrong impression.

verb
lied
ly·ing (li ing), lies

verbintransitive

  1. To present false information with the intention of deceiving.

  2. To convey a false image or impression: Appearances often lie.

verbtransitive

To cause to be in a specific condition or affect in a specific way by telling falsehoods: You have lied yourself into trouble.(1)

de·ceive

de·ceive (di-sev) verb
de·ceivedde·ceiv·ingde·ceives

verbtransitive

  1. To cause to believe what is not true; mislead.

  2. Archaic. To catch by guile; ensnare.

verbintransitive
To practice deceit.

Synonyms: deceive, betray, mislead, beguile, delude, dupe, hoodwink, bamboozle, double-cross. These verbs mean to lead another into error, danger, or a disadvantageous position, for the most part by underhand means. Deceiveinvolves the deliberate concealment or the misrepresentation of the truth: “There is a moment of difficulty and danger at which flattery and falsehood can no longer deceive” (Letters of Junius). Betray implies faithlessness or treachery: “When you betray somebody else, you also betray yourself” (Isaac Bashevis Singer). Mislead means to lead in the wrong direction or into error of thought or action: “My manhood, long misled by wandering fires,/Followed false lights” (John Dryden). Beguilesuggests deceiving or misleading by means of pleasant or alluring methods: They beguiled unwary investors with tales of overnight fortunes. To delude is to mislead to the point where a person is unable to tell truth from falsehood or to form sound judgments: The government deluded the public about the dangers of low-level radiation. Dupe means to delude by playing upon another’s susceptibilities or naiveté: Gullible shoppers are easily duped by unscrupulous advertisers. Hoodwink refers to deluding by trickery: It is difficult to hoodwink a smart lawyer. Bamboozle less formally means to delude by the use of such tactics as hoaxing, befuddling, or artful persuasion: “Perhaps if I wanted to be understood or to understand I would bamboozle myself into belief, but I am a reporter” (Graham Greene). Double-cross implies the betrayal of a confidence or the willful breaking of a pledge: New members of the party felt they had been double-crossed by the old guard.(2)

Augustine, Aquinas, and many early church fathers defined lying as a statement at variance with the mind. In discussing the ethics of lying they found it helpful to make a distinction between (1) injurious, or hurtful, (2) officious, and (3) jocose lies. Jocose lies are told for the purpose of affording amusement. It is implied that what is said in a joke cannot be a lie: in order to have any malice in it, what is said must be naturally capable of deceiving others and must be said with the intention of saying what is false. An officious, or white, lie is such that it does nobody any injury: it is a lie of excuse, or a lie told to benefit somebody (these are the types of lies that give the most problems to ethicists and moralists). An injurious lie is one which does harm. (www.newadvent.org/cathen/09469a.htm; Catholic Encycopedia: Lying)

Now, according to these definitions, what would you understand to be the basic, defining characteristics of a lie or deception?

Perhaps it would be helpful to compare the malice in lying with the malice in hypocrisy. A hypocrite pretends to have a good quality which he knows that he does not possess. A hypocrite acts out that which he knows not to be the truth in his inner person. There is the same relation between a man’s intents and his external expression of it that constitutes the essence of a lie.

Illustrations of a principle truth

This can be illustrated with a current political debate that is taking place. John Dean, a FindLaw Columnist, says in a June 6, 2003 Special column on CNN.com

Read excerpts from cnn.com printout.

Hopefully, you can see that even the secular press recognizes that the challenge it faces is that in order to call President Bush a liar, it must be proved that he “deliberately misled the nation”; that his “misstatements may actually have been intentional lies”; that he manipulated or deliberately misused national security intelligence data to defraud the United States.

A biblical example of lying and deceit is given in Acts 5

Acts 5:1-11
5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property,
2 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.
3 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?
4 “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.”
5 And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came upon all who heard of it.
6 And the young men arose and covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, that was the price.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out as well.”
10 And she fell immediately at his feet, and breathed her last; and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things.

 Now, according to these illustrations, what would you understand to be the basic, defining characteristics of a lie or deception?

Common mistakes

So, I now ask the question: Is it true that anything that is not the truth is a lie? Let me ask it another way. Is it always a lie when we speak an untruth?

Augustine doesn’t think so. Augustine wrote quite extensively on the subject of lying. He says,

For which purpose we must see what a lie is. For not every one who says a false thing lies, if he believes or opines that to be true which he says. Now between believing and opining there is this difference, that sometimes he who believes feels that he does not know that which he believes, (although he may know himself to be ignorant of a thing, and yet have no doubt at all concerning it, if he most firmly believes it:) whereas he who opines, thinks he knows that which he does not know. Now whoever utters that which he holds in his mind either as belief or as opinion, even though it be false, he lies not. For this he owes to the faith of his utterance, that he thereby produce that which he holds in his mind, and has in that way in which he produces it. Not that he is without fault, although he lie not, if either he believes what he ought not to believe, or thinks he knows what he knows not, even though it should be true: for he accounts an unknown thing for a known. Wherefore, that man lies, who has one thing in his mind and utters another in words, or by signs of whatever kind. Whence also the heart of him who lies is said to be double; that is, there is a double thought: the one, of that thing which he either knows or thinks to be true and does not produce; the other, of that thing which he produces instead thereof, knowing or thinking it to be false. Whence it comes to pass, that he may say a false thing and yet not lie, if he thinks it to be so as he says although it be not so; and, that he may say a true thing, and yet lie, if he thinks it to be false and utters it for true, although in reality it be so as he utters it. For from the sense of his own mind, not from the verity or falsity of the things themselves, is he to be judged to lie or not to lie. Therefore he who utters a false thing for a true, which however he opines to be true, may be called erring and rash: but he is not rightly said to lie; because he has not a double heart when he utters it, neither does he wish to deceive, but is deceived. But the fault of him who lies, is, the desire of deceiving in the uttering of his mind; whether he do deceive, in that he is believed when uttering the false thing; or whether he do not deceive, either in that he is not believed, or in that he utters a true thing with will to deceive, which he does not think to be true: wherein being believed, he does not deceive though it was his will to deceive: except that he deceives in so far as he is thought to know or think as he utters (Augustine, Retractions, Book 1. last Chapter, from the Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Vol 3).

There is another question that confronts us in this issue of understanding what it means to lie and deceive. Are we guilty of lying when we do not keep our word?

It is certainly true that if we knowingly tell someone that we are going to do something while at the same time knowing that we have no intentions of following through on our promise or commitment, then, we are guilty of lying – there was intent to deceive that person. But if we do not follow through on a commitment or promise, it does not necessarily mean that we lied. Too often we are just too quick or rash with our mouth. One who is “hasty in word or impulsive in thought” doesn’t take enough time to think about what they are saying. They usually don’t have too much thought behind their words.

Prov 10:19
19 When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable, but he who restrains his lips is wise.

Eccl 5:4-5
4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it, for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow!
5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.

Usually making senseless vows or commitments is a result of talking too much. We tend to think in financial terms when we think of making vows, especially since Solomon says to “pay what you vow”. But much more is in mind here. The point in verse 4 is to warn us not to delay in fulfilling commitments we make to God or to other people. It’s especially dangerous for a person to make vows, especially to God, if the person has no intention of keeping the vows.

The instructions concerning vows were given by Moses in Deuteronomy 23:21-23 and Numbers 30:2-5.

When vows are made to God, there should be no delay in paying them; God has a right to require payment in full, and to not pay is considered sin before God. It is better not to vow, in which case the person will not be held guilty.

Matt 5:33-37
33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
36 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ {or} ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.

James 5:12
12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but let your yes be yes, and your no, no; so that you may not fall under judgment.

The point is that our words should mean something. Our words should be well thought out and our words should be few.

For example, if we tell someone that we will call them back tomorrow, and we have no intention of calling them, then we have lied. This excuse is often used with a deliberate intent to deceive. The person does not call back at the appointed time and will call back at a much later date with excuses of why they were unable to call which usually goes something like: “I just was so busy, I meant to call , but did not get around to it.” We all have been guilty of this, but we need to realize when we say we will do something we need to keep our word. We do understand there are legitimate reasons that make it impossible at times to keep our word and in those circumstances we are not guilty of lying. But it might be better not to make this promise or to say, “I will try to call you back tomorrow.” (What does the Bible say about Lying?, www.bible.com/answers)

I could list numerous examples. The point is any time we say the words “I will” we need to be responsible to do it. However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we have lied if we fail to act. We all, on occasion, fail to do the things we have good intentions of doing or we are hindered in some way and can’t do them. However, if we are unable to keep an appointment we should be thoughtful enough to call and cancel, or tell of our delayed arrival. We are living in an age when there are so many uncaring attitudes expressed. Too often, these careless attitudes, if left unchecked for too long, can be construed as lies and deceit. As Christians, we can be good witnesses by being different.

Application

None of us likes being lied to. None of us likes being falsely accused of lying. The reason is because truth is primarily a self-regarding virtue. In other words, it is in our own best self-interest to see things as either being true or untrue. If we wish to walk carefully through life, to do so we must be able to calculate our true position. When you lie to me, you know your position but you have given me false data which obscures mine. When I lie to you, I create a situation in which you have a false view of reality and you may lose your way. (Jonathan Wallace, Lying, The Ethical Spectacle, May 2000, www.spectacle.org)

 The implication of this is that no one who has any regard for his own dignity and self-respect will be guilty of the immorality of a lie. Even a liar does not like to be lied to. The one principle of truth that I have tried to demonstrate tonight, is that lying must always involve malice (the desire to harm others). In addition, it is possible for an honest man to understand truth such that he might make an error without any intention of deceiving. Such an honest man may prove himself to be inept, but not a liar. Just as the hypocrite is justly detested and despised, so should the liar be. However, as no honest man would ever consent to play the hypocrite, so no honest man will ever be guilty of a lie.

What kind of witness are we to those around us? As Christians we need to ask the Lord to forgive us if we are guilty of lying or deceit. Not only do we not want to lie, but we also want to keep our word so that people know we are honest and trustworthy. On the other hand, before we point our finger at another for being a liar, we need to make sure that we can prove malice or intent, lest we be deceived and become liars ourselves. As Christians, we want to represent our Father well in this life and be honest and free from fabrication and false accusation. We can only do this through the power of the Holy Spirit as we seek to be like Jesus.

Jesus always kept His Word. God still keeps His Word and is faithful to keep every promise He makes in the Bible. That is why He is reliable and we can trust Him. We are called to be like Him.

Comparing/contrasting the two creation stories in Genesis. Quotations showing three different interpretations of the Bible:

There is general agreement within most Christian denominations about what the Bible says. However, there are major differences about how to interpret the Bible. Thus there is no consensus on what the Bible means:

bullet Many Evangelical and essentially all fundamentalist Christians believe that the authors of the Bible wereinspired by God, and that their text is inerrant (without error). Most interpret the Bible literally, unless otherwise indicated. Most follow creation science and regard the “day” in the first two chapters of Genesis as referring to 24 hour intervals. Conflicts among biblical passages can be harmonized.
bullet Many mainline Christians interpret Biblical passages as God’s revelations to the ancient Israelites. They were adequate for their understanding in that era, but which are not to be taken as scientific descriptions. “The Bible is considered the ‘fallible human rendering of divine inspiration’.” 2
bullet Many Agnostics, Atheists, liberal Christians, Humanists, secularists, and others look upon these creation stories as being beautiful myths which were attempts by a pre-scientific society to understand their environment. Some find poetic and spiritual significance in most of the hundreds of creation stories taught by the world’s faith groups.

Various groups conclude:

bullet Bible inerrancy: “We teach that God has created heaven and earth, and that in the manner and in the space of time recorded in the Holy Scriptures, especially Gen. 1 and 2, namely, by His almighty creative word, and in six days. We reject every doctrine which denies or limits the work of creation as taught in Scripture….Since no man was present when it pleased God to create the world, we must look for a reliable account of creation to God’s own record, found in God’s own book, the Bible….” Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod’s doctrine of creation; adopted 1932. 1
bullet Bible accurate on morality, salvation, etc.: “The Bible is not a science text; the scientific method was unknown in biblical times. …The purposes of religion and science are completely different. Science seeks to describe, explain, and predict. The Bible tries to tell the purpose of creation, and to point the way to morality, righteousness, and salvation. It should not be surprising that their methods are different and even incompatible.” David F. Beck 2
bullet Bible not a scientific document: “Looking in the Bible for a scientific account of origins is like looking in the phone directory for a recipe for angel cake.” Tom Harpur 3

Sponsored link:

References to creation in the Book of Genesis:

There are two detailed descriptions of the creation process in Genesis:

bullet The First Creation Story; Genesis 1:1 to 2:3: Historical Christianity taught that the entire Pentateuch — the five books from Genesis to Deuteronomy — was written by Moses. Most fundamentalist and other Evangelical Christians continue to follow this belief. Most liberal and mainline theologians and religious skeptics accept the Documentary Hypothesis: that the Pentateuch was written by a number of authors (or groups of authors). They followed four different traditions, and imported some material from nearby Pagan sources. The Hypothesis asserts that the author of the creation story seen in the first verses of the Bible was an anonymous 6th Century BCE writer or group of writers of the priestly tradition (often referred to as “P”).Creation is described in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 as occurring in six “days”:

bullet Day 1: God commanded the presence of light and its separation from darkness.
bullet Day 2: God separated the sky and oceans.
bullet Day 3: God separated land from the oceans; spreading of plants and grass and trees across the land.
bullet Day 4: God caused the sun, moon, and stars to be attached to the underside of the firmament — a dome that covered the earth.
bullet Day 5: God ordered the sea to “teem with living creatures” and birds to fly in the air.
bullet Day 6: God ordered the land to produce land animals. God created humans, “someone like ourselves” (Living Bible).
bullet Day 7: God rested. Followers of the Documentary Hypothesis believe this to have been a later addition, 4 placed there to give theological justification for the Sabbath (Saturday as a day of rest) for humans.

This sequence does contain some problems.

bullet Light was listed as appearing on day 1, but its source (the sun and stars) did not appear until day 4. Most creation scientists, who generally support the literal interpretation of this creation story, have a solution to this puzzle. Many say that light initially came from God, before he created the sun and stars.
bullet Birds were said to have appeared before other land animals. Paleontologists, who almost universally support the theory of evolution, point out that  the fossil record shows the opposite order. Creation scientists discount this belief. Most regard the rock layers containing the fossil record as having been laid down during the flood of Noah; thus, the fossils do not represent the evolution of the species of animals and birds.
bullet The most controversial debate over this creation story relates to its time span. Genesis 1 and 2 explain how Creation of Earth’s life forms, the Earth itself, and the rest of the universe took six days. Supporters of the theory of evolution find evidence for a universe that has been evolving for about 14 billion years.
bullet The Second Creation Story; Genesis 2:4 to 2:25: This is a different description of the creation of earth’s life forms. Most mainline and liberal biblical researchers attribute this section to “J,” a writer who lived in the 9th century BCE (some say 10th century; others say after the Babylonian exile). Again, religious conservatives trace the authorship to Moses, and generally believe that this is a simple restatement of the earlier creation story. The author of Genesis 2 writes that

bullet at first, there were no plants or grain present, because God had not yet sent rain.
bullet God made Adam out of earth; this is a belief common to many early  Pagan religions in the Middle East.
bullet God created plants and herbs, Adam, the Garden of Eden, trees, birds and animals
bullet God performed the first surgical operation, removing a rib from Adam and transforming it into the first woman, Eve. For hundreds of years, medical students were taught that men had one fewer rib than women. Finally, someone checked.
bullet Conflicts between the creation stories: There are some apparent inconsistencies between the first and second creation accounts:

bullet There may be a conflict over the number of days over which creation happened.

bullet Genesis 1:3 and subsequent verses say that God created the universe in six days.
bullet In Genesis 2:4, some translations, including the King James Version, imply that it took one day. More details
bullet In the first account, fruit trees appeared before before Adam and Eve; in the second account, God created Adam, then the fruit trees appeared, then Eve.
bullet In the first account, God created animals before Adam and Eve; in the second account, God created Adam. then the animals, then Eve.
bullet Genesis 1:20 describes how God had “the waters bring forth …fowl” ; in Genesis 2:19, God formed them “out of the ground”.
bullet In the first account, God caussed fish to appear on the 5th day; in the second account, the fish of the sea were not created at all.

Religious conservatives feel that they they have harmonized these apparent inconsistencies.

Related essays:

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

  1. Gary Locklair, “Doctrine of Creation,” 2004-JAN, at: http://www.cs.cuw.edu/
  2. David Beck, “The Bible: A true and accurate account of creation? Summary,” Coalition for Excellence in Science and Math Education, 1998-APR-13, at: http://www.cesame-nm.org/
  3. Tom Harpur, “Creationist arguments are damaging to Christianity,” The Toronto Star, 2005-FEB-19, Page L11.
  4. H.C. Kee, et al, “The Cambridge Companion to the Bible“, Cambridge University Press, New York, NY, (1997), Page 45 to 46

What the Bible Says About Repentance

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9)

As sin has been a part of the human condition since the garden of Eden, so also has God’s demand for repentance. As we look at repentance we are most interested in how it relates to what God requires of us to obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, and yet we must understand that God’s demand for men to repent predates the coming of John the Baptist, Jesus Christ, and even the current dispensation. In Solomon’s prayer at the dedication of the newly built temple in Jerusalem  according to 1 Kings 8:46-50, special request is made for the people of Israel that God might restore the people in the day they sin, he punishes them, and they repent. Indeed, the message of the prophets of old was a plea to the people to repent so that they might avoid the coming evil day. “Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways,” says the Lord GOD. “Repent, and turn from all your transgressions, so that iniquity will not be your ruin.” (Ezek.18:30) God has always demanded repentance unto blessing!

When John the Baptist comes on the scene, as we read in the gospels, the message is clear and unmistakable, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matt. 3:1-2) And again, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance”. (Matt. 3:8) The message of Jesus himself was the same, for we read, “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'” (Matt.4:7). This message of repentance is strung throughout Jesus’ preaching of the coming kingdom until he would finally tell his Apostles after his own resurrection, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Luke 24:46-47)

That preaching of repentance beginning at Jerusalem is recorded for us in Acts 2. As Peter convicted his audience of killing their own Lord and The Christ, we are told that they were pricked in their hearts and asked of Peter what is was they must do. Peter responded, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) This message of repentance and remission of sins continues through the book of Acts and we see that on Solomon’s porch Peter would again proclaim, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19)

This was the message to the house of Israel, as they would find salvation in Christ, but the same message was set forth, to the Gentiles. After Peter explained his work with the house of Cornelius in Acts chapter 11, we are told that “they glorified God saying, ‘Then God has also granted the Gentiles repentance to life.” (Acts 11:18). Later, when Paul would stand before the learned men of Athens, he would declare by the direction of the Holy Spirit, “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men to repent” (Acts. 17:30). God had, in times past, allowed the nations of the earth to go their own way but now a summons was being sent forth in the preaching of the gospel and an important part of that summons was, “repent!”

Clearly, the people we read about in these passages must have known what repentance was, or else they could not have possibly responded to such a demand from heaven. It does appear that in our day many have lost an understanding of just what repentance is. Many think that repentance is being sorry for the commission of sin. It is certainly true that one cannot repent of sin without having what the Scriptures call “godly sorrow.” When we look into God’s word we see that repentance is not so much sorrow itself but rather the natural outgrowth of godly sorrow. In 2 Corinthians 7:9-10 Paul, in referring to things he had previously said to the brethren in Corinth, made this point: “Now I rejoice, not that you were made sorry, but that your sorrow led to repentance. For you were made sorry in a godly manner, that you might suffer loss from us in nothing. For godly sorrow produced repentance to salvation, not to be regretted, but the sorrow of the world produced death.” The sorrow some people feel for sins committed, causes them to repent. I have witnessed people on the other hand, who, facing the sins of their lives, did not repent but sank to the depths of despair and hopelessness. This is what Judas did when he realized what he had done. He was “remorseful” (Matt.27:3) but his remorse was not repentance unto life. It was worldly sorrow unto death.

Just as people mistake repentance for it’s cause, people also mistake repentance for its result. Many believe the actual amending of ones ways to be repentance. In fact, this is the result of repentance. This point is made clear by John the Baptist’s appeal to men to “bring forth fruit worthy of repentance.” The deeds done were not repentance; they were the result of repentance.

If repentance is not remorse but the result of it, and not reformed action but the cause of it, what is repentance? The word “repent,” which signifies God’s desire and demand of men, is from the Greek work “metanoeo” which means “to think differently, or afterwards.” The word therefore signifies a changing of the mind. There is a place in Scripture where we can read of the process of repentance within an individual even as it happens. That place is Luke 15:17-19. The prodigal (wasteful) son had squandered away his inheritance and gotten himself in the very bad position of feeding, and being envious of, unclean swine. Verse 17 says “he came to himself.” He realized his situation, he was indeed sorry for what he had done. The actual repentance is in verses 18-19. Here the young man says “I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him ‘Father I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.'” That is repentance! As one continues with the story, he sees this man do exactly what he had “changed his mind” to do. This is the fruit that is suitable to repentance.

My friend, Paul’s words are still true, “God commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). Our Lord is not slack in his promise to return, he is  longsuffering. His patience provides time and opportunity for us to repent of our sins and turn to Him. Peter would say in 2 Pet.3:15, “and account that the longsuffering or our Lord is salvation.” But we must understand that God’s longsuffering is not eternal! We must seize the opportunity. The words of our Lord are as vital today as ever! The message for sinful men is still “repent!” Alien sinners still need to “repent and be baptized” and erring disciples still need to “Repent, therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.” Gods call to repentance is evidence of His love for us. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” (Rev.3:19) Will you repent?

 

LEARNING THE BENEFIT FROM ITS POWER