A Wink and a Nod can display a covert or secretive action. And, if you’re on the receiving end of this WINK, you may give an approving NOD right back as if to say, “Go ahead, no one’s watching.” But as we know, there’s One who sees it all, and there’s no escaping this fact. So, when Christians deliberate and then sin their way into what they think is a microscopic lie or some sort of delusional false self-narrative, the LORD knows; He always does.
It doesn’t take long, while diving into Scripture, to see just how God feels about lying in particular. Psalm 101:7 plainly states, “No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes.”
This offense can’t be stated any more clearly, and there’s no misinterpretation unless the lying “perp” chooses to ignore this bold declaration. And sadly, some Christians make it a practice to give a WINK to the LORD believing He’ll NOD right back.
There’s nothing sweet about lies even when a person does it as a protective mechanism. I’m not talking about those challenging, hard places that surface when someone says, “Does this dress make me look big?” Is that even a fair question to ask a friend? There’s no escaping the fact that people are sensitive, and one wrong answer can put a good friend in the DEEP FREEZE for an indeterminate amount of time.
In the art world, when an artist puts another artist on the spot for feedback, it’s always wise to see the beauty or aesthetics somewhere in the piece and then build from there as opposed to lying. It opens up the conversation to productivity and not a critique so harsh, the artist (almost) can’t recover.
One may believe that lying is just a part of life with repentance to follow soon after. However, there may be no attempt to gain victory over lying believing God gave a NOD in each lying case. Or worse, there’s absolutely no remorse for lying believing it’s one of those sins not worth mentioning (to God) because there’s an imagined understanding that this is the sin with which God isn’t concerned.
Not long ago, my Aunt was recovering in a rehab center from a nasty fall. Every day, I’d visit and check on her progress. And every day, I’d see a lot of uneaten desserts by her bedside table. One day, I saw a piece of wrapped chocolate cake that I knew my sister (at home) would enjoy. I also decided my Aunt wasn’t going to eat it. Instead of asking if it was okay to take it home, I snagged it secretly and carefully put it in my purse. Honestly, I have no clue why I thought covertly taking the cake was perfectly fine. Did I think my Aunt would give me a tongue-lashing for asking? But, it was quick as if instinctive from the days before becoming a Christian. It was no less than a day that I realized I was hiding something I thought God would excuse.
Here lies the problem:
When we decide the standard of sin instead of God’s, the Goalpost of Righteousness moves. Then, habitual sin encroaches as we become anesthetized to these little “acceptable” infractions. And all it takes is the first time of believing in that NOD from God that welcomes the second, third, and fourth time. Eventually, lying becomes a way of life.
God says, "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are His delight." Proverbs 12:22. On Judgment Day, what will God say? Quite frankly, anyone practicing lying can use their imagination and fill in the blank with whatever delights the imagination.
God is immutable which means unchanging. He doesn’t mince words about His standard on the sin of lying. Lies are packaged in many ways, but the so-called acceptable ones are always “sweet” or “white.” This is where creative lying can change a person from being in God’s will to enmity with Him.
When we immerse ourselves in Scripture, we learn about God’s character from Genesis to Revelation. And we see that God is HOLY and we are NOT. But He wants us to be in communion with Him and set apart which means to be “holy.” We get this holy relationship through His Son Jesus Christ. So with this understanding, we strive to live according to His ways which are nothing but good - very good!
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