False Witness
Twice within the past month or so I witnessed people bearing “false witness”.
Scripture mentions and illustrates false witness many times and always as something sinful and with evil purpose. “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,” is the 9th of the 10 Commandments Moses returned with after his encounter with God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:16). False witness, or lying about what someone said or did, is connected with being allied with the wicked (Exodus 23:1), willing to do violence to others (Psalm 27:12), and sowing discord among brothers and sisters (Proverbs 6:19). Scripture calls bearing false witness lying (Proverbs 14:5) and compares a person who bears false witness against his neighbor to a violent weapon. (Proverbs 25:18)
Lies are harmful to both the people who lie and those who are lied about.
People bearing “false witness” intentionally stands up and swears to everyone that something untrue is true with the intention of hurting someone or damaging their reputation. This happened to Jesus, (Matthew 26:60; Mark 14:56), David (Psalm 27:12), and Stephen (Acts 6:13). When wicked Queen Jezebel sought to acquire a vineyard for her sulking husband, King Ahab, she directed two false witnesses to do her evil work. Naboth, the vineyard’s owner, was seated in an honorable place on fasting day, but “then two vile men came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, ‘Naboth has cursed both God and the king.’ So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death” (1 Kings 21:13). What the “vile men” said against Naboth was a boldfaced lie. They were bearing false witness without fear of punishment and with Queen Jezebel’s blessing. As a result, an innocent man was murdered.
When a person is righteous and their enemies can find nothing to fault them with, bearing false witness is a common weapon. It’s a kind of character destruction used by people with unkind intentions.
The lies broadcast by a false witness are born out of a sinful human heart…along with murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, slander, and evil thoughts. (Matthew 15:19) Jesus told us that people are defiled by evil things that come from inside our hearts.
“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him … a lying tongue … a false witness who breathes out lies …”. (Proverbs 6:16-19)
Is there a cure for an evil heart that bears false witness?
Have you made a false statement about someone to harm them and want to know how to repent and be healed?
A pure, new heart, is the solution but this can only be given by God (Ezekiel 36:26). As Christ follower, we are to seek to be filled by the Holy Spirit, and when we are, we will be like a new spring, fruitful tree, or a budding vine, producing much good fruit (John 7:38; Psalm 1:1-6; John 15:4-5). The old person is gone and a new person takes over instead. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
If we chose to live and exist “in Christ,” we will have new hearts that speak only the truth: “Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor”. (Ephesians 4:25)
If we choose to walk with Christ and to be filled with the Holy Spirit, we ward of those things of the world, of the flesh, and of the enemy (Satan).
Would you like to choose to know more about being a Christ follower? If so, text the words “I want to know more about following Christ.” to 410-936-4252.
JG