“through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared” (1 Timothy 4:2 ESV).
This reference to liars here in 1 Timothy 4:2 alludes to the Ninth Commandment as recorded in Exodus chapter 20: “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16 KJV). The context of this passage also serves to remind us that false teachers are often convincing liars who can easily deceive those those who aren’t diligent to study the Scriptures.
This emphasizes the need to follow the admonition given to us in the New Testament book of 1 Thessalonians: “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 NIV). The Biblical epistle of 1 John also emphasizes our responsibility in this area when it says, “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1 NIV).
We can add Jesus’ observation regarding the devil and his character to this list of references as well: “When he lies, it is perfectly normal; for he is the father of liars” (John 8:44). This helps explain why lying is wrong- it traces its origin to the nature of Satan, not God.
It’s also important to remember that the Scriptures identify God as a God of truth (Psalm 31:5) who does not lie (Titus 1:1-2)- and those who are untruthful in small things are likely to be untruthful in larger affairs as well. As Jesus noted in the gospel of Luke, “Anyone who can be trusted in little matters can also be trusted in important matters. But anyone who is dishonest in little matters will be dishonest in important matters” (Luke 16:10 CEV).
While lying often seems easier than telling the truth, there is price to pay for doing so. That price takes the form of doubt and uncertainty in our relationships and provokes distrust in our interactions with others. This serves to explain why the New Testament epistle of Colossians tells us, “Don’t tell lies to each other; it was your old life with all its wickedness that did that sort of thing; now it is dead and gone” (TLB).
We can honor God and gain the respect of others if we develop a reputation for honesty. In a world where truthful responses are often rare, we should make it our aim to “…speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church” (Ephesians 4:15 NLT).