honesty – La Vista Church of Christ

Just and Full Weights

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 18:55:28 +0000

by Zeke Flores

"You shall have a full and just weight; you shall have a full and just measure ..." (Deuteronomy 25:15).

This command deals with honest measurements.

Dishonest scales were a quiet way to cheat customers. Moses addresses it because integrity isn’t just about big decisions; it’s about everyday transactions.

Israel was expected to build a culture where fairness was normal. Cutting corners, manipulating numbers, or hiding details wasn’t acceptable because God cares about accuracy and honesty.

In your life, this applies to how you handle money, time, responsibilities, and communication. Integrity shows up in the details. Fairness isn’t something you turn on and off; it’s a consistent posture.

Deuteronomy 25:15 encourages you to examine whether your “weights” are honest. Are you fair in how you evaluate situations, treat people, and represent yourself?

Integrity

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 20:09:56 +0000

by Zeke Flores

"If a man makes a vow to Yahweh ... he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth" (Numbers 30:2).

Numbers 30 emphasizes integrity. When someone made a vow, God expected them to keep it. Their words mattered. Their commitments reflected their character.

We live in a world where promises are often broken. Commitments are treated lightly. But God calls us to be people of integrity. Our words should be trustworthy. Our commitments should be steady.

This doesn’t mean we need to make big vows; it means we should be faithful in the small things. Following through on what we say. Being honest. Keeping our word even when it’s inconvenient.

Integrity builds trust. It honors God. It strengthens relationships.

Ask God to help you be faithful in your words and actions today.

Christians, Taxes, Honesty, and Managing Money

Jeffrey Hamilton — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 22:41:05 +0000

(or, Why Do You Think They Call It "Mastercard"?)

by Mark Chatfield
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 19 No. 1, March 1993

"The credit card bill came in the mail today."

"Oh, no! It has all last month’s gifts on it."

"Yes, and the trip to Mom’s place."

"What are we going to do? $2,100."

"I don’t know. What’s the minimum we can pay?"

"It says $57."

"Okay, that will give us until next month to figure something out."

How familiar does that sound? I’m afraid it is all too familiar in Christian families of today. What is going on here?

Money. American society and government are centered on money. The biggest problems people in this country perceive are the economy, the national debt, the cost of living, the cost of health care, etc., ad nauseam. I suppose it is all we can expect from a secular, carnal society. However, more and more, Christians are caught up in the same thing.

Yes, Genesis 14:15 warns us that money will fail from time to time.
Yes, Jesus said we cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24), or serve two masters.
Yes, I Timothy 6:10 tells us that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.

What does that have to do with my credit card bill?

First, the bill doesn’t just come; we control every charge. Whether the card is named "MasterCard" or not, God has made us responsible for our finances. No account should be our master. If it becomes such, it is our own fault. We would be better off cutting it up into little shards of plastic. Today, Jesus is in effect saying to us, "You cannot serve God and MasterCard."

Second, when we let our finances get out of control, we are letting Satan take over. The moment we pass up an opportunity to better serve God because we have to work excessive hours to pay unforeseen bills, we have put money ahead of God. It is like the person who drinks alcohol or takes other drugs, which affect his or her ability to give their whole heart and soul and mind and strength. The result is that they are breaking the very foremost commandment (Matthew 22:37).

Finally, when we lose control of our finances, we injure our esteem. Both our self-esteem and the esteem of family and friends who see the problems as weaknesses that should have been overcome before they festered.

There are alternatives to permitting our finances to take control. God tells Christians to work at our secular tasks as though we are working for Him (Colossians 3:23). If we follow His word, our honesty will be impeccable. Lack of honesty can tear us apart. Let me tell you a personal story. It took place in 1956:

I was in fifth grade at Smith Elementary in Deming, New Mexico. Somehow, despite my impetuous ways, I had been selected to be part of the school patrol. This was a position of honor. We were issued white helmets, vests, and badges, which made it clear to the world that we were responsible for discipline.

One of our duties was to walk two at a time through the empty classrooms at lunchtime to make sure no one was disturbing things. After doing this a few times, the temptation became too great. The "friend" I was with, and I began taking little things from the desks. Just a piece of bubble gum or candy. Then some loose change. For about two weeks, we did this. I kept telling myself they were just "little" things. After the little things began to accumulate, my conscience would not let me go on. You see, my dad and mother were honest to the core. Their example had taught me right from wrong.

I was trapped. I could not bring myself to tell my "friend" that I couldn’t continue. Yet the guilt was eating me from the inside. I could think of only one way out: tell the Principal, Mr. Fred Whitaker.

With cold and sweaty palms, I approached what seemed like a 12-foot-high door to Mr. Whitaker’s office. In complete shame, I described what we had done. I desperately wanted to return everything to the owners, but there was no way to know to whom it belonged. I was so relieved to release the pressure of my guilt that I hardly noticed that Mr. Whitaker did not punish me. He must have known that it would not have accomplished anything at that point.

We gave all we could back to the Principal. Somehow, he took care of it. God had provided me a lesson in honesty that was much more effective than words. The lesson: honesty is an absolute. A person cannot continue to cheat, even on the "little" things, and expect to get away with it.

Now that I’m beyond fifth grade, the opportunities to take little things are much greater. The IRS does not check every detail of every return. If I receive cash or barter income, there is probably no way anyone will ever find out unless I show it on my return. If I find a nontransferable ticket for the Metro or for parking, no one will ever find out.

The question is not, "Will anyone find out?"
The question is not, "Can I take advantage of the system?"
The question is this: "Is it honest in the sight of God and man?"
The question is, "Am I willing to lose my soul for eternity over things as trite as a one-dollar parking fee or as big as income tax evasion?"

If you, as a Christian, are honest, hardworking, and otherwise pleasing in God’s eyes, and you still have financial problems, there is help available. The church is not a financial institution, but God tells us to care for one another. Benevolence is a work of the church. There is no shame in asking for help. Don’t let our money-oriented society make you or your family go hungry because you feel inadequate asking for benevolence.

If you are having trouble budgeting your money, look around and seek assistance. Among Christians, you will find accountants, tax experts, budget specialists, and financial advisors. Chances are, they won't ask you if you need help, but they would love to help in any way they can once you ask.

The bottom line is this: Don't let money get in the way of your service to God. If it already is, don't permit it to continue to jeopardize your soul. Make your MasterCard your servant or turn it into a MasterShard.

Because I Tell You the Truth

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 14:55:50 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Paul had no desire to be the enemy of anyone. He had every right to expect that people should and must appreciate truth, even if it hurts at first. The truth teller is telling the truth because that is what love demands.

Love demands that people help people get out of error by recognizing it and then choosing to disavow it. Truth is the way to freedom from error and condemnation (John 8:30,31). The truth sets you free from ignorance and darkness. But Paul had to ask some brethren, "Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?" (Galatians 4:16).

Jesus had enemies, not because He sought them, but because people become comfortable in error and darkness and feel uncomfortable when the light exposes the darkness (John 3:17-21).

People should appreciate and love the truth-teller, but they rarely do. So, unfortunately, you have to expect that sometimes even brethren will make you their enemy because you tell the truth they do not like to hear. Like Jesus and Paul, you cannot please everyone!

If you are trying to please everyone, you could not be a servant of Christ (Galatians 1:10). You have to remember to teach the truth, let your purpose be only to please God, and let the people decide if they are going to love you for standing for God's word or hate you for it. Love them enough to tell the truth of God's word regardless of how they decide to respond to it.

God will judge how they respond to His truth and how they treat His truth-tellers. Be sure you are a truth-teller and that you have a love of God and His truth. Teach the truth in love.

Is it repentance if I sin just this once and never do it again?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 00:39:35 +0000

Question:

There is an assignment that I was supposed to complete, and I had ample time to do it, but I didn't, which I admit was wrong of me. I look to change this attitude in the future. The root cause is social media. I know I must repent of that and not spend too much time on it. I now have to handle this assignment, as well as other assignments, and there are only a few days left to submit them all before tests and exams start.

I found someone who can do the assignment for me. They could handle that while I focus on the other assignments. What I worry about is that I might have to admit I wrote that assignment myself, when in reality, someone else did it for me, which would obviously be a lie.

The thing is, if I don't have that assignment written for me, I will fail and receive a bad grade, and my parents will scream at me, deeming me an embarrassment, the biggest failure on the planet, and never amount to anything, etc. They used to do even worse when I was younger, which still causes me a lot of anxiety and fear. So, while I do not want to disobey God, the situation with my parents is also something I do not want to go through.

Does it count as a genuine repentance if I only do it that way just this once, not to sin, but to avoid trouble (although I pray to God to help me avoid sin)? I already acknowledge that the way I have been doing things in the past is wrong and sinful. After this one thing, I will cut off social media or get it under control; and never ask someone to do for me something I was supposed to do, doing it myself and praying to God for help instead, and being diligent, changing my lifestyle to truly reflect that which follows Jesus.

Answer:

Repentance occurs when an individual who has been sinning realizes they were wrong and makes a significant change in attitude and behavior to cease their sinful actions. "For behold what earnestness this very thing, this godly sorrow, has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter" (II Corinthians 7:11). You show none of these characteristics. You are planning to sin. You think that the situation justifies sinning.

Turning in a paper with your name on it, but which you have not written, is lying. It doesn't require someone asking you for it to become a lie.

Yes, you'll get into trouble because you were lazy about doing your assignments. Sins have consequences. Perhaps you'll start maturing and realize this.

The proper way to handle being late on several assignments is to order them by priority and time to complete. The ones that make the biggest impact on your overall grade should be done first. Since there is limited time, you work on the shorter ones first to complete more of them. Assignments that cannot be turned in late come before assignments that give you a penalty for being turned in late. It may lower your grades, but then you spend the remainder of your classes working to improve your grades and doing extra credit where possible.

Defining Ourselves

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sat, 22 Mar 2025 02:37:12 +0000

by David Gibson

"If we are left to define ourselves, it is impossible to know who we are" (author unknown).

How some define themselves

Many believe they are the product of a long evolutionary development from lower life forms. But soon after creating lower forms of life, God said, “Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness” (Genesis 1:26 NASB), and He gave humans rulership over all other living creatures (Genesis 1:20-28).
Some have chosen to identify as the opposite of their birth gender—or as “non-binary.” But as Jesus said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female . . . ?” (Matthew 19:4).
Jesus addressed those “who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt” (Luke 18:9-14). The parable that follows sets the record straight.
Jesus challenged those who rejected Him while taking pride in being Abraham’s children. “You are of your father, the devil,” He told them, “and you want to do the desires of your father” (John 8:44).
The Laodicean Christians were quite satisfied with themselves, but Jesus showed them how they really were (Revelation 3:14-22).
New Age thinking is one of numerous current influences promoting the idea that we humans can actually become divine beings. What a self-definition that is! Those who believe this need to take a good hard look at how God humbled those who claimed such prerogatives, such as the king of Babylon (Isaiah 14:4-20) and the king of Tyre (Ezekiel 28:1-19).

The One who defines us

Shouldn’t it be obvious that only the One who made us can tell us who we are? He tells us in His word that by studying the Scriptures, we can understand our true identity and what we can become in Christ through His grace and help. Knowing this is both humbling and encouraging. Humbling, in that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), and encouraging as we learn how His grace can transform us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).

What a God we serve!

AI’s Dangers

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 23:24:41 +0000

by Doy Moyer

AI (artificial intelligence) is undoubtedly an amazing achievement for humanity, and there are legitimate ways to use it. I’m not talking here about those ways (There is plenty of healthy debate about this). I will, however, express some concerns, especially as one who has been involved in education for several years.

When a student is assigned to write a paper, there are always concerns about issues like plagiarism. I have had to deal with plenty of cases. I have caught students copying wholesale from the internet. Some others have copied, almost wholesale, from one another. There are multiple lesser cases (I generally have a scale of blatancy), but the point is that plagiarizing is easy enough. It will always undercut the education process and harm the student’s integrity. If I’m comfortable plagiarizing, I’m comfortable lying. No child of God can be okay with that.

The danger of AI is that it can not only serve as a way to plagiarize but can also make it even harder to discover that this is what is happening. This makes the temptation greater because if we can get away with something cheap and easy in the face of crunched time and effort, will we do it? AI can help catch mistakes, but when it is used as a substitute for students thinking through and doing their own work, they are hurting themselves and their education.

Plagiarism is another form of lying, especially when one knows this is what he or she is doing. AI can become the same problem of dishonestly short-cutting to get something written and then treating it as if it were the student’s own work. Students often look for ways to streamline what they have to do, and AI has made it easier to cut out the hard work of thinking, writing, editing, and rewording something they did. This has even discouraged professors from requiring writing assignments because none of us want to waste time reading AI-generated papers.

Add to this that people now use AI-generated photos and stories to pass around on social media. Sometimes, that’s not hard to spot, but the problem is that it is getting more difficult to tell. Reality itself is being questioned, and we hardly know what is true anymore. Again, for Christians, this is not acceptable. Truth is foundational for everything else that we believe and do. If we cannot know what is real and true, we have lost our bearings.

I will also add that preachers and Bible teachers must be careful here. Preachers already have access to multiple tools that can help them, but they also have access to outlines and articles that could, if they are not careful, make it so that they rarely study and work hard for themselves. We can go to a website and pick an outline late Saturday night, barely put in the time to study and think it through, and get away with another week of barely any study while we pass off lessons of others as our own. Now, we all borrow from others, and I’m not against that, but when we borrow without doing our own study and reading, that is inexcusable. AI is another way in which this can happen. Perhaps you can get some good points, but if something else is writing everything for us, and we are just plucking it up and using it without personal study, we are cheating ourselves and our brethren. Indeed, we may well be robbing God.

AI can dehumanize, and I often fear this is already happening. Consequently, human beings may think less critically, read far less, and fail to learn how to express themselves adequately. People learn how to use ChatGPT and other platforms, but are they personally learning logic, communication, study skills, and how to write? Are they learning to distinguish truth from error? Are they learning what is real?

While AI has uses, don’t let it take your integrity away. Don’t let it dehumanize you. Don’t let it think for you. Don’t let it become a fake world where reality cannot be known.

Or are we already living in the Matrix?

Is it wrong to keep a secret?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 12 May 2021 16:08:18 +0000

Question:

Is it a sin to keep secrets?

I have some secrets I want to keep hidden at the moment. Only at the right time will I reveal it. However, this is a compounding issue. Since keeping secrets may often lead to lies, and (as I've read on your website) lying is not an option. If secrets involve lying, is it a sin to keep secrets?

If it isn't a sin to keep secrets, what's the best way to avoid it getting revealed or exposed without having to lie?

Answer:

"Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons." But Samuel said, "How can I go? When Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' "You shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you." So Samuel did what the LORD said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, "Do you come in peace?" He said, "In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice" (I Samuel 16:1-5).

God wanted Samuel to appoint a replacement for King Saul, but Samuel was afraid of what Saul would do if he heard that another king was appointed. Thus, God told Samuel to offer a sacrifice in the town where the next king (David) happened to live. As a result, when people asked Samuel why he was there, he could honestly answer that he was there to offer a sacrifice. He didn't have to mention that his primary purpose was to appoint the next king. There was no dishonesty. Samuel never lied because no one thought to ask him if he was there for other reasons.

From this, we learn that you don't have to reveal everything you know in order to be honest. Some things others just don't need to know or they might cause harm if they are revealed. Sometimes people will tell you things privately that they don't want others to know. "He who goes about as a talebearer reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy conceals a matter" (Proverbs 11:13). This doesn't mean that if someone told you that they are going to rob a bank or commit suicide that you can't tell someone. Those are matters of sin and they need to be revealed to prevent harm from being done. However, if someone told you in confidence that he is in love with Suzy, then he should be confident that you won't tell anyone else.

The best way to keep a secret is to not say anything. It is never appropriate to lie. You cannot accomplish good through sin. "And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just" (Romans 3:8). But refusing to speak is not a lie. Or you can say, "I cannot talk about it." But most often people don't think to ask the right questions and you are not required to indicate what question they ought to ask.

False Memories Can Be Reversed

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 04 May 2021 19:24:46 +0000

Source: Brianna Abbott, "False Memories Can Be Planted and Then Reversed, Researchers Find," Wall Street Journal, 22 March 2021.

"The work confirms previous research on the malleability of memories while pointing to potential techniques for recognizing and rooting them out."

"Some research suggests that true memories tend to be stronger for people than false ones, Nancy Dennis, a memory researcher and an associate professor of psychology at Pennsylvania State University. Yet people can also have vivid false memories or weaker true memories, making them difficult to tease apart on an individual basis."

To undo the false memories, the researchers "asked for the origin of each recollection." In other words, what was the original source for the memory? Was it a conversation, a photograph, or something else? And they ask the person "to remember events could lead to the creation of false memories." Thus, the person becomes aware of how a false memory could be planted and then apply that information to their own memories.

My Take

This is important when dealing with scrupulosity. People tend to focus on their past and often rewrite their history, often in a negative way. Things "remembered" long after the events should be viewed as suspect. "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26).

"He who speaks truth tells what is right, but a false witness, deceit" (Proverbs 12:17). Truth is reinforced when examined. Lies are exposed by inconsistencies.

Should I admit I lied about the number of days I completed in a class?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 21 Jan 2021 20:56:27 +0000

Question:

Hello!

Thank you all for your help through the questions and answers. Last year, I was homeschooled and I made the mistake of not completing the minimum number of days required for the class. They should have reported it, but the lady who was given the days (which I lied about on the sheet) didn’t check the proof online that would have shown that I lied. Instead, I got away with it and got credit for the classes. I repented of all that to God already, but I realize I broke the law. Do I need to tell the authorities? It would also affect my mom and dad and the lady who didn’t check it, which makes me feel like maybe I shouldn’t, but I want to do what God wants. And when it comes to that, I feel like He may want me to tell them.

Please help. I want to do the right thing, but I just don’t know what it is.

Answer:

The first rule you need to keep in mind is that you can't get good from evil. "And why not say (as we are slanderously reported and as some claim that we say), "Let us do evil that good may come"? Their condemnation is just" (Romans 3:8). Therefore, when facing a decision, you must always choose the one that is the right thing to do.

While you are feeling sorry for the people, I would like you to notice a few things. One woman did not do her job. Whose fault is that? Your parents are the ones responsible for your paperwork and making sure that you did your lessons. They pushed that off on you. Thus, while I respect that you don't want to cause people problems, the problems occurred because everyone involved didn't do what they should have done.

Since your parents are responsible, you need to tell them that you lied on the paperwork. Tell them that you want to fix it, but you need their help figuring out how to get the matter corrected. Probably the easiest way to fix the problem is to go ahead and put in the missing hours so that what you've done now matches what you had claimed. The extra hours will also serve as part of the punishment for lying.

Question:

Thank you, but I’m sorry to say none of them have seen it that way. My parents have been informed and they don’t see that I didn’t do the job. I did complete the work, as I said, but I didn’t put in the proper time. I even feel bad saying this because they would be upset I’m talking to anyone about it. They brought in a preacher at one point but he came to the conclusion that it is fine.

I feel so terrible too because today the lady previously mentioned said I needed to apply for a scholarship online and one of the requirements is attendance. I think my parents are going to force me to fill it out and, while my transcript may say I’m applicable, I’m not actually because of the missing attendance. I feel like it would be lying to do this and I don’t want to do it.

I feel so stuck and distraught because no one around me wants to help me make it right. I don’t know if they really see anything wrong with it because I don’t know if they understand that I actually did lie, even though I have told them. I think I have really messed up anything and I’m scared to move because I don’t want to mess it all up or disappoint God. I’m really trying.

Please do help. Thank you also for your previous message

Answer:

That your parents properly believe the focus is on completing the assigned work and not how many physical hours it took to do the work is correct. The requirements for reporting your time learning vary by state, so I can give you a specific answer for your particular state. However, what people fail to consider is that the time used to home school is more flexible than public schools. Public schools have a lot of wasted time built into their schedules.

For example, if you worked extra hours on Monday through Wednesday to get your week's work done so you could take Thursday and Friday off, do you count that as three days of work or five days of work (just done in fewer days)? Other activities, where you are learning, also count as schooling. So those days you cooked you were learning home economics, math, and some science. Days that you went shopping you were learning math and life-skills. That camping trip becomes a field trip to learn natural science. See "Surprising Homeschool Hour Requirements: How Many Hours Should Homeschooling Take?" Because of this, I suspect you are being more restrictive in counting your days that your parents were. See also "You’re Probably Homeschooling Way More Than You Need To."

As I said in the first note, it is your parents' responsibility to report your school efforts. If they believe you put in an adequate number of days to complete the tasks, then I would accept their word.