What was the first lie told in the Bible?

Question: What was the first lie told in the Bible? Was it the serpent talking to Eve? Answer: Yes, it was.  God had said, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you…

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What if a government gives false reasons for going to war?

Question: I am wondering what the Bible says concerning going to war for unjustified reasons? What if a country deceives its people and claims reasons for going to war, but there is evidence that does not justify war? How do Christians and Christians in the military handle this type of situation? Answer: A government’s authority,…

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Is it a lie to friend someone on Facebook that you don’t know?

Question: Hi there, Please tell me, if we have sent friend requests to people on Facebook that we had never met before and do not know that is like lying then what? Will we keep sinning by lying as long as we leave the friend requests stand to the persons we have sent to the…

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Seeing Only What You Want to See

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/SeeingOnlyWhatYouWantToSee.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Psalms 50   I.         I would like to share a portion of a letter I received: “I am in love with this girl who loved me too. We loved each other so crazily but at one point I realized that she had been lying to me for no reason to…

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Why was Abram rewarded for lying to Pharaoh?

Question: I just read Genesis 12:1-20 and I’m a little perplexed by it. Abram bent the truth concerning Sarai by getting her to say she was his sister rather than his wife when they came into Egypt. I know she was his half-sister by his father, but it was still a lie. So why was…

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Is it wrong to leave out some of my employment history on a resume?

Question: I often struggle with discerning what might be God’s conviction over sin and what might be me worrying excessively. Recently, I filled out a job application that asked for a separate sheet for additional employment that was “relevant to the position” I was applying for. I held many, many jobs during college, some for…

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If I don’t tell my wife I sinned, isn’t that lying?

Question: Hello. I’ve been reading through many of the posts on your site regarding adultery and lying.  I have found much of it to be very helpful, but I am struggling with some of what you advise.  In several of the posts on adultery, you advise the person who committed adultery that it would be best to…

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How can I get to heaven if I’ve told a lie?

Question: I was pondering this question. Jesus states that those who are liars, murderers, etc. will not inherit the kingdom of God. In Revelation, it states “And nothing unclean and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”…

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Is all lying bad?

Question: This question is about lying. Is lying in all views, such as white lies or small lies, a sin? Is there such a thing as using a lie to help someone? I can’t think of a good example now, but I do hope you know what I mean. There are also lies about even…

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Little Lies

by Rusty Miller “Buy truth, and do not sell it” (Proverbs 23:23). Of all the things God desires most, none has suffered more in recent times than honesty. The lie is no longer something to be scorned; in fact, “everybody lies” is the most common excuse heard when someone is actually caught in a lie.…

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The Worse Lies

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/WorseLies.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: Isaiah 59:1-15   I.         In describing Israel’s plight, God lists out the sins in which they had been involved in Isaiah 59:1-15             A.        Repeatedly through this passage lies and a lack of truth is brought up             B.        Lies are sinful, but more so, sinners lie                         1.         How does the addict attempt to avoid…

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Who are those who love and practice a lie?

Question: In Revelation 22:15, John seems to be saying one last time who will enter the kingdom and who will not.  All the other things I understand, but the last part when he says those who love and practice a lie is somewhat unclear to me.  I understand the general meaning and how that relates…

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My friend is planning to commit fraud. What should I do?

Question: I have an ethical problem. I recently became aware of a friend planning on committing what is basically insurance fraud with his car due to his financial situation and his car having so many issues. I know when and how he plans on having his vehicle “stolen” and stripped as well as what insurance…

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I lied in my earlier note to satisfy a spanking fetish

Question: The following email conversation was made up, on my part. I have had a fetish of spanking since I was 4 years old as far as I can remember. I recently had a memory restored to me of being spanked at 1 1/2 years old. I established some dysfunctional associations to spanking and in my…

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Why were the Israelites not to use diverse weights?

Question: In Proverbs 20:10 it reads, “Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.” This is also stated in Proverbs 20:23 with a reference to Deuteronomy 25:13 which reads, “Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.” I know that “divers” means many…

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If a person is married under false pretenses, is it still a valid marriage?

Question: Does the Bible mention false marriages or are all marriages valid? This year alone, three women who escaped from Michigan prisons more than thirty years ago have been captured and returned to Michigan. One woman who has received a lot of attention moved to California, changed her name, got married, raised a family, and…

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Great sermon on the subject of lying!

Question: Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus. Great sermon on the subject of lying! May the Lord continue to bless you in the knowledge of His word, for the edification of the body of Christ. Answer: Thank you for your kind words.

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Why would a boy take pictures of me?

Question: Why would a tenth-grade student in English as a Second Language class want a picture of me? He actually took two pictures of me. Do you think I should trick him into giving me the camera and erase the photo from his camera? Can you answer me back? I don’t even know him so…

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Didn’t God tell someone to lie in I Kings 22?

Question: I appreciate your response. For me, I Kings 22:22 is abundantly clear. I found it among a few other examples, most of which were less conclusive. For example, where God sent strong delusion, which isn’t specifically a lie. A tangential issue is where God repented for installing a certain king. Some would say that…

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If God told Satan to lie, then isn’t it OK for us to lie?

Question: If the Old Testament, even once, shows us that God told Satan to lie to a woman, would that be OK? If not, better read that book more closely. I’ll bet that it shows that very clearly. Once, that should be OK, let’s consider the original language, let’s dance around, let’s tell him that…

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Thou Shalt Not …

Text: Romans 13:8-10   I.         In continuing our series on understanding the Ten Commandments, I would like for us to focus our attention on the commands which begin “You shall not …” – Exodus 20:13-17             A.        The repeating of a phrase, in this case “you shall not”, causes one to pay attention to the words. It sets…

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Should I go ahead and spank my son?

Question: How are you doing? I wrote to you about three years ago about our two sons. Well, now the oldest is 16 and just received his license. Our youngest son is 11. We had implemented spanking and following God’s word on the matter. After the first couple of years of talking and seeking your…

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My fifteen-year-old lies so she can do what she wants

Question: My 15-year-old lies to me. I believe she does so in order to do what she wants. She shows a deliberate disrespectful presence. I have set boundaries for Internet usage and she has violated that boundary by talking to people she does not know, lying, and telling me they go to school with her.…

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