Living a Lie

Bearing False Witness

Exodus 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

This is one of the ten commandments. Most of us take this to mean that we are not supposed to lie. Which is true but bearing false witness is about more than lying and perjury. It is also seen when your life doesn't reflect who you claim to be. Meaning that you are living a lie. For example, when you claim to be a Christian and claim Jesus as your Lord and Savior, but you are actively living in sin and not trying to change your life. You are in fact bearing false witness to the people around you because your life does not reflect the life of a Christian.

Bearing false witness also includes gossiping, which is sharing things that you have no direct knowledge of, repeating rumors and unverified truths or what you 'think' is true. Bearing false witness is also twisting the truth, enhancing the facts or telling them in a way meant to deceive.

How you tell a story matters. We have to be careful of what we say even if it is true because it can misrepresent the truth in a harmful way or damage a person's reputation.

When this happens, you are responsible for the things you speak especially when it doesn't represent the full truth. So don't let a juicy story, some fake news or some hot tea cause you to sin. The best way to stay out of it is not to gossip at all in the first place.

Bearing false witness is so much more than not telling the truth it includes not living in the truth as well. In order to live in truth what you say must be in alignment with how you live. In that way you are living as a true witness to the things you believe and speak.