Tell the Truth
The ninth commandment addresses the issue of truth and deception. There are several kinds of deception: sometimes we tell lies to hurt someone; sometimes we lie to cover up; sometimes we live as hypocrites, claiming to be something we are not. But one of the most damaging ways we break this commandment is when we lie to ourselves.
M. Scott Peck, the author of The Road Less Traveled, wrote another book called People of the Lie. As the title of his books suggests, he identifies evil people as people of the lie. Yet at the heart of his thesis is not just that these people are good at deceiving others, but rather that they are exceptionally good at deceiving themselves. They build layer upon layer of self-deception.
Layer upon layer happens in an effort to hide the truth about oneself. Peck writes:
Utterly dedicated to preserving their self-image of perfection, they are unceasingly engaged in the effort to maintain the appearance of moral purity. They worry about this a great deal. They are acutely sensitive to social norms and what others might think of them. …they dress well, go to work on time, pay their taxes, and outwardly seem to live lives that are above reproach.
The words “image,” “appearance,” and “outwardly” are crucial to understanding the morality of the evil. While they seem to lack any motivation to be good, they intensely desire to appear good. Their “goodness” is all on a level of pretense. It is, in effect, a lie. That is why they are “people of the lie.”
Actually, the lie is designed not so much to deceive others as to deceive themselves. They cannot or will not tolerate the pain of self-reproach. The decorum with which they lead their lives is maintained as a mirror in which they can see themselves reflected righteously. (75)
Peck goes on to point out that people who have allowed themselves to get to this place in life become so narcissistic or self absorbed that they come to a place where they have no empathy for others. In his words:
…their narcissism makes the evil dangerous not only because it motivates them to scapegoat others but also because it deprives them of the restraint that results from empathy and respect for others. (136)
In John 8:44 we read that lies are the native language of Satan.
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
In fact, he is the father of lies. There is no truth in him. Those who give themselves over to evil in this way have so many layers they may not know what truth is. These people are so taken with themselves and how they appear to others that they do not seem to have the ability to see failure in themselves. They have not concept of their own failure so they have no empathy or compassion for others. They really don’t care and as such are dangerous people.
Perhaps the greatest danger deception brings to our lives is when we lie to ourselves for so long that we actually believe the lie. I have been around situation where there is a problem and there is joint culpability, that is, all parties involved have some responsibility, but have watched some parties turn their active participation into a victim role when the situation is exposed.
The most well known example of lying to ourselves happens in the case of those with addictions who do not believe they are addicted. Yes it is true that they may drink too much alcohol, but they fully believe they can quit at any time. In the world of Alcoholics Anonymous there it is fundamental that one discovers the truth about oneself in order to find help. In some cases intervention is necessary. Intervention takes place when an alcoholic is invited into a room where family and friends have gathered. He is then confronted by all of them with the fact that he has a problem. The intervention breaks through the lies he has been telling himself, perhaps for years.
Paul tells us that we should look at ourselves honestly. He writes (Romans 12:3a):
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…
This morning could you be saying, “I don’t have an anger problem, I just get angry.” “I don’t have a money problem, I just spend more than I make.” “I don’t have a language problem, I just have a full vocabulary.” Perhaps we should take time to fill in the blanks for ourselves: “I don’t have a _______ problem, I just ________ .
For fifteen years Jim Fixx, author of the 1978 bestseller, The Complete Book of Running, ran eighty miles a week. He appeared to be in tip-top shape. It didn't seem possible that a man his age could be in better condition. Yet at age fifty-two Fixx died of a massive heart attack while running alone on a Vermont road. His wife, Alice, later said she was certain that Fixx had no idea he suffered from a heart problem. Why? Because he refused to get regular checkups. After Jim Fixx's death, doctors speculated that his heart was so strong he may not have had the telltale chest pains or shortness of breath that usually signal arterial heart disease! (Today in the Word, May, 1990, MBI, p. 7. )
The ninth key to successful living reminds us that we need to tell the truth. Truth sets us free from the bondage of deception. We can enter into life with joy. Jesus is the truth. It is the truth that sets us free. And if Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed (John 8:31–36).
This is not a time of year for self-punishment or morbid thoughts of what poor wretched souls we are. It is at season whose object is the great joy of a right relationship with God and others. In Psalm 51:12 is a petition of David for this season when he asks: “Restore to me the joy of my salvation.” As Christians we are to be of all people most joyful.
The tragedy of sin and deception is that so long as they are practiced we never deal with the issue that will bring us to the life of freedom and joy that God would have for us. He does not want his children to live in guilt and condemnation and fear that they will be found out. His way is the way of confession and repentance. David put it well in Psalm 51.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;
you teachb me wisdom
in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Truth, confession, repentance and the joy of the Lord follows.