9th Commandment: Lie & Gossip

 

"You must not testify falsely against your neighbors." Exodus 20:16

    The ninth commandments is a social commandment that reveal your heart attitude toward God.  At first sight it appears straight forward, but when people want to justify behavior or push boundaries they will want to redefine what God is saying.  God is saying to not bare false witness, lie, cheat, or verbally speak evil against anyone.  

    Your neighbor does not have to be a Christian.  It does not mean your next door neighbor.  It is not only the people in your neighborhood.  It is not only the people that are in your nationality.  It applies to every single living person in the world.  Lies and gossip have the power to destroy lives.  Even when the truth comes out, you have planted a seed of doubt in the minds of the people that listen to the lie or gossip.

    Now the part that may surprise you is that if you listen, even if you do not spread, and not address the gossip or lie for what it could be (because you probably don't know for sure), then you are just as guilty as the person who spoke it.  God created Words to have power.  He spoke the world into existence.  To act like lying or gossip is not power for evil is naive at best.

    Lets get into what a lie is.  A lie is saying or writing something with the intent of deception.  It is baring false witness.  It is stating assumptions, thoughts, ideas, and opinions as facts.  It is also leaving out key facts that omits parts of the truth from coming out.  It is destructive behavior that goes against God.  God hates lies because it spreads evil in the hearts of people that He designed to be innocent.  It reveals how much of your heart belongs to Satan or willingness to listen to Satan.

    Gossip is sharing information with the intent to harm.  It is divulging private information that will embarrass or harm another person.  In this case it could be true, but the motivation of how the truth comes out makes it evil.  Gossip is slander.  Nothing good ever comes from it.

    Talking about people behind their back is not Christian standard behavior.  To speak rumors to stir up conflict, drama, or damage the reputation of another person reveals hate in the heart.  Hate could be jealousy, envy, vindictiveness, or some other motivation.  It doesn't matter.  It is not right, good, or kind.

    Focus on your own life so you can identify your own sins to repent.  Allow God to deal with everyone else.  If a person speaks evil with you, give time for the truth to be revealed.  It makes them look bad and it allows God to do His job.  

    Returning evil with evil only destroys your innocence and purity of heart which pushes you further away from God.  Pray and forgive, so you can move closer to God.  It is wise to use your words as God instructed.  Work to become a peacemaker.

Exodus 20:16, Leviticus 19:11-16, Deuteronomy 5:20, Proverbs 6:16-19, 12:22, 17:4, John 8:42-47, Ephesians 4:25, Colossians 3:8-9. & Revelations 21:8