Don't Live A Lie

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

In the movie “Liar, Liar”, Jim Carey plays a father and attorney who has a problem of lying. He doesn’t do well telling the truth particularly to his son. On his birthday his little boy wishes that his daddy would always tell the truth after he breaks a promise of coming to his birthday party. It is hilarious because he speaks the truth all through the movie even in times when he wishes he could tell those “little white lies.”

What’s not funny is when we find ourselves going through life living a lie, not being true to others but more importantly not being true to who God desires us to be. We all have some imperfections, some places inside ourselves where we fall short. Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. If we say we have no sin then we make God a liar and His Word is not in us. Sin is an archery term which means missing the mark. God, through His Word, has set standards for humanity to reach. He wishes that all his children could tell the truth at all times but we miss the mark.

John Maxwell, in his Leadership Bible, says that Leaders must value the truth more than anything else. John describes four lies we often tell ourselves:

1. We say we have fellowship with him, but walk in darkness. (1:6) God is light and when we belong to him we ought not fellowship with darkness. Oftentimes, the Holy Spirit is asking us, “What’s a child of God like you doing in a place like this?” You know in your spirit when you are somewhere that is dark because you begin to feel the contrast in your soul. What fellowship does light have with darkness?

2. We say we have no sin and deceive ourselves (1:8). Oftentimes, we don’t stop to take inventory of our own lives and we drift further and further away from our true selves because we will not admit that we have missed the mark of God’s holy standards.

3. We say we know him, but do not keep his commandments (2:4) Jesus said, “if you love me then you will keep my commandments.”

4. We say we are in the light, but hate our brothers and sisters in Christ (2:9) We can’t hate anybody and claim to be a Christian. They will know we are Christians by our love. That is why it is so important to forgive people when they have sinned against you because to harbor hate leaves room for the devil to come in.

When we lie to ourselves, our words, and lives don’t line up. We are living a lie. People lose confidence in our leadership, only when we tell the truth do people trust us. If you’ve been living a lie, confess your sins to God and he is faithful to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Dear God, I have sinned against you and you only, cleanse me inside and out. Help my life to be consistent with who I say I am but more importantly with who you say I am. Help me to keep it 100 percent all the time. I want to be a sermon lived more than a good preacher. Help me to live the truth, knowing the truth will set me free. Thank you for forgiving me of all of my sins and giving me another shot.

In Jesus Name.

Amen.