Is Lying a Sin, Like Jacob Lied To Isaac?

Lying is a sin, but in the case you mentioned, as always, God will end up using all things for His good. We are fallen, imperfect, and there are no examples except Christ of any in the Bible who are perfect. (God’s ability to work all for good does not excuse our culpability. If things work out well when God uses our brokenness, how much greater would it have been had He used our unrealized wholeness?) sin is sin (Jacob’s lies) and the loss is real, but God’s purpose (having Jacob the progenitor of a great nation) will not be denied.

At least that is how I have understood it, but what do I know?

Yes, lying is sinful--usually.

Obviously there are cases where telling the truth would also be sinful, and lying would be the moral thing to do. Context matters. Lying to save a life is the right thing to do, and telling the truth leading to a person's death would be the wrong thing to do.

Though in the case here with Jacob and Isaac, yes Jacob did sin by lying.
In the case of Rahab, she did the right thing when she lied--she lied to protect life.

-CryptoLutheran

Lying is sinful but bearing false witness, I think, is the worst form of lying. Crafting lies and slander to manipulate a person and bring them down is explicitly condemned.

But if you think a about lying by omission, it isn't your job to ensure that your accuser is 100% on the same page as you. It's not your job to clarify everything that's going on in your mind so that your accuser may know how to deceive you better. If that makes s3nse.

My question is, if a person recieves insight given by the Spirit so that they can realize how to navigate traps set by a lying enemy, doesn't God allow that person to outwit that enemy, through use of language (fibbing, sttetching the trueth, lying by omission)

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. Ephesians 4:22-25

Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
Psalm 12:2

“Blessed are those who wash their robes that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. Rev 22:14-15

Jacob's story is full of 'trickery' which kind of looks a lot like lying and cheating. He tricks his brother, lies to his father, is tricked into marrying Leah, tricks Laban (his father-in-law) with the speckled goats con and then Rachel steals the family idols and lies about menstruating. It is all very questionable but I suppose it is also all a sort of divine drama. I suppose it is comforting to know that God uses the broken and imperfect.
It is my opinion that we should do our best not to lie for gain. Lying or omitting truth (little white lies?) in order to spare someone's feelings is maybe okay for a Christian so long as it's not encouraging and enabling sinful behaviour?

Shoetoyou said:

Lying is a sin, but in the case you mentioned, as always, God will end up using all things for His good. We are fallen, imperfect, and there are no examples except Christ of any in the Bible who are perfect. (God’s ability to work all for good does not excuse our culpability. If things work out well when God uses our brokenness, how much greater would it have been had He used our unrealized wholeness?) sin is sin (Jacob’s lies) and the loss is real, but God’s purpose (having Jacob the progenitor of a great nation) will not be denied.

At least that is how I have understood it, but what do I know?

Click to expand...

I think the Bible's antipathy to lying is clear. The Lord Jesus Himself is the Truth (John 14.6).

The question is responsibility and attribution, also, I think; and so when a lawyer says: 'My client instructs me to say he didn't do it', the lawyer is not lying.

I find the one story of Jesus very difficult to understand.
His disciples were urging him to go to the festival or feast or whatever and he said "no, it is not my time".
But immediately after the disciples left, he secretly went to the festival anyway.
So whats up with that?