Is lying a sin?

[tonychanyt]

Exodus 20:

16 You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

Leviticus 19:

11b You must not lie or deceive one another. 12 You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD. 13a You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him.

Revelation 21:

8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

On the other hand, there were excusable occasions in the Bible.

Midwives lied to Pharaoh in Exodus 1:

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

Rahab lied in Joshua 2:

3 So the king of Jericho sent this message to Rahab: “Bring out the men who came to you and entered your house, because they have come to spy out the whole land.”
4 But the woman had taken the two men and hidden them. She said, “Yes, the men came to me, but I did not know where they had come from.

Samson lied to Delilah in Judges 16:

6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me the source of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.”
7 Samson told her, “If they tie me up with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I will become as weak as any other man.”

Is it always wrong to tell a lie or untruth?

No, it partly depends on your motivation and intent, but let the Paraclete guide you in your conscience. As a rule of thumb, we should tell the truth.

See also Did the Lord approve a spirit to lie to Ahab?

 

[Grip Docility]

Exodus 20:


Leviticus 19:


Revelation 21:


On the other hand, there were excusable occasions in the Bible.

Midwives lied to Pharaoh in Exodus 1:


Rahab lied in Joshua 2:


Samson lied to Delilah in Judges 16:


Is it always wrong to tell a lie or untruth?

No, it partly depends on your motivation and intent, but let the Paraclete guide you in your conscience. As a rule of thumb, we should tell the truth.

See also Did the Lord approve a spirit to lie to Ahab?

"Does this dress make me look fat?"
"Is that movie more interesting than me?"
"I look old, don't I? How old do I look, to you?"
"Wow, she has an amazing figure, doesn't she sweetheart?"
"What's on your mind?"
"How much did you spend on that last motorcycle, truck or car part?"
"This meal is delicious! Can we afford this place?"

Wisdom is a very important thing!