From the site 123rf.com
Children of the Soviet era can recall the words of the famous song of Alla Pugacheva: “Holy lie! Even if you’re Holy, I’m tired of your kindness! I don’t believe you”. Is there really a Holy lie? And in General, whether Holiness be compatible with the lie that is used for good purposes?
Lies and God’s Law
The ninth commandment of God’s Law says: “thou shalt Not bear false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). This commandment is directly related to the behavior in court. But this does not mean that in other cases, deception is valid. The Bible also says, “keep Far from falsehood” (Exodus 23:7). Scripture teaches to keep the distance between themselves and any lie.
Those who live in harmony with God’s Law, any alien not true. The researcher Alterman, commenting on the above words of the Bible, says: “Lie destabilizie relations and discreditied the idea of Holiness.” The use of untruths to distort reality or to hide the true state of Affairs is sin and is inevitable, sooner or later, leads to disastrous consequences.
Lies in the name of saving lives
But what about in those very rare cases where someone’s life depends on our words? What to do? To tell the truth and to expose the man’s death or cheat, thereby to sin, but to save life? But where is the guarantee that your lies will believe? Somehow, most liars are convinced in the positive outcome of their deceitful actions. If their principles are universal, they should always work, but it’s not.
Justifying a lie, some Christians remember the biblical story of the harlot Rahab, who hid at the house of Israeli spies and saved their lives, deceiving them that sought their warriors (see Joshua 2:3-5). They make the following conclusion: “If an explicit condemnation of the deception of Rahab in the Bible, it means that in exceptional situations a lie is allowed. Moreover, in the Epistle of James the act of Rahab is noted as a positive: “likewise also Rahab the harlot not justified by works, having received the spies and sent them out another way?” (James 2:25). Do not jump to conclusions. Yes, Rahab saved the lives of spies. But does this mean that God could not take care of them? He does the mouth of this heathen put a lie to save Their children? Surely a Righteous God uses sin for good? So to think is to misunderstand the Scripture. James talks about FAITH of a harlot, or rather about how she showed it, dropping juicy moment with a lie. In spite of pagan superstition, she demonstrated faith in the one, Unique and True God, Yahve. However, faith in God does not give the right to sin.
Unfortunately, many believers, being in straitened circumstances, resort to lies as the only way out. Still, it is worth to trust God more than their assumptions. After all, He has for His obedient children, as before, ready to make history.
The Scripture does not entitle special situations to justify the lies. Everyone who enlists her help, the Bible considers wrong-doers: “the Words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit” (Psalm 35:4).
The sanctity and lies
At its core, with the biblical position of the phrase “Holy lie” is very contradictory: lying is a sin, but Holiness is a characteristic of a sinless God. Lies and Holiness is absolutely incompatible. Because the Holiness expressed itself through ideas of purity and separateness. As inconsistent as God and the devil. It is the devil Jesus Christ called the father of lies: “When he speaketh a lie, speaketh of his own: for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Therefore, every resort to falsehood, regardless of circumstances, takes on a diabolical inspiration, as a conduit of lies, from its source. So the Holy lie does not exist. I must admit that the sanctity and deception coexist in the same world, but this is only a temporary phenomenon. Fortunately, the Union of sanctity and lies in the name of “good cause” finds no support in Supreme.
What to do?
How can that be? In the chorus of a song of Alla Pugacheva, which was mentioned in the beginning, it says:
“The truth is bitter I said, “do Not be afraid!”,
and I began to say the words even more.
And therefore, do not lie to help.
Do not lie, do not lie!”
The Holy Bible encourages: parents do not teach children lies, even in the interests of the family; of public servants to be courageous to speak the truth without fear of consequences; judges, lawyers and prosecutors to be honest and incorruptible; of teachers to help their students to distinguish truth from error; of all Christians is to imitate Christ the Savior. Otherwise it will lead to a horrible tragedy, about which it is said in the book of revelation: “but the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters and ALL LIARS shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8).
The Apostle Paul wrote: “therefore, putting away lying, speak truth each with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25), because “he who sows righteousness will have a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18).