There is great power in a lie. It can send one to hell (Rev. 21:8) and cause one to miss heaven (Rev. 21:27). To tell a lie is to sin! Why, some might wonder, write on something so very obvious? Well, good friend, there are a lot of liars in this old world. Parents lie to their children: "If you do that once more I'll spank you." The child does and the parent does not. The parent lied.

Women lie to one another: "That is the most beautiful hat" is said while thinking "I wouldn't be caught dead with that silly monstrosity on my head." She lied. Preachers and church treasurers wish people contributed what they claim on their income tax returns.

Perhaps the worst liar of all is the "religious liar." Religious liars say such things as: "Of course I love the Lord, but I'm just too busy to attend all the services of the saints" (Heb. 10:25). "Just because I get drunk doesn't mean that I'm not a faithful Christian" (1 Cor. 6:10). "Being a homosexual won't keep me from being a child of God" (Rom. 1:27, 32; Jude 7), or "It doesn't make any difference what you believe just as long as you are honest and sincere" (Matt. 7:21; 2 Tim. 2:19; 1 Tim. 1:3; 6:1; Rev. 2:14-15). John, by inspiration, calls such people "liars"-"He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 John 2:4).

Truth Magazine XXII: 34, p. 558
August 31, 1978