Honesty or deception? God has filled Scripture with stories about the blessing of honesty and the trap of deception. The Lord included these stories so we can learn from them to see the benefits of honesty and the consequences of fraud. The first story of deception in the Bible is Genesis chapter three, where the serpent tricked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit in the garden. The deception would cause them to fall into sin and have repercussions to the present day.
You may have been a victim in your life of deception. Perhaps you struggle with not always telling the truth. We all have parts of our lives that we need to work on, and with the Lord’s help, we can overcome areas where we flounder.
King David demonstrates the importance of honesty when he could have chosen to be deceptive when confronted with the sin of adultery by the prophet Nathan. 2 Samuel 12:13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.[1]
Joseph’s Brothers Chose to Deceive Their Father
Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him to Ishmaelite traders headed for Egypt for twenty pieces of silver. Now they would compound their sin by lying to their father. Think how different their lives would be if they had been honest.
Genesis 27:31 Then the brothers killed a young goat and dipped Joseph’s robe in its blood. 32 They sent the beautiful robe to their father with this message: “Look at what we found. Doesn’t this robe belong to your son?” 33 Their father recognized it immediately. “Yes,” he said, “it is my son’s robe. A wild animal must have eaten him. Joseph has clearly been torn to pieces!” 34 Then Jacob tore his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned deeply for his son for a long time. 35 His family all tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted.[2]
Good Character Chooses to be Honest
Scripture gives us insight into honesty. Proverbs 11:3Honesty guides good people; dishonesty destroys treacherous people. [3] In Jesus is all truth, so as we follow Him, we will tell the truth.
Jesus says in John 14:6I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.[4]
If you struggle with honesty, you can choose today to begin a new chapter in your life of honesty. Life is about choices, and as we spend time with the Lord developing our relationship with Him, our character over time will also change. If honesty is a hallmark of your life, continue to rely on the Lord to mold you into the person He wants you to be.
Honesty or deception? To hear more about the blessing of honesty and the trap of deception, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/joseph-sold
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.