Is lying ever the right thing to do?

[Guest shiloh357]

Rahab gets an commendation but Abraham is reprimanded for lying in Egypt to save his own skin. Is ther a criteria for a justifiable lie?

Well Abraham lied to save his skin as you said, but according to the Bible, Rahab's lie was an act of faith. One was done in fear and a lack of faith in God; the other, in faith.

One was done to save himself, the other was done to save the lives of others who would have no doubt been killed without her help.

Lying as demonstrated by Rahab and accordance with the testimony of Scripture is not necessarily a lack of faith or trust in God. If you let an innocent person die you had the opportunity to help, even if it meant lying, and you let them die anyway, could you live with that on your conscience?

[kittylover0991]

Is it ever the right thing to do...lying? Rahab lied about the Hebrew spies she was hiding in her house of prostitution and you could argue that she was guilty of treason against her nation. Yet, her act on behalf of the Israelites is considered commendable and brings the blessings of God to her life. So, is lying always the wrong thing to do? What if it is a matter of life or death? If so, what are the justifiable reasons for telling an untruth?

Hey David,

What an awesome question! The "Hall of Faith", Hebrews chapter 11, is really a chapter filled with people whom God used in such mighty ways because of their faith in Christ. However, if we look at each of those men/women, they each had various problems in their lives. Abraham was a liar with the best of them, always telling the Pharoahs that Sarah was his sister- yes, she was technically his sister, but a half truth is still a lie, and had any men slept with her, it would have been adultery, right?

Noah, following the flood and getting off the ark, was lying drunk naked, wasn't he?

Even Enoch, who had a testimony that pleased God, he was a still a man and thus had sinned at one point.

There is a story in the book of Judges about a woman named Jael who was on the right side, but she housed Sisera, a man who was on the opposing side of Israel. The Bible says that Sisera knew that he would be safe in the tent of Jael despite that she was the "enemy": Sisera asked for water, Jael gave him milk.

However, weren't we all lost in sin at one point? We're we all on the loosing side at some point in our lives- i.e. lost and on our way to hell? We've read the book, we know the end. God wins! However, we each had to take that step and accept Christ didn't we?

The bible says in Judges that when Sisera was asleep, Jael took a stake and drove it through his temples into the ground and killed him. She chose the "winning" side. God used Jael for the victory that he had promised at the beginning of this very chapter in Judges.

Rahab, on the other hand, is known even today as "Rahab the harlot", but yet, she chose to do the right thing.

Not even speaking of lost vs. saved, even as Chrisitans we get off the right path, or growing from baby Christians we need to grow and the Lord shapes and molds our lives. God can use us for so many things if we'd just allow us to work, but does that doesn't give us the right to say "God's doing this, so I can go back to my old ways"? No. However, what we can say is "Look, this is what I used to be, but this is waht God has done. Look what CHrist has done in my life."

People say "Oh, Rahab the harlot" "prostitute". Yet, look what she still did for Christ. God isn't looking for the perfect, he is lokoing for those who are willing and he uses us despite our sin. There is no right justification of a lie, though we can be "justified" in Christ in the sense of "Just as if Id never sinned", he cleanses us when we repent, but isn't that an amazing picture?

Forgive me repeating myself, but this is amazing story of someone whose entire lifestyle was that of the world, prostitutes at that time, and even today, are often considered low lifes... the bottom of the barrel. It's not a profession that is a looked highly upon (though studies seem to show that she had to in order to provide for herself), but despite her sin, God still looked down on her and loved her, didn't He? Hasnt' he looked down on so many of our lives and loved us enough and cared for us enough, to pick us up and lead us by the hand? Rahab was "a harlot", and I don't know how much that changed throughout her life, but I know that she married and is now and forever in the line of Christ.

I think it's an amazing picture of what God can do once someone allow Him to get ahold of their lives. We may look at someone, or even ourselves and say "Man, I don't see how God can use them. What a horrible person!" or even "Man, I don't see how God can use me... I'm this dirty rotten sinner, and i've done such and such, and this and that", but that's the exact kind fo person that God wants to use, and He can.

Lying is never right, no, it's always a sin and it's a sin to attempt to justify it as being right. However, Rahab is one of the many pictures of what God can do in someone's life.

Hope this helps,

Crystal

[faith pleases God]

I think true faith would to be let God be God if you told the truth. Not that He needs our help with a lie. Lies are told out of fear, not love. Thereis no fear in love. We are to live by faith not by sight. When we lie it is because of sight not faith. I don't believe that Rahab is in the hall of faith because of a lie. But because of the way that Rahab did have faith. Not because of the way that Rahab didn't have faith.

[Guest LadyC]

ok, i'm gonna ask a question here.... but please note the REASON i am asking it... also note that i am not condoning lying.

it always seems that in these threads there are some who come across so adamently that they appear to be judgemental and condemning of those who defend lying as a means to save the life of another. i'm sure we'll see that occur frequently as this thread progresses.

so my question is, who here has NEVER been guilty of telling a lie since they have known Christ?

i sit back with my hands firmly pinned by my buttocks

[Ddavid from NC]

"Honey, does this dress make me look fat?" Justifiable lie?

[Guest Biblicist]

If Rahab had told the truth......would God still have protected the spies?

[Ddavid from NC]

If Rahab had told the truth......would God still have protected the spies?

Perhaps, but the salvation of her family would be based on her compliance of the request of the spies...

[Guest Biblicist]

If Rahab had told the truth......would God still have protected the spies?

Perhaps, but the salvation of her family would be based on her compliance of the request of the spies...

The fact is that it was GOD who protected them, not Rahab, and no matter what we do, lie or tell the truth, God will protect whom he wishes....

They asked her to lie?

[Guest LadyC]

Lying to save another life is such an extreme. How many people here have ever had to do that? Most of the time that people lie is in self preservation or to deviate blame.

Did you do that? - no

"Tell them I'm not here" when someone calls or comes over.

Even to cheat, such as on taxes, tests, or to be dishonest about anything, usually for personal gain.

What we need to make sure is that we don't use that extreme example to justify being dishonest of telling any other kind of lie to protect ourselves.

ok, yes, it may very well be an extreme scenario.... but let's take it down a notch. would you lie to protect someone else from harm? not necessarily even physical harm, but from unfair treatment?

i'll admit it. i've lied for the sake of my children many times, by taking the blame for something they did, or to "adjust a time frame" because i knew my husband couldn't always be counted on to be fair. for example, my husband was often so rigid that if they were even so much as 1 minute late coming through that front door, they might get grounded for a month. oh, you bet i lied many times in such circumstances. they were typically very punctual, but my husband was so rigid about it, that being on the front porch saying goodnight to their friend was not good enough... if they didn't have their bodies physically INSIDE the door, they were considered late.

[Vickilynn]

"Honey, does this dress make me look fat?" Justifiable lie?

Shalom David,

Nope. Sorry.