Putting Away Lying
A Sermon on Ephesians 4:25
Originally preached June 8, 1958
Scripture
25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Ephesians 4:25 titled “Putting Away Lying,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says “There is no greater motive to holiness than a proper understanding of the truth.” Yet, he states, “this truth must be applied and not merely theoretical.” Truth is what makes a contrast between Christianity and other worldviews. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks this question: Is there anything as fundamental to the Christian life as God’s character trait of truth? Multiple verses talk about God’s incapability of lying because of His character, and without this assurance, what He has revealed in His word could easily be doubted since there would be no reason to trust Him. Yet, because He cannot lie, what he says can be believed. Lying is quite serious because it is a direct assault on God’s character. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that nothing is as characteristic of a life of sin as lying, especially since one is lying to themselves about their eternal future. Additionally, lying undermines the local church because it creates mistrust and demolishes the opportunity for Christian bonding and fellowship among believers. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains why truth is so important to the life of a believer and why the pursuit of this will lead to holiness.
Sermon Breakdown
- Lying is incompatible with the Christian life and fellowship with God.
- God cannot lie. As Christians, we are to be like our Father.
- The devil is the father of lies. Lying shows an affinity with the devil.
- The first sin was the result of a lie. Lying is the cause of the fallen state of the world.
- Lying is the most prominent characteristic of a sinful life.
- Lying causes complications, unhappiness, and misery.
- Lying shows the true nature of sin as self-centeredness and selfishness.
- Lying is despised in theory but common in practice, showing the depth of sin.
- Lying destroys fellowship and the doctrine of the church as one body.
- We must love our neighbor as ourselves, so we must speak truth to them.
- Lying makes relationships and trust impossible.
Sermon Q&A
What Does Dr. Lloyd-Jones Teach About Lying in the Christian Life?
Why does Paul start his practical exhortations with a warning against lying?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Paul places lying first in his list of injunctions for several important reasons. The apostle had just spoken about believers putting on "the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." Therefore, truthfulness is the most essential characteristic of the Christian life and represents the complete contrast to the non-Christian life. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains: "This is the thing, if you like to put it negatively, that makes the Christian life such a complete contrast to the non-Christian life, to the life of the world."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones connect lying to the character of God and Satan?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches that truth is fundamental to God's character, noting: "God cannot lie. That is God. God is the father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." In contrast, he identifies Satan as "a liar, and the father of it," citing Jesus' words in John 8:44. This creates a stark division: when Christians lie, they demonstrate an affinity with the devil rather than God. "A liar, an habitual liar, is a man who belongs to the kingdom of the devil," Dr. Lloyd-Jones states, emphasizing that lying contradicts our claim of belonging to God's kingdom.
How does lying impact Christian fellowship according to the sermon?
Lying directly undermines the unity of believers as members of Christ's body. Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains: "If you tell a lie to another member, you are really damaging yourself. You're lying, in a sense, to yourself." He emphasizes that fellowship depends on trust and mutual reliance, and lying destroys this foundation: "How can there be fellowship if there is lying? It's the exact opposite, isn't it?" The result is that "you're in a kind of police state in which everybody's spying on everybody else," making true Christian community impossible.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the connection between lying and the first sin?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that the original sin in Eden was produced by a lie. Satan deceived Eve by lying about God's character, suggesting that God was keeping them down for His own interests rather than loving them. "That was the cause of the trouble," he explains. "That was the thing that led to the fall...that is the thing that accounts for the state of the world this very morning." This connection shows why truthfulness is so fundamental to Christian living - it directly opposes the sin pattern that led to humanity's fallen condition.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say lying reveals the true nature of sin?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies self-centeredness as the ultimate cause of sin, and he explains that lying often stems from our desire to be highly thought of, to impress people, and to appear important. "The whole time you're building up this personality that you think you are and that you want to be," he states. We lie through deliberate misstatements, concealing truth, or exaggeration to create a false impression that serves our ego. This reveals the paradox that while humanity universally despises liars, lying remains "the commonest of all sins" because it flows from our self-centered nature.
What practical application does Dr. Lloyd-Jones give regarding truthfulness?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones urges Christians to "put away lying and speak truth one to another," noting this demonstrates we are "new men and women" who belong to God's family. The practical application is summed up in loving our neighbor as ourselves: "You don't believe in fooling yourself, do you? Well, then don't fool your neighbor if you love him as yourself." By practicing truthfulness, Christians prove they have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to "the kingdom of God's dear son" and now belong to the realm of truth rather than deception.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.