THE SIN OF LYING by J. O. Corliss

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Feb 5, 1902

THE SIN OF LYING.

By J. O. Corliss

To acquire the name of being a common liar, is to be placed outside the pale of good society. No one trusts the word of such a person under any circumstances; indeed, the stigma of such a reputation carries with it the loss of sympathy under attending woes. To be counted a liar among men is one of the most unfortunate reputations which one can receive, because it is held to be an almost unpardonable crime against society. So intolerable is this habit that, when indulged under oath, in the courts of the country, the offender is cut off from the society he sought to misrepresent, by a term of confinement within prison walls.

But if lying between man and man is so offensive when measured by an earthly standard of judgment, how great must be the offense when indulged against God, and estimated by the perfect law of heaven. Some have never seemed able to understand why Ananias and his wife were so summarily dealt with for lying, as is recorded in the fifth chapter of the book of Acts. But a brief study of the circumstances will doubtless help all to see why this was so.

The story of this affair begins in the previous chapter at the thirty-first verse. It is there stated that as the apostles were filled with the Holy Ghost; they not only were able to speak the Word with boldness, but the multitude of believers renounced all personal claims to the things they possessed, and so turned their houses and lands into money, which they gave to the apostles to be used in bringing unbelievers everywhere the same heavenly blessing they themselves were enjoying.

This unselfish act on the part of the people was complete evidence that they were wholly devoted to the service of God, in the establishment of His kingdom among men. It was a voluntary testimony, more eloquent than mere words, that they had given up the world for Christ. Doubtless their self-denial became the topic of many clearly expressed opinions, all more favorable than otherwise. It was plain that a power more than earthly was moving the disciples to act. Their unselfishness commended the movement to the popular mind for the time, without, however, bringing the community to yield up all, as had the believers. Desiring thus to be counted among the believers, Ananias and his wife, having sold their property, came bringing only a portion of the price, and offered it, as had others, to the apostles.

This was virtually a public statement on the part of Ananias that he too, with others, being filled with the Holy Ghost, was by it led to give his all for the sacred cause of God. Inasmuch as he had deliberately withheld a portion of the price of his property, and yet had in public acted as if he were giving it all to be used by the Holy Ghost, his course was at least a pantomimic lie to the sacred mind of God.

This was quickly discovered by Peter, who reprovingly questioned Ananias regarding his course. The apostle told him that his land was his own to do with as he pleased, and the money received from it was at his own disposal; but that when he voluntarily professed to give it all to the Lord in response to the call of the Holy Ghost, he had lied to that sacred Power, and so grossly sinned against and insulted Him. This was said in public, before all who stood by, because the sin had been a public one, so that the public might be led to see the terrible result of sinning against the Holy Ghost.

The Lord witnessed to the words of Peter, and forcibly impressed them on all by withdrawing from Ananias the support of life. The Lord Jesus had previously said to the Jews who questioned the power by which He cast out devils: “Whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.” Matt. 12:32.

To “speak against” Christ or the Holy Ghost is to tell an untruth about Him. They being absolutely right, to say aught against them is absolutely wrong, hence a falsehood. Ananias had, by his act, testified against the Holy Ghost. His was an unpardonable offense, and it was not therefore necessary for him to live longer in order to have time for repentance. Making promises to the Lord which one has no intention of fulfilling, is much in the same order of things. In doing this, one deliberately impugns his own truthfulness, and places himself in the position of lying against the Holy Ghost, by Whom he is supposed to be influenced in making the promise.

The Bible positively warns against this course. Thus the wise man says: “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for He hath no pleasure in fools; pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldst not vow, than that thou shouldst vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error; wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thy hands?” Eccl. 5:4-6. This scripture reveals that a vow made to God is a sacred thing, and no excuse can discharge one from the responsibility he assumes when making such a vow. To say that he committed an error in doing so, is to charge with wrong the motive power which actuated him in doing it. Did he believe himself at the time to be moved by the Holy Ghost to promise some self-sacrifice, he should be careful about throwing back the responsibility upon that Power, and so charge Him with committing an error in influencing the vow.

Ananias fell into the snare of Satan, and so lost his life, and all hope of heaven. How or why his end was not quickly reported to Sapphira, his partner in the sin, can be accounted for only on the ground that those who witnessed it were so affected by the power of the Holy Ghost, by which the act was performed, that they were thus deterred from giving the information, in order to let her act on her own responsibility in the test to which her husband was brought, and failed. When she came into the place whence her husband had been taken lifeless, Peter asked her if it was true that they had received no more for their property than the amount Ananias had reported, and she said it was. Then at the rebuke of Peter, she too fell dead at the apostle’s feet, and was carried out to be laid beside her husband.

So the words of Peter were sanctioned in heaven in accordance with the Saviour’s statement: “Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” Matt. 18:18. In this case, the words of Peter were as the words of God, and took effect as quickly, because the Lord’s power—the Holy Ghost—was in them. Thus great reverence for God and His truth came upon all the believers of that day. Would that the Holy Ghost were now as largely in professed believers, giving them the ability to witness to the infinite power of Jesus Christ. J. O. CORLISS.