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By Roger A. Scully, Jr.
about us that simply is not true. Or, we most likely have experienced someone saying we said something that we did
not say. A preacher whom I know was once said to have said, by a member where he preached, to believe in
Jehovah Witness Doctrine. The reality was, however, that in preaching he used the Old Testament Hebrew name for
the Lord, Jehovah, such as we find translated in the American Standard Version. A sister once accused me of not
speaking where the Bible speaks because I had explained in a sermon that the name Jesus in Hebrews 4:8 is really
speaking of the Old Testament character Joshua, which is the Hebrew equivalent to the Greek Jesus. In another
situation I was explaining how Daniel was viewed by the Medes and Persians in Daniel 6 comparing that to how many
blacks were viewed in the early to mid 1900s in our own country. Later, I was said to have been teaching that blacks
are to be looked down upon in our society. Thankfully the sermon was recorded, and it was revealed that this
person heard only what she wanted to hear. In these situations just mentioned, people spake lies against us. They
said we said things that we didn’t say. This is the same situation in which God found Himself dealing with Old
Testament Israel in the book of Hosea.
In 7:13 God said of Ephraim (Israel), “Woe unto them…destruction unto them…they have spoken lies against
me.” Israel had lied against God in several ways: The said that God did not consider their hearts (v.2); they trusted
themselves instead of God (v.7); they were two-faced (v.8); they gave the credit for their blessings to the false gods
(v.11). In all of this they thought they God would accept their sacrifices; hence accept them. The reality was the
opposite, however, for God had already stated that the wicked will be cutoff and that unless they would turn from
their sins saying, “Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously” (14:2). So, by saying God would accept that
which He said He would not accept, they had lied against Him. Let us now consider how many in and out of the
church lie against God today.
Many in the church lie against God when they come to worship Him, thinking He will accept the worship they offer,
yet live their lives contrary to His will. So many brothers and sisters defile their minds, tolerate and condone ungodly
living, then assemble with saints as if they are holy and acceptable (1 Pet 1:13-17; Rom 12:1, 2; 2 Cor 6:14-18; Joel
2:12-14). Others simply go through the motions of worship. The breaking of the bread and drinking of the cup have
no meaning to them. The singing of spiritual songs is nothing more than routine. The sermon is something that they
have to “sit through,” and the prayer is a time to think of other things. These lie against God in thinking they are
serving Him properly. No, we are to be “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5).
These have lied against God by their actions, which say God will accept that which He has already rejected in His
word (cf. Jn 12:48).
Those outside the church of Christ lie against God when they say things like: “Just accept Jesus into your heart
and you will be saved.” There is no such teaching in the Bible, not one passage even hints at such an idea. Every
conversion recorded in Scripture was based upon man acting out his faith in acts of obedience to God (Heb 5:8, 9).
Such a teaching is so foreign to Holy Writings that it is amazing how anyone could believe such a thing. The Bible
says those who will be saved must “believe” (Mrk 16:16), “repent” (Ac 2:38), “confess” (Rom 10:10), and be
“baptized for the remission of sins” (Ac 2:38; cf. 1 Pet 3:21). Others lie against God by saying: “Once saved always
saved.” This is a lie against God because God has said, “Christ is become of no effect unto you…ye are fallen from
grace” (Gal 5:4). They had done so by believing in another gospel, which is not another (Gal 1:6-8). In another
place Peter wrote, “For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and are overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the
beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known
it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.” Note that in the next verse the apostle said, “It IS
happened unto them according to the TRUE proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that
was washed to her wallowing in the mire” (2 Pet 2:20-22). Peter said it “is” a reality, and that the “proverb” is “true.”
Hence, when man says a person cannot fall from grace, he has lied against God. Yet others lie against God by
bringing mechanical instruments of music into the worship assembly and allowing women to take leading roles. The
New Testament only authorizes verbal music, called singing (Eph 5:19; Col 3:16, 17), and commands that women
remain silent in the assembly (1 Cor 14:34, 35; 1 Tim 2:11-14).
Anytime we say or do that which is contrary to God’s word pretending that God will accept us, then we have lied
against God. Let us be sure that all we do and say is done by the authority of the Christ (Matt 28:18; Col 3:17);
hence let us speak as the oracles of God (1 Pet 4:11). Are you guilty of speaking lies against God?
