Transgressions Of The Lips
Solomon said, "The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips: But the just shall come out of trouble." (Prov. 12:13.) He is telling us that a liar shall some day be caught by his own lies. It is a well known fact that "A liar should have a good memory," but even a good memory is not always sufficient protection.
God had much to say about lying and liars; perhaps because He realized it was a universal weakness of the human family. John said, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." (Rev. 21:8.) Notice what crimes he associates with lying. Society has frowned on some of these crimes, while upholding lying. God says one is as bad as the other, and the end of all is the same.
There are some things about the liar that are so outstanding that everyone should be able to recognize them, and shun them; but the weakness of human nature is not always seen by the righteous, since the righteous naturally are looking for virtues rather than faults. For this reason good people are sometimes led astray. When the time comes they find how they have been led from the right path, and often become skeptic and doubters. Let's notice some common weaknesses.
In the first place, "A dog that will bring a bone will carry a bone." My father taught me that many years before either of us had heard of the psychology of human behavior. To be sure men may have some close friends in whom they confide, but a person who is forever going from one person to another, with false statements about others, will do the same for the person who listens to him, if he ever feels that he needs to. Usually a person of this nature is a coward in every respect. He will blame his own wife and children before he will be caught in his own trap. I have known cases where men have been found out, who would go so far as to ask someone to talk with their family, when the friend knew that it was not the family at all. Such weakness is nauseating. I will not say it is human.
In the second place, a liar seldom is willing to admit he lied, even when confronted with the evidence. He will lie about his lying. I can recall only two people, whom I have known, who admitted they lied when it was found out. In each case, however, they did it again when they thought it necessary. As a rule a good liar can think of some imaginary person who told him what he has told. Or it may be that he will select someone who is sick and unable to defend himself, and blame him. A liar has no scruples in such matters.
There are many ways to lie. Some who would not tell a "point blank" lie (whatever that means) feel justified in making a statement that will lead to false conclusions. We live in an age when people and nations try to get their way by means of propaganda. That word has come to mean nothing more than modern lying. Hence the fellow with a political mind will seek for something that he can change a little here and there and use against someone. He is very indignant when you accuse him of lying. He has just misrepresented. He has not "lied in his heart" to anyone, he says. No, he just did it in writing, and with words, but not in his heart. Ugh!
Now, why all these reminders about lying, anyway? Because in any age when the church is facing issues as the church does today, we must be constantly on our guard lest we be led astray by issues as the church does today, we must be constantly on our guard lest we be led astray by the lying of another. It is not uncommon in our day to hear religious people talk one way to one person and another way to another. This was true during the days when there was much discussion concerning premillennialism. But all misrepresentation is not confined to doctrines regarding the second coming of Christ. Many times when brethren want to make a business out of the church, or to run the affairs of congregations with which they have no connection, they are not above a little slander here and there if someone tries to stop them. This being true, I must be sure that I speak the truth in all things.
Then, there is the lesson seldom learned by the liar. It is stated in our text. He is snared by his own lips. People will find him out. Chickens have a way of coming home to roost. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." There is no more miserable creature on earth than the habitual liar who has been caught in his lies. There is no way out. He will not confess his sins and become truthful. The habit has such a hold on him that he tries to get relief in the same old way, to make his evil stand out the more. Such a person will have much misery here, and can expect more in the world to come.