July 6, 2022

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. “

Exodus 20:16

Out of all the ten commandments, the 9th and the 10th are probably the most relevant to our daily lives. The things required and things prohibited in this commandment can be found in a list Westminster Larger Catechism 143-149. I did not include it here, because it would be too lengthy - instead I would encourage you to explore the catechism while we address the motivation behind what is prohibited here. Self-interest and/or Self-promotion, particularly at the expense of the truth. Because God is truth, and we are hidden with Christ in God, Christians have no need to “fudge the numbers” out of self-preservation or self-promotion. But sometimes, fear makes us do unfortunate things: we cast our virtues against caricatures of sinfulness in others, we falsely represent our motives to appear more virtuous to our friends and families, sometimes some of us struggle against a temptation to gossip and lie about others that seems to capture us apart from any reason whatsoever.

Lord, guard our hearts and preserve your truth in our words, that we may know and reflect your character better!