“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.”
and lie against the truth
To “lie” is to tell a falsehood, speak false, play false, to say that which is untrue. The main purpose of a lie is to mislead. This word involves more than telling what is not true, but it also involves the intent to deceive.
Bitter and boastful people lie to themselves and others. They try to make themselves out to be honorable. To boast is to lie. A boaster tries to whitewash a lie and make it a truth. This is to lie against the truth. Lying has its origins from the pit.
Jn 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”
1 Jn 1:6, “If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.”
The truth here is more than telling the truth but the truth itself. Jesus said that He was the truth (Jn 14:6). Jesus was truth in His thinking, acting, and speaking. He was truth incarnate. When Christians distort the truth, they distort the true picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
PRINCIPLE:
To boast is to lie.
APPLICATION:
Boasting exaggerates the truth. A boaster cannot deal with the truth because it makes him look bad. He must twist and distort reality to make him look good. Facts do not interest him. His hypersensitivity demands attention. He gets attention by making people feel sorry for him. He portrays the idea that he is a victim abused or persecuted. No one cares for him. In this dishonorable way, he weasels himself into the affection of others. He feels alienated from others, so he must manipulate others into his realm.
There is a very great propensity to push others down to exalt ourselves. We make them look bad to make ourselves look good. This is lying against the truth. When we brag, we distort the truth about ourselves and the truth about the Lord Jesus.
