GCV Blog

Grace Church of the Valley blog.


Colossians 3, personally my favorite chapter in the Bible, contains numerous "one another" commands. Paul beautifully joins amazing theological truths about our salvation with demands for right living on earth. The Gospel drives right living, and Paul spends extended time explaining right living toward one another. The first explicitly stated one another is found in verse 9-"Do not lie to one another." Lying is unacceptable within the family of God. Deception, partial truth, exaggeration, and dishonesty should never describe our communication with each other. Positively, we should be honest. Honesty forms a bedrock for trust and is necessary for a relationship of love and encouragement. More than practical reasons for honesty, however, Paul gives us solid Gospel reasons for honesty. First, we have put off the old man and his sinful ways. The way of the old man was to lie, cheat, and deceive. The old man followed the principles of his father, the original liar and deceiver. After putting off the old man, we put on the new. Like exchanging a set of filthy clothes for clean ones, we are fundamentally changed in our natures. Instead of being patterned after the father of lies, the new man is constantly being changed into the image of our perfect Creator. When we lie we take the side of Satan rather than of God, who always loves and tells the truth perfectly. Our knowledge of God renews us from our old way of living to a new, and that renewal demands ending our habitual lies and speaking to one another with complete truthfulness.