Holy & Happy People are HONEST
In order to truly be happy and holy we must be honest with ourselves, God and others!
Text: Jeremiah 17:9-10
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10 I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. —Jeremiah 17:9-10 (KJV - King James Version)
HONEST With
Every Heart is deceitful - that means all of us were born with a heart or sense of reasoning that wants to LIE to us!
In the words of Billy Joel…
Honesty is such a lonely word
Everyone is so untrue
Honesty is hardly ever heard
And mostly what I need from you
I can always find someone
To say they sympathize
If I wear my heart out on my sleeve
But I don’t want some pretty face
To tell me pretty lies
All I want is someone to believe
(Honesty - From: 52nd Street - Release Date: October 12, 1978)
“Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” – Thomas Jefferson
“The truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself.” – St. Augustine
“The worst lies are the lies we tell ourselves. We live in denial of what we do, even what we think. We do this because we’re afraid.” – Richard Bach
“Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.”― Fyodor Dostoevsky
Honesty, especially with oneself, is fundamental to wisdom.
Social media platforms have become a breeding ground for self-deception.
This digital self-deception can be harmful, creating unrealistic standards and expectations.
As George Carlin humorously but insightfully put it, “Never underestimate the power of silly people in large groups.”
FIVE LIES WE TELL OURSELVES ON A DAILY BASIS:
- I’m OK (Not likely, search me and know me God…reveal what needs changing).
- No One will Ever Find Out (God knows, and be sure your sin will find you out..“You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence.” (Psalm 90:8))
- No One will Get Hurt. (Our sins always inflict grief and pain. Especially to Jesus, the very one we should want to please.)
- That’s Just the Way I Am. – You were born naturally, but you can be born again. “… he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
- I Can Do that Tomorrow. “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts…” (Psalm 95; Hebrews 3) “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” (Hebrews 3:13)
3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. —Galatians 6:3 (NKJV - New King James Version)
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;
24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. —James 1:22-26 (NKJV - New King James Version)6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. —1 John 1:6-9 (NKJV - New King James Version)18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. —1 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV - King James Version)
Honest With
Cain & Abel
Genesis 4
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9 And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
Cain had already been warned by God. Sin is at the door.
When Cain sinned, He tried to LIE to God to cover it up.
It seems absurd to us that someone would try to lie to God…yet we find ourselves in some tight spots from time to time as well.
Ananias & Saphira
Acts 5
1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
Ananias and Sapphira believed that they could trade the appearance of obedience for spiritual status
— for recognition from others that they were devoted to the church. But God is not mocked. He cannot be deceived.
Lying expresses the hypocrisy of the human heart. This is why the Lord detests lying lips.
As lies progress beyond mere self-protection to the point of lying to achieve personal desires, the danger of lying directly to God increases.
Ananias and Sapphira tried to manipulate the appearance of doing good.
The fatal mistake they made was thinking they could deceive God as well as people.
Then we have King David, who is known as “A man after God’s own heart”…WHY?
Because even though when David had lied to and deceived himself in the case with Bathsheba, He didn’t lie to God.
When He was confronted with the truth, He repented!
He got painfully honest with God and now we read about it in the Psalms.
When you are honest with yourself and Honest with God…He can do some incredible work in your life!
IF you haven’t been honest with God lately, why not start today? He already knows the truth anyway!
Honest with
25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:
27 Neither give place to the devil. —Ephesians 4:25-27 (KJV - King James Version)
In order to be able to be HONEST with Others, we must first be honest with God and ourselves.
How can you trust someone to be truthful with you, when they aren’t even being truthful with themselves.
Those around us are watching our lives.
How sad it would be if Christians were not known to be HONEST people?
HONESTY WITH OTHERS AFFECTS OUR:
Reputation
The writer of Hebrews said “Pray for us, for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably” (Heb. 13:18).
Witness
When it comes to business matter with non-Christians our creator is also very interested in honesty.
In the book of proverbs alone, there are several references to use of scales and weights in business transactions in order determine the cost of goods purchased.
Dishonest merchants would use two sets of weights in business and inaccurate scale to deceive and cheat their customers.
God hates such practices. To remain in His love, we must avoid all dishonest business practice either with a Christian or an unbeliever.
Leadership Ability
Acts 6:1-3 (NIV)
1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
When we are known for being honest, it will open up all kinds of doors for us.
Acts 6:3 (KJV - King James Version)
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
Where are you struggling with being HONEST right now?
- With others, in your work life, with your family?
- With God? Is He dealing with you about areas of your life that need to change?
- With Yourself? What have you been deceiving yourself about?
- Your involvement in serving?
- Your willingness to become who God wants you to be?
- Your salvation according to His Word?
In order to be Holy and Happy - WE NEED TO BECOME PAINFULLY HONEST!