Is it important to be honest? In today’s society honesty and integrity are difficult to find. Society rationalises dishonesty – it is considered as something necessary to get by in this world. 

Lying destroys integrity 

Lies will soon be detected and the liar is deceiving himself to think otherwise. 

Saul thought that he had won a great victory over the Amalekites, but God saw it as a great failure because Saul had disobeyed him and then lied to Samuel about the results of the battle. Saul may have thought his lie wouldn’t be detected, or that what he did was not wrong. Saul was deceiving himself. 

People who tell a lie usually find they have to tell further lies to cover the first one. Eventually the lie upon lie become a large out of control problem towering over them!

Dishonest people soon begin to believe the lies they build around themselves. Then they start to lose the ability to tell the difference between truth and lies. By believing your own lies you are deceiving yourself. But you also alienate yourself from God, and you lose credibility in all your relationships with other people. If you lie to other people then their perception of your integrity drops to a low level. In the long run, honesty always wins out. 

A person with a reputation for exaggeration or lying often can’t get anyone to believe him on his word alone. You should never become like that. Always be honest so that others will believe your simple yes or no. By avoiding lies, half-truths, and omissions of the truth, you will become known as a trustworthy person. 

Lies can lead to injustice 

When you want to please or impress someone, it is tempting to lie to make yourself look good. You may think it is easier to tell the other person what they want to hear. Sometimes telling the truth can lead to someone doing something terrible to you. Obeying God (not telling lies), doesn’t always protect us from evil consequences. Obedience may, in fact, provoke them. But it is better to suffer from man’s displeasure than from God’s wrath. 

If you are ridiculed for being honest, remember that this can be a sign that you indeed doing what is right in God’s eyes  

Lying undermines your unity with others 

Lying to those you associate with (friends, relations, work colleagues, etc) disrupts unity by creating conflict and destroying trust.

There are many cases where deceit and honesty have ruined families. A family is only as strong as the level of honesty between its members. 

Different levels of dishonesty 

Quite often people argue that “white lies” (small-scale dishonesty) is not a problem like full lying. The Bible does not say there is any difference. 

Jesus says that deceit is one of many evil things which will defile someone. 

"What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. Mark 7:20-22

Bribery 

Sometimes you hear of a person paying money to someone else for a favour. This is what is known as bribery. God does not want this to happen. 

Honesty and God 

God makes it very clear in various parts of the Bible that telling lies is a sin. 

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful. Proverbs Ch.12:22

Dishonest actions are also criticised by God. 

" 'Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity. Use honest scales and honest weights, an honest ephah [1] and an honest hin. [2] I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt. Leviticus Ch.19:35-36

Liars will not be allowed in the kingdom of God. 

There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

God asks us to have a character which upholds the highest standards of honesty. We can display this on a daily basis by being open and honest with each other.