Putting Away Lying
A Sermon on Ephesians 4:25
Originally preached June 8, 1958
Scripture
25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Ephesians 4:25 titled “Putting Away Lying,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says “There is no greater motive to holiness than a proper understanding of the truth.” Yet, he states, “this truth must be applied and not merely theoretical.” Truth is what makes a contrast between Christianity and other worldviews. Dr. Lloyd-Jones asks this question: Is there anything as fundamental to the Christian life as God’s character trait of truth? Multiple verses talk about God’s incapability of lying because of His character, and without this assurance, what He has revealed in His word could easily be doubted since there would be no reason to trust Him. Yet, because He cannot lie, what he says can be believed. Lying is quite serious because it is a direct assault on God’s character. Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that nothing is as characteristic of a life of sin as lying, especially since one is lying to themselves about their eternal future. Additionally, lying undermines the local church because it creates mistrust and demolishes the opportunity for Christian bonding and fellowship among believers. Listen as Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains why truth is so important to the life of a believer and why the pursuit of this will lead to holiness.
Sermon Breakdown
- Lying is incompatible with the Christian life and fellowship with God.
- God cannot lie. As Christians, we are to be like our Father.
- The devil is the father of lies. Lying shows an affinity with the devil.
- The first sin was the result of a lie. Lying is the cause of the fallen state of the world.
- Lying is the most prominent characteristic of a sinful life.
- Lying causes complications, unhappiness, and misery.
- Lying shows the true nature of sin as self-centeredness and selfishness.
- Lying is despised in theory but common in practice, showing the depth of sin.
- Lying destroys fellowship and the doctrine of the church as one body.
- We must love our neighbor as ourselves, so we must speak truth to them.
- Lying makes relationships and trust impossible.
The Book of Ephesians
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.