Listen to John…
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
(1 John 1:10)
A lot of people are making God a liar by saying they have not sinned, when in fact, the record against them says otherwise. Why does that make God a liar, though? Shouldn’t it be US who are lying when we say we haven’t sinned? Yes, we too are liars, in that we are lying to ourselves or others by claiming we are above sin, but John’s point here is: God is holding you to a standard, and expects you to meet that standard. He is lifting you up before the Adversary.
Do you think Job was the only person that the Lord ever said to Satan, “have you considered my servant Job…”? Do you think Job was the only one God ever told the Devil he had permission to go after, confident that his faithful child would resist Satan’s attacks? I don’t think Job was a singular case. I think God expects all of us to be like Job, and when we’re not, we make Him—who might say to Satan “have you considered THIS Christian or THAT Christian…”—a liar.
So…what are some other ways we might make God a liar?
- When God says “my people are honest” and we lie…we make Him a liar.
- When God says “my people are kind” and we act selfishly…we make Him a liar.
- When God says “my people are generous” and we are miserly…we make Him a liar.
- When God says “my people are loyal” and we let our friends down…we make Him a liar.
- When God says “my people are peacemakers” and we walk around with chips on our shoulders…we make Him a liar.
God expects us to be faithful. When we are not, He expects us to repent. Above all, God just wants us to try (to try) to do our best. When we do not, we make Him a liar, and what a shameful thing that is for us to do.
~Matthew