Lying Lips and Evil Hearts – Speaking Truth in Love

Do not take me away with the wicked
And with the workers of iniquity,
Who speak peace to their neighbors,
But evil is in their hearts.

Psalm 28.3

This verse intrigues me. David here speaks of those who are “wicked” and “workers of iniquity”, and then describes them as being disingenuous, saying things they don’t mean, saying one thing with their mouth, but thinking something else in their hearts.

Outwardly, they seem like good people.

Who speak peace to their neighbors.

But their hearts are full of evil. They don’t mean the things they say. Their words are lies.

In Matthew 12 Jesus addresses the same issue, though it presents itself in the opposite direction.

During an encounter with the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the day) Jesus confronts them about their lying words. They witnessed him heal a man who had been afflicted by an evil spirit, causing him to be both blind and mute. Apparently Jesus wasn’t the only one who was able to cast out such spirits, but because the Pharisees were jealous of his popularity with the crowds, they said something they knew wasn’t true. They knew that the power to cast out evil spirits was from God, but they accused him of doing so with the power of Satan.

Jesus calls their lie what it is, pointing out that they weren’t accusing others of working in the power of Satan when they did similar acts. David in the Psalm says workers of iniquity speak peace when they don’t mean it, when they know in their hearts that their words aren’t true. Jesus said the Pharisees were speaking accusations that they knew weren’t true. 

Then Jesus says the same thing David said. He says the Pharisees were speaking accusations in the same way others speak peace, with hearts full of evil and lying lips.

Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned. [Matthew 12.33-37]

Sometimes the false accusations are justified as a good thing because the lying person is “exposing” the one they are accusing. But it’s not a good thing when it’s a lie. And they knew it was a hypocritical lie.

And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? [Matthew 12.27]

They were being hypocrites and liars. And Jesus pointed this out, saying that they couldn’t speak the truth because their hearts were full of evil.

Jesus knew the truth and He knew the motivation of their hearts.

We can’t know people’s hearts. We can barely know the motivations of our own hearts! But David knew the workers of iniquity were lying when they spoke peace, because he saw the testimony of their actions.

I think these workers of iniquity were speaking peace to David as King, but he knew they were plotting against him, working against him in the shadows. In verse four he prays and asks God:

Give them according to their deeds,
And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
Give them according to the work of their hands;
Render to them what they deserve.

He knew the truth, not because he knew their hearts omnisciently as God, but because he could reason from their actions that their words of peace were false.

They were hypocrites, just as the Pharisees were.

Sometimes the hypocrites attack, and sometimes they deceive and plot quietly in the shadows. Either way they are hypocrites and liars.

We must be careful that we don’t follow their example.

When was the last time you told a lie? Researchers tells us that the average person tells 3 lies every 10 minutes of conversation. The odds are, you’ve told a lie recently. Most of us wouldn’t like to admit, even to ourselves, that our hearts are wicked and evil, but that’s the truth.

We like to make excuses for our lies, thinking that we’re not really that bad. “I only told that lie so I wouldn’t hurt his feelings.” The Bible says that if we are lying, it’s because there is evil in our hearts.

Maybe we’re lying because we value the opinions of others more than we value God’s opinion. Maybe we’re lying because we value other people’s feelings more than we values God’s feelings. Maybe we’re lying to cover up our hostile intent toward another person.

Whatever our reason, the lie is coming from a heart that is wicked and evil, a heart that follows after Satan rather than God. Satan is the father of lies (John 8.44), but God would have us speak the truth always.

So the next time you find yourself tempted to tell a lie, even if you’re telling yourself that you’re doing it to spare someone’s feelings, remember these words from the Psalm and from Christ in Matthew, don’t be a hypocrite and a liar.

The Spirit of Truth instructs us:

That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head –Christ– [Ephesians 4.14,15]

And:

Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor.” [Ephesians 4.25]

Let’s be grown up Christians and tell each other the truth, in love!

Discussion

[1] This Psalm really challenges us to examine the true intentions of our hearts before we speak. How can we realistically do that?

• First, in the words of Treebeard the Ent, “Do not be hasty.” Take a beat before you speak to consider the intent behind your words. An intentional pause, maybe even a quick prayer for the light of the Spirit’s guidance, can prevent rash or deceitful speech.
• Second, a regular diet of thoughtful reading and meditation on Scripture is a prescription against deceitful speech. Allow the Word to act as a mirror, exposing selfishness, pride, and hypocrisy.

[2] How can we practice “speaking the truth in love” in our daily conversations without falling into the trap of hypocrisy or flattery?

• Intentionally be honest. Commit yourself to it. And realize it’s better not to speak at all, than to speak dishonestly. 
• Think about how you’re going to say something, not just what you’re going to say. Speak with gentleness and the goal of building up, rather than tearing down.
• Understand that love sometimes requires correction, or admonishment, but it should be done with gentleness. Gentleness doesn’t mean never correcting someone.

Coffee Talk: Brance and Lauren talk about decaf coffee.

Book Talk: David Livingstone: Missionary, Explorer, Abolitionist (use code COFFEE at checkout for 5% off)

Defining Theology: Brance and Lauren define and discuss the theological term Special Revelation.

Resources Mentioned:

2LCF (2nd London Baptist Confession of Faith)

David Livingstone: Missionary, Explorer, Abolitionist (use code COFFEE at checkout for 5% off)