Some people might think that lying is not a great sin. Sometimes some people even try to convince themselves that lying is okay just as long as no one gets hurt because of it.
However, Reverend Franklin Graham is warning people that lying has grave consequences, and that even though some people may manage to get away with their lies in their lifetime, the same cannot be said once they come face to face with God.
"Some people seem to think it's okay to lie — that is, as long as you can get away with it," he wrote on his Facebook page.
"If you listen to the news today, many politicians operate as if lying is perfectly acceptable. Some lie about their e-mails, some lie about sex, some lie about their taxes, lie to their spouses, on and on. While we need to let Washington know that America isn't going to vote for liars, we may forget that lying is a serious matter for all of us — because it's a serious matter to God."
Lying is a sin, Graham stressed, and the Bible cannot be clearer when it said in Proverbs 12:22: "The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful."
God's Word also says "there will be no liars in heaven," Graham said, adding that this particular line tells people how serious this sin is to God. These should be "stark" warnings for people to examine their thoughts and words, and take care to be truthful in their lives, the evangelist said.
Even if a person lied in the past, Graham said this is OK as long as he or she confesses this sin and forever cast it out.
Graham quoted 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
"And that's no lie!" Graham said.
