Let's not be deceitful or hypocritical. Let's not have any duplicity or deception or varnishing the truth or evasiveness or equivocation or misleading

diplomacy, let's be straight up with each other.

In an age when truthfulness is in serious decline,

what will enable us to speak the truth

even when it may cost us dearly.

In this episode of Light and Truth, John Piper turns to Ephesians 425 to urge us to be truthful and straightforward in our communication.

This sermon was originally preached at Bethlehem Baptist Church on September 28,

1986.

Let's look at Ephesians 4, verse 25, and while you're getting back to that, let me walk with you without you looking them up, but just listening, through a few other texts, just to give you a flavor for the breadth of the biblical condemnation

of falsehood in the mouths of God's people.

Proverbs 616.

There are six things which the Lord hates, seven which are an abomination to him.

Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make

haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies and a man who sows discord among his brothers.

Proverbs 1222, lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.

Proverbs 1219.

Truthful lips endure forever.

But a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Proverbs 2017, bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man,

but afterward his mouth is full of gravel.

Isn't that great?

Proverbs 21-6, the getting of treasures by lying is a fleeting vapor and a snare of death.

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