Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Ephesians 4:25

I’ve heard this type of story more than once where a person states that their personal journey of faith was almost derailed by the inconsistency of some family members who outwardly claimed to live for Christ, but whose actions set less than a good example.

Some recognize the disconnect and the lack of an authentic (not perfect) Christian examples and are still able to navigate the truth of Christianity in their own lives. Others are unable to get past what they see as hypocrisy and ultimately reject the faith.

Nothing undermines the view of others more than when a Christian fails to tell the truth or is caught in a lie. In the verse above, Paul begins his list of ways to live by focusing in on the topic of being truthful with others. First, we put away falsehood and then we speak the truth to our neighbors. For the Christian, telling the truth is an obligation because we are all connected to one another.

According to Pastor Alistair Begg, “when we lie, we short-circuit the nervous system of Christ’s body.”

It’ good to reflect on the kind of influence we’ve had on others especially as it relates to telling the truth. It’s a sobering thought, don’t you agree?