“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” (Proverb 12:22)

It seems that at least once a month someone will ask me if I think we are living in the end times. I always respond the same, “Yes! The ‘end times’ began when Jesus rose from the dead! The ‘end times’ will stop when Jesus returns from heaven.”

They ask these things because anyone with spiritual eyes can see that the world is becoming more discernably wicked – sometimes moment by moment. Only the spiritually clueless can miss this. This lost world IS getting worse and worse just like the Holy Spirit told us it would through the apostle Paul:

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)

These do seem to be some of those “perilous times” of which Paul spoke. One of the signs of this is that fewer and fewer people seem to respect and practice truth.
We can see, though, that there have always been people who preferred to lie so habitually that they are described by Solomon as having “lying lips”.

“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” (Proverb 12:22)

I once worked for a man who lied so automatically that one day he said it was raining outside and everything inside me wanted to go check. He rarely said anything truthfully.

Solomon tells us that people who live this way (and more and more people do) are an “abomination to the LORD”. That term “abomination” literally means “morally repulsive” and this is important because God Himself sets the standard for what we call “morals”. Lying lips make God want to puke.

Why? Let’s look at a contrasting thought a few verses earlier in Proverb 12:

“The truthful lip shall be established forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” (Proverb 12:19)

People lie, essentially, because they do not trust God; so, they seek to “establish” or “make themselves secure”. As is always the case…this only lasts for a “moment” – and then instantly evaporates. In contrast, the “truthful lip shall be established forever”. Those who tell the truth habitually are made to be stable and secure; Someone greater than they do that for their benefit.

This is because the Being Who created the universe IS Truth.

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the TRUTH, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)

And the here is how Jesus described the Holy Spirit He sent to dwell in and direct Christians:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of
TRUTH who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.” (John 15:26)

The reason truthful people are a delight to the LORD is they REFLECT and REPRESENT Him accurately in a steadily declining world.

“Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.” (Proverb 12:22)

And the reason those who lie habitually repulse Almighty God is that they reflect and represent their spiritual father, satan.

“You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44)

Let’s purpose in our hearts to walk in truth…have lifestyles that reflect reality and rightness. Then we can be a delight to God and to those who disciple us in the Lord, the way the apostle John did:

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4)

And, for those who seem sold out to telling lies and practicing all other sorts of sins…there is hope. Jesus changes people when they turn to Him.

He changed us! Praise God! He can bring their lives into order as well.