Lying or Deceiving by God’s Name. (Pasche)
Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues and say, He saith. Jeremiah 23:31
What is meant by lying or deceiving by God’s name ? It means
to adorn false doctrine or ungodly life with the Word and name of God. Who is mean enough to do that ? Who is bold enough to venture it? Must he not fear to be found to fight against God? Yet this same thing is done daily by the thousands of false prophets who deny the true faith, preaching their own erroneous specula tions, as well as by the millions who live in sin, but would be accounted saints. God surely does not like such as use their
tongues to violate His Word. He says through the prophet Jeremiah that He is against such prophets. They preach false doctrine and yet declare, “He saith.” They deny the true faith and yet seek to gain credence for doing so. They tear down the Word of God, and yet they use the name of God as a veneer to cover their wicked words. They garble Scripture to suit their own purpose, and yet they render themselves attractive and commend
able to many by twisting Scripture into a seeming agreement with their views.
Is this not the same vile method which their lying master, the devil, employed when he tempted Christ? To this day he is an adept in breeding mischief by false doctrine. Are there not false prophets almost everywhere, perverting and distorting the holy Word of God and yet claiming, “Thus saith the Lord” ? Is there not a bewildering number of sects, each of them deviating from God’s plain Word in some point and yet telling people that they are teaching the pure and unadulterated truth? Remember that you must strictly adhere to the divine Word; then you will not be deceived by them.
However, lying and deceiving by God’s name is done not only by false prophets; it is a very common sin. Every display of piety, all show of holiness, of such as live in sin, who thus adorn their ungodly life with the Word and name of God, is condemned in the Second Commandment.
Prayer.
0 my dear Savior, how much hast Thou endured, what hast Thou suffered for me to redeem such a worm as I am! Accept my thanks, 0 Lord, for all Thy suffering and draw me unto Thee that I may cling to Thee in life and in death, live for Thee alone, and despise and hate sin in every shape and form. 0 Lord, Thou hast said: “This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth and honoreth Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me.” Let me beware of such hypocrisy and be Thine forever. Amen.
