Dishonesty

• Dishonesty is listed in the Ten Commandments (Leviticus 19: 11)-Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another. (‭Leviticus‬ ‭19‬:‭11‬ ASV) Do not steal.  Taking things that do not belong to you is wrong.  Taking things without paying for it is wrong.  Even if it is a small item, we should not steal.  Dishonesty has very serious consequences, and should be avoided.  As we continue to read scripture, we find that the results of dishonesty and stealing are very severe, and the guilty can end up in hell as a result. 
• Be honest in your business dealings (Leviticus 19: 35-36)-Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight, or volume.  Your scales and weights must be accurate.  Your containers for measuring dry goods or liquids must be accurate.  I the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.  God has instructed us in our business dealings not to be dishonest.  This commandment was given to the people of Israel when they were set free from the rule of Pharao, as they  exited the land of Egypt.  God wants to us to be honest in everything we do.  Even when conducting business dealings, God wants us to be honest.  He does not want us to cheat anyone, or to be cheated/overcharged.
• Do not lie for your own gain (Deuteronomy 19: 14)-When you arrive in the land the LORD your God is giving you as a special possession, never steal someone's land by moving the boundary markers your ancestors set up to mark their property.  We should not lie even on property lines.  We should be honest in this with our neighbors as well.  God doesn't even want us to lie about our property lines.
• Dishonest people cannot know God (Psalm 101: 7)-I will not allow deceivers to serve me, and liars will not be allowed to enter my presence.  As we see in this verse, there is a lot to learn about being dishonest.  That is why people who lie do not remain in the congregation of the just for long.  They end up leaving for one reason or another.  Here we see that there is a code of conduct that must be followed in order to enter into the presence of the LORD our God.  Unless we live in an honorable way, we will not be able to take part with Him.  He is holy, perfect, true, and just.  And unless we follow His ways, and also are holy, perfect, true, and just, we will not be with him in heaven.   Matthew 5:48 (KJV) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.  What this means is that with His help, and if we follow His commands, we can achieve a perfected life through Him.  We must resist temptation, sin, and dishonesty in order to achieve this perfection, along with prayer, fasting, and submission to the Holy Spirit.
• God hates deception (Proverbs 12: 22)-The LORD hates those who don't keep their word, but he delights in those who do.  So, when we give our word, we must be careful to keep it.  It is better not to make a promise, than to make a promise, and not keep it.  When we do not keep our promises, it is seen in the same way as telling a lie.  So, be careful when making promises in any circumstance.
  
• God will punish those who take advantage of others (1 Thessalonians 4: 6)-Never cheat a Christian brother in this matter by taking his wife, for the LORD avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before.  The reason that this commandment prohibiting, and warning against the sin of adultery is so strong, is that it can lead to many, many other sins, and devastation to everyone involved as we have seen all throughout history.  Dishonesty leads to so many other sins, even death.  It's just not worth all the hurt and loss.  In the story of Samson, we see just how devastating this can be.  The person being cheated can enter into such a rage as to become so destructive, and in Samson's case, a whole town of people died.  We should keep this in mind.

Dishonesty has so many consequences as we read above.  It just doesn't pay to be dishonest under any circumstance as you can see.  One lie can snowball into a multitude of lies, and sin, and the results, can be death, and loss of salvation for those who indulge in this type of lifestyle, or practice.  So lets remember that honesty on the other hand goes a long way.  And nothing in this world is worth losing our salvation for.  So lets keep practicing honesty, so that we can enjoy the many benefits of leading an honest life.  Until the next study, let us pray for continued honesty and growth throughout believers all over the world, at all levels of Christianity.  May God bless you!!