“Liar! Liar! Pants on fire!” is the chant kids use when they catch someone who is deliberately fabricating the truth. But what about when a lie is more subtle, more indirect or seemingly harmless? Sometimes lies are transparent (such as when a country calls an unprovoked invasion a “special operation”). Other times, lies are bold and defiant – a direct opposition to the truth that defies you to prove it wrong. Yet most of the time, lies are a subtle deception that are designed to mislead and misdirect our thinking. We leave out certain details and insert others in order to bring someone to come to a false conclusion about a matter. The truth is that anything we say or do with an “intent to deceive” someone else should be considered a lie.

These subtle lies are often used to mislead trusted friends and family, but when found out they erode trust and irreparably damage relationships. We justify these types of lies by telling ourselves that we needed to protect our loved ones from the truth. Or, sometimes we just don’t want to be questioned about a matter, so we conceal it. The problem is that this type of premeditated, subtle “intent to deceive” can quickly become habitual and deadly to our spiritual walk with the Lord. We will eventually find ourselves deceiving people, spewing out these lies and then loading more on top to cover them up. It gets out of hand very quickly and we can easily become caught up in a web of lies that will bind us to the sin and blind us to the devastating consequences.

Such was the case with Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5:1-11 (take a moment to read it now). The account of their “intent to deceive” came from the sale of a piece of property. Many other early church members at the time were selling their possessions and giving the money to the church. There was no compulsion to do this. They were doing it out of love for the Lord and a desire to see His work go forward (BTW – that is a great model for giving!). Apparently this was the heart of Ananias and Sapphira, but they decided to keep some of the money for themselves. Now there was nothing wrong with them keeping some of the money. They were free to use the money as they chose. However, they wanted to be seen as generous and sacrificial to the church. They were giving a substantial gift to the church, but they wanted to be recognized for giving ALL to the Lord. So, they conspired together and chose deceit over transparency. As a result, God chose to make an example of them and struck them both dead on the spot. Two thoughts emerge from this story that should be a wake-up call for us:

Deception will be judged. No, God may not choose to make an example of you. You might not be struck down like Ananias and Sapphira. You might not even be found out by those you have led astray with your lies. But God knows your heart and He will hold you accountable. You will one day answer to Him and on that day your “intent to deceive” will be exposed before Him.

Deception erodes trust. Many times our “intent to deceive” is found out. When that happens, it takes away from our reputation and our ability to be trusted in the future. Imagine if Ananias and Sapphira were allowed to live. Would the disciples be able to trust them in future dealings? Could they be effective leaders in the church when their integrity was always in question? What type of witness could they have in the community when they were known to be self-serving and willing to deceive others for personal gratification? Unfortunately, this is the unintended effect for us when we find ourselves bound up in a web of lies. When our integrity is always in question and our words constantly need independent confirmation, we lose a reputable standing and innate trust with others. This can take years to regain again.

There is often no complete healing for those who have been affected by deceit, but there is always forgiveness. If having an “intent to deceive” has characterized your interactions with others, take it to the Lord today. Confess your sin to him as well as to those whom you have affected with your lies. Repentance is always a humbling experience but, while it may take years to regain trust, it is the first step to healing and reconciliation.