Bible Study About Honesty: Living in Truth as a Christian

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HONEST TO THE BONE: HOLY TRUTH-TELLERS

Brethren, hear me. We belong to the God of truth. He is “a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He” (Deut. 32:4, KJV). In a world that bargains with lies, we choose the narrow road of honesty, integrity, and holiness.

We do not bend the truth to fit our comfort. We bend our lives to fit His Word, for “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17).

We refuse “little white lies,” because lying lips are abomination to the LORD (Prov. 12:22), and we were not saved to live small, scared, and shaded.

We were saved to walk in the light (1 John 1:6–7), to speak truth in love (Eph. 4:15), to let our Yea be Yea, and Nay, Nay (Matt. 5:37), to keep our word even to our own hurt (Ps. 15:4), to “provide things honest in the sight of all men” (Rom. 12:17; cf. 2 Cor. 8:21), and to live “in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2).

Why. Because Jesus Christ is the Truth (John 14:6), the Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 3:14; 19:11), the Lamb without blemish and without spot (1 Pet. 1:19; Isa. 53:9; 1 Pet. 2:22), and in Him “are yea, and in Him Amen” to all the promises of God (2 Cor. 1:20).

Praise be to God. Today we choose the light. Today we choose truth. Today we choose Him.

What God Calls Honesty

Friends, what is honesty in Scripture. Not flimsy politeness, not blunt cruelty, but truthfulness, uprightness, and a sincere heart. The King James Bible speaks of the honest, the upright, the just, the without guile (1 Tim. 2:2).

Honesty is not merely avoiding lies. It is a heart set to do right, “uprightness of heart,” a life conforming to justice and truth. It is a character that matches its confession. We do not weaponize “honesty” to bruise our brother.

We “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15). Truth without love is a hammer. Love without truth is fog. God calls us to both.

Have you ever felt the tug to shave the facts to save face. To soften the invoice numbers. To offer a careful half truth when the whole truth felt costly. Praise the Lord for conviction. That pinch is mercy, not misery. The Spirit of God is guarding your heart.

From Sinai to the Upper Room, One Unbroken Witness

Honesty is not a fad. It is the heartbeat of both covenants.

Sinai speaks. “Thou shalt not bear false witness” (Ex. 20:16). “Just balances, just weights shall ye have” (Lev. 19:35–36). God wove truth into courts and market stalls, contracts and conversations.
The poets agree. “He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart” shall abide with God (Ps. 15:1–2). “Lying lips are abomination… but they that deal truly are His delight” (Prov. 12:22).
The prophets cry. “They will not speak the truth” Jeremiah wept (Jer. 9:5). When truth falls in the street, nations crack.
The Lord Jesus clarifies. “Let your communication be, Yea, yea. Nay, nay” (Matt. 5:37). No theatrics. No oaths to make our shaky words seem sturdy.
The apostles bind it on the Church. “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour” (Eph. 4:25). “Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man” (Col. 3:9). “Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles” (1 Pet. 2:12). God even wrote a fierce footnote in Acts 5:1–11. Ananias and Sapphira chose image over truth and fell before the God who searches hearts.
And the same charge echoes from Zechariah to Paul. “Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour” (Zech. 8:16), “speak every man truth with his neighbour” (Eph. 4:25). Different centuries, one Lord, one standard.

Has God changed. Never. “God is not a man, that He should lie” (Num. 23:19). “It is impossible for God to lie” (Heb. 6:18). Thank You, Lord. Our Rock does not wobble.

Truth, Integrity, Righteousness. Three Strands, One Cord

Truth. “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). To be honest is to agree with reality as God defines it, not as our fears reframe it. To “do not the truth” is to walk in darkness (1 John 1:6–7).
Integrity. The Bible calls it a straightness inside a man. “The integrity of the upright shall guide them” (Prov. 11:3). “Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool” (Prov. 19:1). Integrity is choosing a clean pillow over a padded pocket.
Righteousness. “He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness” (Prov. 12:17). Holiness is the house. Honesty is one of its foundation stones. “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:16). “Create in me a clean heart” (Ps. 51:6, 10) is the prayer that keeps truth alive inside.

And what fills our minds fuels our mouths. “Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest… think on these things” (Phil. 4:8). What we think on we speak out.

Our Marching Orders

Brethren, the New Man has new words. The Spirit of truth lives in you (John 16:13). So hear the clear commands:

Put away lying (Eph. 4:25). Not just the big, loud lies. The flattering lie. The evasive lie. The convenient silence that functions like a lie. We are “members one of another,” so deceiving you damages me.
Speak truth in love (Eph. 4:15). Honesty is not a license to be harsh. It is a call to be courageous and kind at once.
Swear not (James 5:12). Build a reputation that does not require props. Let your plain word be a pledge.
Provide things honest (Rom. 12:17; 2 Cor. 8:21). Handle money, time, contracts, and ministry in a way that shines “in the sight of the Lord, and also in the sight of men.”
Lie not one to another (Col. 3:9). Kill the church mask. Confess. Be real.
Keep your word even when it hurts (Ps. 15:4). If you said you would be there, be there. If you promised to pay, pay. The world is starved for dependable souls.

Question. Where is the Spirit tugging you right now. A report to correct. A conversation to have. A cache to delete. Obedience is not a theory. It is a step.

When Integrity Costs, God Stands Up

Joseph walked this path. Sold by brothers, slandered by Potiphar’s wife, yet he was trusted with all in the house because he was faithful (Gen. 39:6). When temptation pressed, he cried, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God” (Gen. 39:9).

For that truth he wore chains, yet in prison he was trusted again (Gen. 39:22–23), and in due time God lifted him to save nations (Gen. 37–50). Integrity may throw you into a pit for a night, but it will seat you where God wants you by morning.

Daniel stood straight in a crooked court. His enemies “could find none occasion nor fault… forasmuch as he was faithful” (Dan. 6:4). They outlawed prayer to catch him, and he opened his windows anyway (Dan. 6). God shut the lions’ mouths. He still does.

Paul labored with a clean conscience. “Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men” (Acts 24:16). “We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty,” he said, “not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully” (2 Cor. 4:2).

He even confronted Peter’s inconsistency to protect the gospel’s truth (Gal. 2:11–14), and he handled offerings with transparent care (2 Cor. 8:21). In Ephesus, converts proved their repentance by burning their occult scrolls in the open square (Acts 19:18–19). That is honesty set on fire.

Five Rich Rewards Of Walking In Truth

A clear conscience and steady feet. “He that walketh uprightly walketh surely” (Prov. 10:9). No scrambling to cover tracks. No panic when the phone rings. Peace on the pillow.
A good name. “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches” (Prov. 22:1). People may not agree with you, but they will trust you.
God’s delight and favor. “Thou… hast pleasure in uprightness” (1 Chr. 29:17). The smile of God is better than the applause of crowds. “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much” (Luke 16:10).
Guidance and protection. “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me” (Ps. 25:21). “The integrity of the upright shall guide them” (Prov. 11:3). Honesty trims a straight path through life’s thickets.
Generational blessing. “The just man walketh in his integrity, his children are blessed after him” (Prov. 20:7). Your truth-telling today becomes your children’s shelter tomorrow. Praise the Lord.

Pictures That Preach To The Heart

God paints truth in pictures so we will not forget.

Light and darkness. “If we say we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie” (1 John 1:6). “He that doeth truth cometh to the light” (John 3:20–21). Pull the curtains wide. Walk where God is.
Unleavened bread. “Purge out the old leaven… keep the feast… with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:6–8). No puff. No hidden ferment. Just clean dough before God.
The belt of truth. “Having your loins girt about with truth” (Eph. 6:14). A soldier’s belt holds everything together. Drop truth, and the armor sags.
Two fountains. “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter” (James 3:11). A double tongue is a divided heart. Lord, make us one piece.
A man without guile. Jesus looked at Nathanael. “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile” (John 1:47). May He say the same of us.
Scales and paths. “A false balance is abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight” (Prov. 11:1). “Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved, but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once” (Prov. 28:18). “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Ps. 119:105).

Honesty, Obedience, Faith, Holiness

Obedience. “If ye love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Honesty is love with boots on. It is presenting our bodies “a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1), including the tongue.

Faith. Why do we lie. Often because we fear. We fear loss, exposure, rejection. Trust in the LORD with all thine heart (Prov. 3:5–6). Tell the truth and trust God with the fallout. He is able to defend you.

Holiness. “Out of the heart… come… deceit” (Mark 7:21–22). But the new man is “created in righteousness and true holiness” (Eph. 4:24). “All liars” are listed among those outside the city (Rev. 21:8), and “there shall in no wise enter into it… that maketh a lie” (Rev. 21:27). Sobering. Let it wake us, not crush us.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive (1 John 1:9). Thank You, Lord.

Love. “Charity… rejoiceth in the truth” (1 Cor. 13:6). Real love tells the truth and does it tenderly. That is how families heal. That is how churches grow.

And yes, there are messy stories. Rahab shielded the spies in Jericho (Josh. 2). Scripture honors her faith (Heb. 11). God draws crooked sticks to strike straight blows. Yet the end of His work is always the same. He forms a people who “do truth,” who are learning a fearless, affectionate honesty.

Christ, Our Truth, Our Pattern, Our Power

Lift your eyes to Jesus. He could say, “Which of you convinceth Me of sin” (John 8:46). He taught as One who could begin, “Verily, verily,” because every syllable rang with reality.

He unmasked hypocrisy with tears in His eyes (Matt. 23; Luke 19:41–44). He told the woman at the well the truth about her past, then gave her living water (John 4).

He fulfilled every promise of God (2 Cor. 1:20), kept every jot of righteousness (Matt. 3:15), and went to the cross as the spotless Lamb (Ex. 12:5; 1 Pet. 1:19; Isa. 53:9; 1 Pet. 2:22). He died. He rose. He poured out the Spirit of truth so that truth could run in our veins (John 16:13).

When the pressure mounts and your mouth wants to swerve, run to the throne of grace. “We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities… Let us therefore come boldly… to find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:15–16).

He does not only command honesty. He creates it in us. “We all… beholding… the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). Keep looking at the Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11). You become what you behold.

From Warning to Welcome, From Alarm to Assurance

Brethren, I will say it plain. Beware the slow leak of deceit. One shaded sentence today becomes a secret life tomorrow. Adam fell by a lie, “Ye shall not surely die.” The enemy still hisses (John 8:44). He promises ease, then demands chains.

Do not trade your birthright for a bowl of deception. Warn your soul. Stir your soul. In Christ you are not a slave to lies. The cross broke the serpent’s back. The empty tomb broke his boast. Grace is not permission to lie. Grace is power to tell the truth with courage and love (John 1:17; 2 Cor. 1:20).

And now, let us decide. Not vague resolutions. Real steps. Whom must you call today. What email must you correct. Which ledger must you reconcile. Which mask must you lay down at the altar. Honesty is not only a doctrine to affirm. It is a door to walk through.

A Pastoral Charge For Your Week

Open the Book. Read aloud John 17:17, Ephesians 4:25, Proverbs 12:22, Psalm 15, James 5:12. Let Scripture set your tongue.
Practice one hard truth today. Return the overpayment. Admit the missed deadline. Clarify the half told story. “He that is faithful in that which is least” (Luke 16:10).
Invite a faithful friend. “Brother, ask me each week if I told the truth when it cost me.” “Sister, ask me if my yes was yes.” Iron sharpeneth iron.
Pray this prayer when tempted. “Father, create in me a clean heart (Ps. 51:10). Sanctify me through Thy truth (John 17:17). I choose light (1 John 1:7). I will keep my word (Ps. 15:4). Lord Jesus, Faithful and True (Rev. 19:11), live Your honesty through me. Amen.”

Closing Exhortation: Stand In The Light

Friends, this is our hour. The Church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The world is starving for something real. Let them meet you, an honest man, an honest woman, whose conversation is honest among the Gentiles (1 Pet. 2:12).

Let them see people who walk surely (Prov. 10:9), who keep just weights (Prov. 11:1), who swear to their own hurt (Ps. 15:4), who refuse to bow to lions or to lies (Dan. 6:4), who labor with a conscience void of offense (Acts 24:16), who rejoice when truth makes us free (John 8:32), who trust the God who cannot lie (Num. 23:19; Heb. 6:18).

And when the last chapter is read, when the gates of pearl swing wide, it will be said of that city, “There shall in no wise enter into it… that maketh a lie” (Rev. 21:27). We will stand before the throne of light, hear the voice we love, and by grace alone we will hear it say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt. 25:21).

Praise the Lord. Thank You, Lord. Until that day, we will speak truth in love (Eph. 4:15), do truth (John 3:21), think on whatsoever things are honest (Phil. 4:8), and walk with God in integrity (Prov. 11:3; 20:7).

Let us rise. Let us repent quickly. Let us rejoice deeply. Let us live transparently.
Let us be, by the Spirit’s power, honest to the bone.

Call to Action: The Question That Demands an Answer

In Acts 2:37 Peter and the Apostles were asked the question – What Shall We do?

And in Acts 2:38 Peter answered, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

Do you understand this? After hearing the gospel and believing, they asked what should would do. The answer hasn’t changed friend, Peter clearly gave the answer. The question for you today is, Have you receieved the Holy Spirit Since you believed?

If you’re ready to take that step, or you want to learn more about what it means to be born again of water and Spirit, visit:
👉 revivalnsw.com.au

Come, and let the Spirit make you new.