BIBLE STUDY COURSE

Lesson 19 – with Honesty

You can fool some of the people all of the time, and you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool God. Many of us have felt the hurt when someone tries to fool us into thinking that what they are saying or doing is sincere. Many years ago, my wife and I ran a business, and a person who I had considered as a friend came to me with a business proposal. I had no reason to doubt him, so I listened as he unfolded a very intriguing plan for a business that he was involved in. It all sounded very legitimate so after a few weeks of meeting with him, we began to invest our product, which was printing and graphic design, as well as some finances.

This went on for several years, and even got my wife and I to Peru for what was deemed a business trip. The trip was very successful, and we returned with a briefcase full of business project proposals that were very good. The business appeared to be on its way to success, which meant a return on our investment. However, instead of working on the projects, and moving them forward with solid quotes, my friend became pre-occupied with his personal estate, which at that time consisted of a rented house, a borrowed car, and some very used furniture. That triggered several of us in the organization to try to move the projects on ourselves, but discovered that connections we were told existed never did. My friend lied about everything, and it cost everyone involved money as well as services. The sad part of all of this is that he is still out there working the same scam over twenty years later. But what hurt more than our losses was the fact that one we considered as a friend had betrayed our friendship by deliberately lying.

 The reason he was able to get away with his scam for so long was that all we knew was what he was telling us, which seemed to make very good sense at the time. It is an entirely different story when we go to God in prayer, and try to “pull a scam” on Him. You say that you would never try to do that, especially to God. Yet when you go to God in prayer, asking Him for something, and “promising” Him something in return that you never intended to keep, there is no difference.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

We can sum up this verse in two words; God knows. God knows the motive you have for praying to Him. He knows when what you are asking of Him is only to gain an escape from your current circumstances. He knows that when you make your plea to Him if it is driven by personal gain, or for a genuine desire to serve Him. He knows the difference in your heart between worldly desires, and godly desires. When you think you can fool God, you have been greatly deceived. God knows the direction you are going, and how to bring you to the honesty He desires in you.

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. 

You have probably heard that the first step in solving a problem is admitting that a problem exists. If drugs have control on your life, and you never admit to it, you will never be rid of it. It is the same with God when you go to Him and disguise what the actual problem is that you are needing His help for. For instance, someone comes into the jail on a charge of domestic violence. During their stay they pray to God to give them the ability to be more tolerant of the person they abused. If all they admitted to God was a “misunderstanding,” God would not be able to “fix it.” But when that person is honest with God, and looks back into their lives, and admits to Him where the root of their violence came from, then He will begin to solve the issue. The root may be a desire for control, or it may be the result of being abused themselves, or it most likely is that they have ignored God and His Word, which results in confusion and bitterness.

Ephesians 4:14-15 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; (15) But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 

There is no more important time and place to speak the truth as when you are speaking to God in prayer. When you are praying to God, the thing that will separate you from Him is sin. He knows that, and you know that. It would be wise to confess your sin to God, ask for His forgiveness, and seek His help in turning from it.

Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: 

When you open your heart and thoughts to God’s inspection, you will find many things that may not agree with His Word. God knows those things are there, but He wants you to know that they are not pleasing to Him. When you open your heart and thoughts to His inspection, He will show you what needs changed, but He will never force you to change anything. He created you with a free-will which allows you to choose His direction, or follow yourself. A popular saying today is advising you to “follow your heart.” However, when God looks into your heart here’s what He sees.

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Notice the word “deceitful.” That means that your heart, which controls your emotions, can deceive you into thinking that something is okay, when in fact, it is totally wrong in God’s sight. Have you ever been fooled into thinking something was one way only to find out that it wasn’t? People can be that way when we allow others to influence our lives. When you allow your heart, or feelings and emotions, to direct your thoughts and actions, God says that you have been deceived. The heart will try to justify your attitude towards the salvation that is offered to you through Jesus Christ by telling you that you are “all right,” when in fact you are not. There is only one way to break the hold your heart has upon your life, and that is by knowing the truth of God in all things. That truth is found in God’s Word, the Bible.

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. 

The truth of God's Word makes you free from error. If you don’t know the truth about something, you can be easily drawn into something that is not from God. When a person is accused of breaking the law, he or she is given a hearing, or a trial, in which the truth is hopefully discovered. When one person says one thing, and another says something different, it is for certain that one of them is either lying or does not know the facts correctly. When a person intentionally lies to a court of law, there are penalties, which is called perjury. The reason for the penalties is because false decisions can be made that are based on their testimony, which can affect another person’s life. Someone who is innocent may have severe penalties placed upon them for something they actually are innocent of doing.

While it may be somewhat easy to fool others with lies, it is impossible to fool God. When you go to God and are not completely honest with your prayer, you will not receive an answer. An inmate may pray that God get them out of jail so they can be the parent to their children that God wants them to be. Did you notice how the blame for their incarceration seemingly is placed upon God, with the children actually the victims? When in reality, within their hearts, they only want out so they can resume what they were doing before they were arrested. Most of the time they never intend to be the parent to their children that God intended. God knows their hearts, not simply their words in prayer.

 Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 

God’s knowledge of you and me goes way beyond the words we speak, especially in our prayer. Telling a half-truth, or being honest with God in only some of the details of our prayer is the same as lying to Him. It is the same as when we are not 100% up front with someone in our dealings with others. There will always be consequences to our actions.

Romans 12:17 … Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 

One of the problems with lying about things is that you must remember what things you told to who so you don’t get caught in a lie. Usually, our actions will betray us when we lie. For instance, if I tell you that I am a Christian, and you hear me preaching and teaching, and you see me in church, you would agree with me. But during the week, if you saw me staggering out of a bar, and you overheard me yelling at my wife and kids, and my language was less than what you would expect from a Christian, you would have every right to think that I have lied to you. If getting caught in a lie has that type of an impact on other people, how much greater of an impact does it have on God, who knows everything about you, when you go to Him in prayer and try to present yourself as something that you really are not? While the grace of God covers those situations, it will impact greatly how God answers your prayer. You cannot persuade God to change the truth to suit your situation. All you can do is be truthful, and allow Him to lead from there.

Over the years I have known men and women who have had warrants outstanding on them for various minor offenses, but were not actively pursued for arrest. Many of them turned themselves in at the jail just to get the consequences of their actions cleared up by serving whatever time was required. What that amounted to was admitting to the truth instead of trying to hide from it, or lying about it. Once their penalty was paid, they were no longer under the guilt of that offense. It is the same with you and God. Until the truth is confessed to God in prayer, the guilt remains, and the peace of God is withheld. Once you are truthful with God, then He can begin to answer your need, and His peace comes.

Prayer is simply you talking to God, but for that conversation to be meaningful it must be based upon truth. You know the truth of what is going on in your heart and in your thoughts. That is the basis on which you go to God. If you have an addiction, and you love it, but you know it is offending God, go to Him in prayer laying out the truth to Him, and seek His guidance. Let Him know that you still love your addiction, but know that it is wrong in His sight, and ask Him to remove your love for it, and teach you what is right. He will when you are honest.

If you go to God and try to tell Him that you have this or that wrong in your life, but that you think you can handle it, what is the purpose of seeking God? But if you go to Him in truth, admitting to Him what He already knows, then your prayer can be built upon the basis of honesty. Isn’t that how every relationship that is worth anything should be based?

Lesson 19 – with Honesty

1. You can’t F_____ God.

2. The heart will try to justify your A_________ towards the salvation that is offered to you through Jesus Christ by telling you that you are “A___ R______,” when in fact you are not.

3. God knows the M_______ you have for praying to Him.

4. God knows the D____________ you are going, and how to bring you to the H_________ He desires in you.

5. There is no more important time and place to speak the T_______ as when you are speaking to G___ in prayer.

6. You L___ to God in prayer when you ask Him for something, and “P__________” Him something in return, but you never intended to K_______ your promise.

7. T_________ is found in God’s Word, the Bible.

8. Psalm 139:23 Search me, O God, and K______ my heart: try me, and know my T______________: 

9. When you think you can F_____ God, you have been greatly D_______________.

10. Your H__________, which controls your E___________, can deceive you into thinking that something is okay, when in fact, it is totally W__________ in God’s sight.

11. The truth of God's Word makes you free from E_________.

12. He knows when what you are asking of Him is only to gain an E__________ from your current C___________________.

13. The first step in S_________ a problem is A____________ that a problem exists.

14. Jeremiah 17:9 The H_______ is deceitful above all things, and desperately W_________: who can know it? 

15. John 8:32 And ye shall K______ the T______, and the truth shall make you F_____. 

16. Prayer is simply you T________ to God, but for that conversation to be M___________ it must be based upon T_________.

17. Once you are T_____________ with God, then He can begin to answer your need, and His P__________ comes.

18. He knows the difference in your heart between W__________ desires, and G_________ desires.

19. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the T___________ that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of P__________, and not of E_________, to give you an expected end. 

20. Romans 12:17 … Provide things H___________ in the sight of all men.