Honesty
Hon’es-ty (on’), n. [from Latin, honestus, honorable]
1. the quality of being honest (a) honorable (b) refraining from lying, cheating, or stealing; being truthful (c)sincerity (d) chastity
Honesty may well be the most important of all the virtues! Our view of truth and our adherence to it, impacts how every other virtue is manifested in our lives. A man without truth cannot be virtuous; he can only give the appearance of it.
Why is the truth so vital? Is it because God made it so? No, He did not make it so. Shocking? Let me explain. God created this world and could have created many things differently. He could have created a world in which the gravitational pull of cut wood fluctuates after dark. This would make getting out of a chair after dinner a more difficult task than after breakfast. But, God did not create truth or love! He did not decide that honesty was to be good, or that hate was to be bad. Love is good because God is love, and honesty is good because God is true. In fact, He could not have made a world in which lying was a virtue! Truth is one of the attributes of God, it is what He is, and He can be no other. There is a truth to truth that cannot change. In John 18:37 we are told that the very reason Christ came into the world was to “testify to the truth” and in John 14:6 that He Himself is “… the way and the truth…” and of the Bible itself, “The sum of your Word is truth.” (Psalm 119:160)
The man who loves the Lord must therefore love the truth, and he will be an honest man. Our relationships should be glued together with honesty. One lie can damage a relationship for years, and a habit of dishonesty will destroy it. There may well be nothing more important in your relationships than the truth! Even in casual conversation we must speak with care for the truth. In James 5 we are told to let our yes be yes and our no be no. When we say yes to someone about anything there should be no doubt in their mind that we mean it and will follow through on it. A very simple matter of agreeing to meet someone should not be taken lightly, and only providential circumstances should keep you from it.
Honesty is being totally committed to the truth, in any variety of situations, no matter what it may cost, and it does cost. A person not committed to the truth will get away with stuff (I didn’t do it) and avoid difficult situations (My dog ate my homework) and get stuff he shouldn’t (yes, I dropped that money) and often they never get caught. The honorable man will face the consequences of his failures and will not seek unearned gain, the truth is more important than his personal comfort, because the truth honors God.
“Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.” Ephesians 4:25
All blessings to you,
JBL