Can God lie?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The Bible consistently teaches that lying is sinful and opposed to God’s nature, while truth endures and reflects righteousness (Proverbs 12:19, 22; Isaiah 59:13). God is described as perfect, faithful, just, and without iniquity, making deception incompatible with who He is (Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 18:30). He explicitly declares that He does not lie, assuring His people that every promise He speaks will be fulfilled (Numbers 23:19). The New Testament reinforces this by presenting God as the ultimate standard of truth, one whose character the apostles confidently appeal to as completely trustworthy (Romans 9:1; 2 Corinthians 11:31; Luke 18:19). God’s inability to lie is not a lack of power but a display of His perfect goodness, calling His people to reflect that same commitment to truth in their own lives (Romans 16:27; Ephesians 4:25).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The Bible classifies lying as something immoral and sinful. "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 12:22), and "lying lips" and "a deceitful tongue" are things from which deliverance is sought (Psalm 120:2).
• A mouth that speaks truth "endures forever" while a mouth that tells lies "is but for a moment" (Proverbs 12:19).
• Those whose hearts are full of lying words are associated with things like oppression, transgression, and denial of God (Isaiah 59:13).
• The prophet Hosea calls lying (along with murder, thievery, and adultery) a thing that "breaks all bounds" and results in bloodshed (Hosea 4:2).
• The Bible describes God as fully good and perfect. "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4). "This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him" (Psalm 18:30; 2 Samuel 22:31). Look at that list of character traits: God does perfect work. All His ways are just. He is a God of faithfulness. He is without sin. He is just and upright. He is perfect. His Word proves true. He protects those who trust Him. Since God's character is a truthful character, it is irrational to think that God can lie.
• God tells us plainly that He does not lie: "God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?" (Numbers 23:19). The Bible is God's inspired Word and His word proves true (Psalm 18:30), and that word tells us that God does not lie.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Apostle Paul promised the recipients of his letters by appealing to God's truthfulness. He said "I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit…" (Romans 9:1) and "The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, he who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying" (2 Corinthians 11:31). Clearly, Paul believed God's character to be honest and truthful. God was the standard he appealed to. He wanted God to look at his words and judge them honestly. It would not make much sense for Paul to do this unless God was characterized as inherently truthful.
• God alone is purely good (Luke 18:19). He is also wise (Romans 16:27) and perfect.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

If God is omnipotent, how could there be anything that He cannot do? The question is not whether or not God has the power to lie, the question is whether or not He wants to lie. There are many terrible things that we all have within our power to do, but we are revolted by the idea of doing them. If, for example, a mother was asked to willingly harm her child, she might respond by saying, "no, I could never do that!" She is not saying "I don't have the power to do that;" she is saying "that goes completely against my will, my desires, and my character." It is the same with God, and desire to sin. In that way, God cannot lie, because it goes completely against who He is. Because God does not lie, we also must not lie. We are called to reflect God’s character in all we do, which includes speaking the truth at all times.

UNDERSTAND

• God cannot lie because truth is central to His perfect and faithful character.
• Lying is sinful and completely opposed to God’s nature.
• God’s inability to lie shows His righteousness, not a lack of power, and calls us to reflect who He is to the world around us.

REFLECT

• How does knowing that God cannot lie influence the way you trust His promises?
• How do you seek for your life and words to reflect God’s character?
• Where is it hard for you to speak the truth, and how can God’s character reshape that?

ENGAGE

• Why is truth so central to God’s character, and how does that set a standard for us?
• How does understanding God’s inability to lie shape our view of God’s Word and His promises?
• How can we help each other live faithfully in truth?