Seven Things God Finds Abominable: #2 — A Lying Tongue
Welcome back to our continuing study on “Seven Things God Finds Abominable.” This series walks through Proverbs 6:16–19 and offers a sobering yet necessary look at what the Bible calls “an abomination unto Him.”
In our first post, we looked at “A Proud Look” — the sin that began in Heaven and continues to blind the hearts of men. If you missed it, I encourage you to go back and read it first. It sets the tone for everything that follows, because pride is the seed from which many of these other abominations grow.
Today, we move to the second abomination: “A Lying Tongue.”
If pride is the sin that lifts us above others, deceit is the sin that pulls others down to our level. The first corrupts the eyes; the second corrupts the mouth. Let’s take a deeper look at what God says about the tongue, and why truth is sacred in God’s sight.
“A lying tongue” (Proverbs 6:17)
Proverbs 6:16-19 says:
“These six things doth the LORD hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.”
The first abomination dealt with pride in the eyes; the second deals with deceit on the lips. A lying tongue is not simply an untruth spoken but it is when truth is betrayed. The tongue was created to praise, proclaim, and speak life, but when corrupted by sin, it becomes an instrument of destruction.
Proverbs 12:22 says:
“Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: but they that deal truly are his delight.”
If pride is the sin that exalts man above God, then lying is the sin that attempts to rewrite God’s reality. Every lie, no matter how small, is a rebellion against truth itself and God is Truth (John 14:6). “God is not a man, that he should lie” (Numbers 23:19). The devil, by contrast, “is a liar, and the father of it” (John 8:44). To lie, then, is to echo the speech of the serpent rather than the voice of the Savior.
The Power of the Tongue
Proverbs 18:21 declares:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.”
Few realize how serious that is. Our words can heal or harm, build up or break down. The tongue can praise God on Sunday and curse His image-bearers on Monday. James warns us in James 3:8–10:
“But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.”
A lying tongue may whisper softly, but its wounds are deep. It destroys reputations, divides churches, and stains consciences. A lie may travel faster than truth, but it cannot outrun judgment.
The Father of Lies
The first recorded lie in Scripture came from Satan himself. In Genesis 3:4–5, he told Eve,
“Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods…”
That one lie plunged the entire human race into sin. Notice how the lie appealed to pride (the very first abomination we discussed in our aforementioned previous post). Pride and deceit are two sides of the same coin: pride speaks lies to self, whereas deceit speaks lies to others.
Jesus called Satan “a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44) The devil lies to destroy but God speaks truth to redeem.
God’s Truth is Absolute
The world tells us that truth is relative, that words can be bent and meanings redefined. However, God’s truth stands eternal. Psalm 119:160 says:
“Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
To speak lies is to align against the God of truth. To speak truth, even when costly, is to honor His character. God does not measure lies by size or intention. The “white lie” and the blatant deception are both abominations before Him, for both corrupt what He made sacred: the tongue.
The Remedy for a Lying Tongue
The only cure for a lying tongue is a heart transformed by Truth. Jesus said in John 8:32:
“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Freedom from deceit begins not with speech but with surrender. When truth rules the heart, it governs the lips. The Psalmist prayed in Psalm 141:3:
“Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”
Let that be our daily prayer. May the words we speak reflect the God we serve. Let no exaggeration, no gossip, no manipulation find a home on our tongues. Let our speech be, as Colossians 4:6 says:
“Always with grace, seasoned with salt.”
A lying tongue is not only the voice of deceit, but also it is the silence of integrity. When truth is inconvenient, it is tempting to bend it, but the Lord delights in honesty that costs us something. The Christian’s tongue should never be for sale.
Ephesians 4:25 commands:
“Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.”
When we speak truth, we reflect God who never lies. When we twist truth, we mirror the enemy who deceives. The question every believer must ask is simple: Whose voice does my tongue echo?
Let our words bring light, not shadow; healing, not harm; truth, not treachery. For every time we choose honesty, we bear witness that our Lord still reigns. We bear witness of God, “in whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)