Rahab the harlot lied to protect Israelite spies by telling the King of Jericho's men that the spies had already left the city when they were actually hiding on her roof. Some argue Rahab's lie was justified given the situation, while others say no lie is justified according to scripture. Rahab is praised in the Bible for protecting the spies, and went on to be included in Jesus' lineage, showing how God can forgive and use anyone. The document discusses whether lying is ever justified and what the Bible says about truth and lying.

1. IS LYING EVER JUSTIFIED?

2. (Josh 2:1-6) Now Joshua the son of Nun sent out two
men from Acacia Grove to spy secretly, saying, "Go,
view the land, especially Jericho." So they went, and
came to the house of a harlot named Rahab, and
lodged there. {2} And it was told the king of Jericho,
saying, "Behold, men have come here tonight from the
children of Israel to search out the country." {3} So the
king of Jericho sent to Rahab, saying, "Bring out the
men who have come to you, who have entered your
house, for they have come to search out all the
country." {4} Then the woman took the two men and
hid them. So she said, "Yes, the men came to me, but I
did not know where they were from. {5} "And it
happened as the gate was being shut, when it was
dark, that the men went out. Where the men went I do
not know; pursue them quickly, for you may overtake
them." {6} (But she had brought them up to the roof
and hidden them with the stalks of flax, which she had
laid in order on the roof.)

3. LYING
A.Have you ever lied?
1. Is lying ever justified?
2. Is it okay to lie under certain situations?
B.Three Schools Of Thought Regarding
Human Moral Responsibility.
1. First, there is nihilism. Nihilism argues
that there is no God, hence anything one
wishes to do is permitted. There are no
rules— absolutely none— for human
conduct; according to this ideology;
every person is a law unto himself.

4. LYING
2. Second, there is relativism. Relativism
contends that all conduct is relative to the
circumstance. Thus, each individual must
decide what is moral or immoral in a given
situation. Ultimately, every man is his own
judge of the matter. (Situation ethics)
3. Third, there is absolutism. This concept
affirms that there is an absolute, objective
standard of right and wrong (grounded in
the holy nature of God Himself), and this
code of moral conduct is set forth in the
Bible— reaching its zenith in the New
Testament

5. LYING
C. Rahab is mentioned in 3 places in the New
Testament.
1.She is praised for protecting the spies - James
2:25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also
justified by works when she received the
messengers and sent them out another way?
2.She is also found in what's called "the Hall of
Faith" in Hebrews 11. She is listed alongside
such great people of faith as Moses, Abraham
and Noah - Hebrews 11:31 By faith the
prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the
spies, was not killed with those who were
disobedient.

6. LYING
3. The third place she's mentioned may be
the most amazing. She is found in the
genealogy in Matthew 1 which lists
those who were in the line of Jesus. She
is only one of 3 women mentioned. She
was the wife of Salmon and the mother
of Boaz - Matthew 1:5 Salmon the father
of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother
was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse…

7. I. RAHAB'S LIE
A.Why Did Rahab Lie?
1. First, as a heathen she may not have
understood that lying was wrong
2. Second, I believe she was influenced by
a desire to preserve her own life.
3. Third, she was attempting to place the
army she knew was going to be
victorious in obligation to her and her
family by saving the lives of their spies.

8. I. RAHAB'S LIE
B. What About Rahab’s Lie
1. Rahab’s lie is not commented on in
scripture it is simply reported as a fact just
as her being a harlot is.
2. No lie is ever praised, condoned or
justified in scripture
C. What Could/Should Rahab Have Done?
1. Say nothing - Some believe that had Rahab
kept silent or not lied, they would have
found the spies.
2. When we think like that, we forget God.
3. Tell them to look around
4.Tell them they had no right to be there

9. II. WHY DO WE LIE?
A. To protect ourselves from...harm: physical,
emotional, financial, social, educational, spiritual
B. We are afraid of the consequences of truth
1. We lie about doing wrong because we don’t
want to be punished
2. We lie on our taxes to protect us financially
3. We lie about breaking the law because we don’t
want to be fined or jailed
4. We lie about our school work because we don’t
want to fail
5. We lie about our mistakes because we don’t
want to be thought of as incompetent
6. We lie about our capabilities because we don’t
want to be rejected

10. III. What The Bible Says About Lying
A.Truth sets us free - (John 8:32) "And you
shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free."
B.The fruit of the Spirit is truth - (Eph 5:8-11)
For you were once darkness, but now you
are light in the Lord. Walk as children of
light {9} (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all
goodness, righteousness, and truth), {10}
finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
{11} And have no fellowship with the
unfruitful works of darkness, but rather
expose them.

11. III. What The Bible Says About Lying
C.Put away lying - (Eph 4:25) Therefore,
putting away lying, “Let each one of you
speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are
members of one another.
D.Do not lie - (Col 3:9) Do not lie to one
another, since you have put off the old
man with his deeds,

12. III. What The Bible Says About Lying
E. Lying is self-seeking - (James 3:13-18) Who is
wise and understanding among you? Let him
show by good conduct that his works are done
in the meekness of wisdom. {14} But if you have
bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do
not boast and lie against the truth. {15} This
wisdom does not descend from above, but is
earthly, sensual, demonic. {16} For where envy
and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil
thing are there. {17} But the wisdom that is from
above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality and without hypocrisy. {18}
Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace
by those who make peace.

13. III. What The Bible Says About Lying
F. "No" lie is of the truth - (1 John 2:21) I have
not written to you because you do not know
the truth, but because you know it, and that
no lie is of the truth.
G. "All" liars will be in hell - (Rev 21:7-8) "He
who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I
will be his God and he shall be My son. {8}
"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers,
idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in
the lake which burns with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death.”

14. IV. IF WE SUFFER IT SHOULD
NOT BE BECAUSE WE HAVE
DONE WRONG BUT FOR OUR
DOING GOOD
A.(1 Pet 2:13-15) Therefore submit
yourselves to every ordinance of man for
the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as
supreme, {14} or to governors, as to those
who are sent by him for the punishment of
evildoers and for the praise of those who
do good. {15} For this is the will of God,
that by doing good you may put to silence
the ignorance of foolish men;

15. IV. IF WE SUFFER IT SHOULD
NOT BE BECAUSE WE HAVE
DONE WRONG BUT FOR OUR
DOING GOOD
B. (1 Pet 3:15-17) But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts, and always be ready to give a
defense to everyone who asks you a reason
for the hope that is in you, with meekness
and fear; {16} having a good conscience, that
when they defame you as evildoers, those
who revile your good conduct in Christ may
be ashamed. {17} For it is better, if it is the
will of God, to suffer for doing good than for
doing evil.

16. IV. IF WE SUFFER IT SHOULD
NOT BE BECAUSE WE HAVE
DONE WRONG BUT FOR OUR
DOING GOOD
C. (1 Pet 4:18-19) Now "If the righteous one
is scarcely saved, Where will the ungodly
and the sinner appear?" {19} Therefore let
those who suffer according to the will of
God commit their souls to Him in doing
good, as to a faithful Creator

17. V. RAHAB IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE OF GOD'S GRACE
AND FORGIVENESS
A.Rahab was a heathen and a prostitute
B.Not a very good prospect in our way of
thinking
C.Our God is a forgiving God
1. (Dan 9:9) "To the Lord our God belong
mercy and forgiveness, though we have
rebelled against Him.

18. V. RAHAB IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE OF GOD'S GRACE
AND FORGIVENESS
2. (Acts 26:17-18) 'I will deliver you from
the Jewish people, as well as from the
Gentiles, to whom I now send you, {18}
'to open their eyes, in order to turn them
from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan to God, that they may
receive forgiveness of sins and an
inheritance among those who are
sanctified by faith in Me.’

19. V. RAHAB IS A GREAT
EXAMPLE OF GOD'S GRACE
AND FORGIVENESS
3. (2 Pet 3:9) The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
D.God will forgive you of "all" sin, including
the sin of lying

20. YOU AND LYING?
A. When We Justify Lying…
1. Where is the limit?
2. Who decides what is justified - it puts man in
the place of God.
3. We can justify other sins also: adultery, murder,
stealing, etc.
B. Should we do evil that good may come? - (Rom
3:5-8) But if our unrighteousness demonstrates
the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is
God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.)
{6} Certainly not! For then how will God judge the
world? {7} For if the truth of God has increased
through my lie to His glory, why am I also still
judged as a sinner? {8} And why not say, "Let us
do evil that good may come"?; as we are
slanderously reported and as some affirm that we
say. Their condemnation is just.

21. YOU AND LYING?
C. The bottom line for us is to obey God in
every situation and trust Him with the fallout,
knowing that He has unlimited knowledge
and control of the total picture.
D. In real life, NOBODY knows the ultimate
outcome of a situation. The BEST alternative
is to commit ourselves to our faithful Creator
and continue to do what is good.
E. 1 Pet 4:19 Therefore let those who suffer
according to the will of God commit their
souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful
Creator.

23. TONIGHT’S
SERMON
SECRETS OF
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