Question posted on Yahoo! Answers: If sin is sin in the eyes of God, does that mean everyone who lies is going to Hell? I mean, everyone lies, it’s a human trait, anything from answering the age old question “Does this make me look fat?” or “My weight is actually (blank)” We all lie. So does that mean that everyone who doesn’t TRULY repent (meaning trying to NEVER lie, say sorry, etc. etc.) will go to Hell no questions asked just like someone who killed someone?
What are your thoughts?
I don’t think it is true that “everyone lies” first of all or at least they don’t have to. At some point everyone who has ever lied chose to lie for the first time. Their conscience told them they were guilty they felt horribly and rightly so. Lying destroys relationships.
As for someone lying sending them to hell: this is not the point. Getting to be in Heaven is not based on right and wrong but on relationship with God. A person goes to Hell if they choose to reject God. I suppose someone could reject God and only show it by lying and go to Hell, but the kicker is still their rejection of God as the one in charge and as a friend.
Funny you asked…my pastor talked about this the other week. If you’re a dad an you lie to you son, no real consequences if the child doesn’t know you’re lying. If you lie to your wife, you’d probably get in more trouble. If you lied to your elders or pastor, you could face church discipline. If you lied to the president, you could be charged with treason and be thrown in jail for life. As the person lied to has higher authority, the more severe the consequences. Lying isn’t against a person, but all sin is against God himself–an all-powerful God–so of course the consequence is going to be more severe. Lying’s not the issue, just a symptom of an inate, uncontrollable disease. Hell proves the severity of our sin, no matter how seemingly small the symptom, i.e. a simple lie.
That’s what’s so great about the gospel, we can do nothing and our lack of doing anything has extreme consequences. BUT GOD, sent his Son as a man to stand as a man and pay the pinalty for something he never committed on our behalf that we may be reconciled. Repentence doesn’t mean never doing anything bad ever again. That’s a fool’s goal, it’s impossible. Repentence is understanding our lying is a part of our inability to be good all the time in everything and understanding that Jesus is our only hope for aquittal.