Why Be Honest?

THE Bible properly describes Jehovah as “the God of truth,” as being one “who cannot lie.” (Psalm 31:5; Titus 1:2) Since the time of man’s creation, Jehovah has been consistent in his requirement that his true worshipers be honest in all things.​—Zechariah 8:16, 17.

If a person is going to be honest, it is important that he be guided not by community attitudes but by the standards of Jehovah God himself. These are recorded in the Bible.

How God Dealt with Israel

In his law given to the nation of Israel, Jehovah commanded: “You people must not steal, and you must not deceive, and you must not deal falsely anyone with his associate. And you must not swear in my name to a lie, so that you do profane the name of your God. I am Jehovah.”​—Leviticus 19:11, 12.

Thieves did not get off lightly. They had to make compensation to the victim. And if they did not possess the value required by law, they became slaves to pay off the debt by labor.​—Exodus 22:1-4.

Jehovah was specific as to details so that there would be no misunderstanding of the fact that he condemned all forms of dishonesty. He strongly warned against ‘tricky tongues,’ smooth but dishonest words, both violent and secret theft, as well as dishonest scales for business.​—Proverbs 1:10-19; Daniel 11:32; Micah 6:11, 12.

A Christian Requirement

Did the divine principle of honesty change with the founding of the Christian congregation? By no means!

As to lying and stealing, the Bible commands Christians: “Do not be lying to one another.” “Now that you have put away falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor . . . Let the stealer steal no more, but rather let him do hard work, doing with his hands what is good work, that he may have something to distribute to someone in need.” “Let none of you suffer as . . . a thief or an evildoer.”​—Colossians 3:9; Ephesians 4:25, 28; 1 Peter 4:15.

The seriousness of the matter is emphasized by this word of warning: “Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, . . . nor thieves, nor greedy persons, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit God’s kingdom. And yet that is what some of you were.”​—1 Corinthians 6:9-11.

Note that among those early Christians were some who had been thieves and extortioners, but they changed their way of life. Concerning the reputation of the people of Crete, the apostle Paul quoted a Cretan, possibly the poet Epimenides, as saying: “Cretans are always liars, injurious wild beasts, unemployed gluttons.” (Titus 1:12) Among the Greeks, the name “Cretan” became synonymous with “liar.” But some among the inhabitants of Crete changed their ways and became genuine Christians. In their midst they had Christian elders who had come to have reputations of being ‘free from accusation, not greedy of dishonest gain, lovers of goodness, righteous, loyal, self-controlled.’​—Titus 1:7, 8.

What Made Them Change?

Their coming to know Jehovah, “the God of truth,” and learning his requirements for his servants produced the change. Their exemplar became Jesus Christ, who ‘left a model for them to follow closely.’ In studying Jesus’ life pattern, they found that there was ‘no deception in his mouth.’ From his teachings, they learned: “Just as you want men to do to you, do the same way to them.”​—1 Peter 2:21, 22; Luke 6:31.

Of course, it is not likely that they changed overnight. That is why, for example, the apostle Paul wrote Titus to “continue reminding” Christians in Crete of certain matters in connection with godly conduct. (Titus 3:1-3) At first they may have felt that the putting on of a new personality was impossible. When they experienced setbacks they may have felt downhearted. But appreciation of the marvelous provision that Jehovah had made for forgiving their past sinful course on the basis of faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice had an impelling effect. And, as they learned to rely on Jehovah and seek the help of his spirit, they found that changes took place that they had been unable to bring about on their own.​—Compare 1 Corinthians 6:11.

Why Do It?

But why go through that struggle? Why insist on being honest in everything?

Well, let us start at home. What is the result when marriage mates find that they cannot trust each other? It may start with seemingly little things, but soon the entire relationship has eroded. On the other hand, being honest in everything strengthens the marriage bond. And it is a powerful influence for good in the lives of the children too.

Outside the home, your honesty with others shows how you view fellow humans. Here punishment restrains some from wrongdoing. But there are more impelling forces. The apostle Paul wrote: “‘You must not steal, You must not covet,’ and whatever other commandment there is, is summed up in this word, namely, ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Romans 13:9) To receive love we must give it. The person who is honest enjoys good relations with others. He also is at peace with himself. No plagued conscience keeps him awake at night. He is not forever looking over his shoulder, afraid that he might get caught.​—Romans 13:3-5

However, most important of all is one’s relationship with God. It is earnest love for Jehovah and the desire to have His approval that will move a person to struggle with his own imperfections and to be honest even when others are not.​—Psalm 15:1-5.

Are there people who really do this today? Let us see.

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Honesty builds up trust in the family

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An honest person has a clean conscience and can sleep at night

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A good relationship with God requires honest conduct