Question 112: What does God require of us in the Ninth Commandment?
Question 112: What does God require of us in the Ninth Commandment? Answer: God requires us not to bear false witness against anyone, not to twist what another has said, not to gossip or slander, not to condemn anyone without a just cause or hearing. We must also reject lying and all perjury, whether in court or elsewhere. Such practices are the devil's devices and bring down God's terrible wrath. We must love the truth, speak it, and publicly acknowledge it. We must do our utmost to protect and uphold our neighbor's good name. The Ninth Commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. The nature of lying stems from greed in the heart. We lie to fulfill the desires of our hearts, which are greed. John 8:44 says, "You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his...