A truthful witness saves lives, But he who utters lies is treacherous.   Proverbs 14:25

Here is a proverb that at first glance deals with being truthful or a liar.  But as we look at what God is truly saying in this proverb, we see that this goes farther into what we are sharing with others - and whether we are sharing a saving message or a treacherous one that will cost people everything when that day comes upon all the living and the dead.

I am going to comment on this proverb from the last phrase first.  The one who utters lies is treacherous.  There are those who share things that are not truth on a mere earthly level.  This is called lying - and the Bible says that we are not to bear false witness to our neighbor.  This simply means we are not to lie to others.  So on a mere earthly level it is sinful to speak lies to others.  It hurts relationships and betrays trust, which is so important to the very bedrock upon which they are built.  But there is a greater sin - and that is being one who speaks lies about things that are beyond the earthly.  They lie about heaven - about eternity - about God.

There are those who do this very blatently.  Atheists like Richard Dawkins and his fellow mockers write quite voluminously about their opposition to God, His Word, and His salvation.  They offer no honest alternative except a life lived for self as God.  Thus they bring a very "treacherous" message.  They mocking turns people from the things of God - as their flesh desires - and they put God and His gospel out of their minds.  They see this as freeing because they no longer think themselves under His law - no longer bridled by His moral restraints.  But truly their message is treacherous - because they still must stand at the judgment seat of the One whom they deny.  Like the fool who stands in the street denying the existance of the bus barreling down the road toward them - they will find that denying God's existance does nothing to stop the inevitability of His sure and exactlng judgment.  On that day how they will be ashamed at their false and damning beliefs - but that day will be too late.  The treachery complete - they will join Dawkins and all his mates in hell where they will be tormented for their foolishness and unbelief. 

This is not how it has to be though.  God speaks a blessing on those who are truthful witnesses.  We are told that a truthful witness saves lives.  Here is where we see this proverb transcend the physical.  True, speaking the truth to someone can save their life physically - as the one who confronts the drug user or alcoholic that there is a horrible demise awaiting them at the end of the road of their lifestyle.  But what we are dealing with is a salvation dealing with more than just our physical lives.  The truthful witness shares the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ with those who need to hear it.  They speak the truth regardless of whether it makes them popular or not.  They consider popularity with God infinitely superior to the familiarity of those on earth whose opinion of each other changes as often as the wind changes directions.  They know that there is a God and that we must stand before Him on that fateful, yet glorious day.  They know that there is nothing that will stand on that day but perfection - the absolute righteousness that God demands when He says, "Therefore be perfect, as God is perfect."  (Matthew 5:48)  There is no way we can achieve this standing for our righteousness is as filthy rags before the perfect God of this universe.  Thus we must turn to His provision - which is the only way and the only hope for us for eternity.  He made Him who knew no sin, to become sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:20)  This is the answer - and it is the only answer acceptable in that day. 

The world may hate this, but it is true nevertheless.  We have a choice therefore as His children and His ambassadors.  Are we going to be treacherous to our friends, neighbors, and associates - or truthful?  Do not take this choice lightly - for the difference between obedience and rebellion on this point will often be the difference between others seeing you as a true friend or a treacherous one.  It is the difference beteween life and death.  Speak the truth saints - whether it is popular or not - whether it is socially acceptable or the word by which you are made a social outcast.  There is nothing more important than being a truthful witness who saves lives!

Good understanding produces favor, But the way of the treacherous is hard. Proverbs 13:15 

Intelligence with insight and discernment is worth its weight in gold and jewels.  We see the phrase "good understanding" at the beginning of this proverb today.  This phrase means to have an intelligence or good sense.  God did not intend for us to be ignorant.  The Word of God makes it clear that we are to learn, to be educated, and to gain knowledge.  Where the world has made its fatal mistake is to separate their gathering and thirst for knowledge from God and from a life given to know and please Him. 

The idea behind having good understanding is ones ability to take their intelligence and use it to also manifest good sense and discernment.  It is the ability to have more than just knowledge - it is the ability to gain insight from that knowledge.  It is taking our knowledge and seeing it as the servant of God.  Unfortunately in the past there were some in the church (not necessarily in Christ) who reacted wrongly to those who in foolish education decided that part and parcel of their education was a call to reject God.  In their misguided zeal to "protect" God - they began to reject education.  In our day there has been such a false separation between God and education that many believe you have to choose one or the other.  Such a separation is falacious entirely.  What the academic rejects is submitting his knowledge to anything or Anyone - which leads him to many foolish conclusions.  What the Christian academic does is submit his study to the Word of God - which, if he will do so consistently, will lead him to even greater discoveries (and by the way - acurate ones as well). 

Ultimately - and here is where the purely secular academic will howl with disapproval - the goal of life is to experience God's favor and grace.  This is wholly unacceptable to the academic who rejects the Bible as ultimate truth.  He sees this as a step backwards into stupidity and ignorance.  But his rejection of God's favor only produces problems for him - and for those who adopt his worldview based upon purely flesly science and research.  The Scriptures here state very clearly that the way of the treacherous is hard.  The word treacherous is telling here.  It is the Hebrew word "bagad" and it means to be traitorous, to act unfaithfully, to betray.  This has at least two applications.  First is the one I to which I am currently referring in this discussion of true scholars - who move past mere research to conclusions which ultimately seek the favor of God.  The treachery of which they are guilty is a betrayal of their very principles of research and understanding.  In cutting off any consideration of the divine - they betray their own conclusions.  They demand a world without anything except what their fallen senses can detect.  But such a world would be one without meaning or purpose.  Thus their very science which seeks to make sense out of the world and its workings - is passionately pursuing of a moot point.  There is no meaning - there are no morals - there is no purpose in a world that is based on an amoral starting point.  You cannot begin with amorality - and come to a conclusion of any moral reasoning. 

This is why the way of the treacherous is hard.  Rejecting God, rejecting truth, rejecting the biblical worldview - is hard.  In the end you are left with a machine that has no purpose nor meaning that crushes the life out of those who are desperately wanting their philosophical nothingless void to whisper that there is something to live for in life.  Though they may never admit it in their lifetime - their pursuit of a nothing that means something will laugh at them in the end - showing that their lifetime has been spent tilting at philosophical windmills.  Even worse - they will give the philosophical underpinnings that will give rise to the most monstrous of men.  Germany rejected God - and rejected truth in the early 20th century in what they thought was a freedom from the mentally constipated constructs of Christian theology which they felt constricted science and philosophical thought.  The step-child of their philosophy rose to power amidst the Third Reich - and Hitler arose as the one who would take their atheistic, evolution-driven understanding and put it to a use that would horrify the ages.  His actions that sought a super-race - free from the restraints of human kindness and consideration - gave us the genocide of the Jews in his generation.  Yet he was only following the treacherous path laid for him by those who asserted that a worldview based on the survival of the fittest.  He was only taking their philosophical treachery and drawing conclusions that make sense in that system.  In the end the way is hard for the treacherous. 

There is a second kind of treachery - one that exists in the church itself.  It is the treachery of hypocrisy within our hearts.  This is where our so-called Bible understanding short-circuits and does not lead us to valid discernment of sin and righteousness.  This is where we have a disconnect with the truth.  We choose NOT to follow the Word - nor the conclusions that should be drawn from it.  We choose NOT to walk in obedience - or to reject an action because the Scriptures clearly show it to be sin.  Thus we become treacherous in how we either know the Word or how we should apply it.  Once again the conclusion of this matter is that the way of the treacherous one is hard.  Sin, regardless of who commits it, is going to be hard.  There are going to be stumbling blocks - consequences - and difficulties that will not go away simply because we claim to be Christians.  The Word stands - we can either follow it and walk in a way that will be blessed - or go the way of the transgressor, which the Bible also tells us, is hard. 

The wise man is the one who grasps that God is truly God - and that His Word IS truth.  Knowing this he is armed with what I would call "advanced" information about this world.  It is information given to us - indeed revealed to us - from an Infinite Intelligence.  If we learn to follow it - and know that stepping outside of its philosophical and moral constructs will only bring difficulty - we will be blessed - even favored if you will accept it.  But to do so requires us to also accept the Author's worldview of man - that of a fallen one who has rebelled and turned from the right way to follow his own base nature.  It requires us to see that the purpose of all things does not find its apex in man - but in God.  Unfortunately for many academics - and religious hypocrites - that is the most odious step to take.