A Sunday School Lesson On Honesty

A Sunday School Lesson On Honesty January 20, 2016

Here is a Sunday school lesson or Bible study on the subject of honesty.

An Honest Day’s Work

Ephesians 4:28 “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.”

Paul always taught that “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ” (Col 3:23-24). There is wisdom in that mindset for Solomon also wrote, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going” (Eccl 9:10). One reason to work honestly is because it will go better for someone in the long run and if they have enough, they can “share with anyone in need.”

Do you know of someone who shares their money with others?

Is it difficult to work hard when you know the boss is gone?

Have you shared with others?

Honesty Pays Off

Proverbs 12:17 “Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.”

It’s better to be honest because we’re commanded to obey God and it’s the right thing to do but also there is the thought of the day when God “will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Rom 2:6-7) however, “for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil” (Rom 2:8-9).

What does it mean by a “false witness?”

Is a so-called “white lie” okay?

Are there times that God will allow us to lie?

Let-the-thief-no-longerA

Honesty and Trust

First Samuel 29:6 “Then Achish called David and said to him, “As the Lord lives, you have been honest, and to me it seems right that you should march out and in with me in the campaign. For I have found nothing wrong in you from the day of your coming to me to this day. Nevertheless, the lords do not approve of you.”

Achish had learned that he could trust King David and Achish was a Philistine! He trusted him enough that he wanted to make an alliance with him but the Philistine commanders said no and sent David away because “the lords do not approve of” David. David was angry and left but the point is Achish, a natural enemy of David as a Philistine, still trusted David enough to go down with him into battle. That says a lot about David’s integrity.

Why did Achish trust David so much?

Why didn’t the Philistine commanders want David to go into battle with them?

Is it surprising that a Philistine (Achish) would trust a natural enemy (an Israelite) with his life?

The Fate of all Liars

Proverbs 12:22 “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.”

That’s why it is really better to be “a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool” (Prov 19:1) because what a person with integrity tells you, you can believe which is why “a false witness who breathes out lies” (Prov 6:19a) and is one of the seven things God hates. All unrepentant liars will face the lake of fire after death or at Christ’s appearance (Rev 21:8) but that doesn’t mean it’s your fate because if you’ve been saved and you tell a lie, you’re not doomed but the Spirit will convict you and make you repent of it and confess it to God. The fact is, Christians still sin, even after conversion (Rom 7; 1st John 1:8, 10), but we should be sinning less over time.

Do you get blind-sided by sin?

Have you ever told a lie?

Did you confess it right away to God and to the other person (if necessary)?

Conclusion

I urge you in your study to look at all of the Bible verses and read them aloud in the class so that you can get the most out of these lessons because honesty it seems is in great demand but short supply today. Do we ever hear in the news about someone with a lot of responsibility who did an honest thing? No, all you hear from the media is the ugliest, most horrific news stories they can find because it sells and that’s all they care about. Honesty is more than the best policy, it is a way of life and for God “it is impossible for God to lie” (Heb 6:18a) and “God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind” (Num 23:19).

Why can’t God lie?

Has anyone ever lied to you?

What have you learned about honesty in the Bible?

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.


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