Is It Ever OK to Lie? An Ministerial Ethics Question with Dean Smith

By Dean Smith with Brian LePort

Is it ever OK to lie? This is the question I asked Dr. Dean Smith, a pastor at the Highway Community in  Mountain View, CA, and an adjunct professor at Western Seminary in San Jose who teaches our class on ethics. This is the answer he gave me:

“The question of honesty in ministry seems like a simple one. After all, Jesus is “the Truth” (John 14:6) so it seems obvious that all believers, and especially Christian leaders, must be people of truth in action, speech and thought. However, some Christian leaders practice a situational ethic they feel is justified by the mission Jesus gave us. All manner of untruths and half-truths have been told in the name of Christ for the purpose of furthering the Gospel. Sometimes this takes the form of deceptive practices in raising money for church-related causes. Other times, a Christian leader may justify unconfessed sin because, if certain behavior came to light, the mission would be impeded. In an effort to deal with the diversity of pressures and personalities within a local church context, a leader may find herself or himself saying different things to different people, creating the anxious possibility that the inconsistent message will one day come to light. All of this is defended on the premise that we’re doing “God’s work.” However, for it to be God’s work it must be done in God’s way. God never asks us to be disobedient to be obedient. There must be another way.

“A number of years ago a good friend of mine and powerful business leader in the Valley shared his approach to ethics in business and life, something he called the “R Factor”, which is simply this: figure out the right thing to do and do it. That seems simple to the point of being simplistic, but it is the only approach that sustains the integrity of God’s servants. The mind of the Lord is not divided so the right thing to do in every situation, no matter how complex, is to tell the truth and leave the results to God. It’s His ministry, after all, not ours. He has no interest in anything done in His name that does not reflect His character. Those preparing for a life of ministry would start well through a commitment to the “R Factor” and tell the truth, no matter how difficult or painful it might be in any situation. God calls us to a life of integrity, that is, the integration of truth with life. Integrated people do God’s work in God’s way. And they sleep better, too.”

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with Dr. Smith that is is never OK to lie?

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