Honesty

What is the role of honesty in a Christians life? Should a Christian be honest at all times? Is there a time when a Christian can be honest without devulging information about anyone or a circumstance?

Should a Christian ever cover up the truth? There are the easy answers to these questions but what about in the tougher situations? such as any kind of persecution or your honesty meaning putting someone else to death, in prison or maybe gives a bad reflection on someones character?

Anyone care to share?

John

Richard Wurmbrand has a lot of advice on this and I think he is a credible source. I think it was on a message posted here on SI about the underground church; it was the featured sermon.

He says that telling the truth does not necessarily mean telling ALL the truth.

Another thing is being creative with the way you tell the truth. He gave the example of a young boy who was stopped by the police, who were trying to find out where Christians were meeting. The police asked this boy where he was going. The young boy became very solemn and he told the police that his older brother had died and they were going to read his testament. The police man let him go. Of course, the police man did not know that he was talking about Jesus and the Bible, but the boy did not lie.

I believe in some cases, such as when we are asked to give names, we may just have to remain silent. It will probably cause us suffering (torture, etc.) or even death.

In the course of human interactions where one may be confronted with sensitive inquiries, you can just tell a person you do not want to talk about it. Be upfront, blunt with it but still be nice. It works.

Romanchog,

What that boy said, seems "inspired".

Luke_12:11 And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say:
Luk_12:12 For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say.

We must learn to use Jesus Christ as our example for everything: What did He do? What did He not do? What did He say? What did He not say? If we can't find the example there, we then look to the Epistles of the Apostles (being wise in our treatment of the book of Acts, for in it we find Paul circumcising Timothy, yelling at a High Priest, shaving his head as a vow, arguing with another brother, etc.) These are not meant to be doctrinal examples, but a bald, historical account of the infant church. The Holy Spirit is very honest in Acts!

If we look to Jesus Christ and the Epistles alone will will always find our answer. If we are careful to maintain a pure heart and clear conscience in obeying the things we already have light on, the Holy Spirit will also give us light the moment a situation arises that puts us into a corner concerning honesty. For He is a "present" source of refuge (Psalm 46:1).

Brother Paul