Is it ever okay to cheat in order to get ahead of the game? Is it okay to cheat on your taxes if you feel the government is doing evil with your money? What if you are starving and just aren’t making enough to meet all your needs?
Are Backstabbing, Lying, Cheating, Stealing, Stacking the Deck in your favor acceptable to the Lord if it means you can beat the other guy and win it all?
Let’s say your football team is sure to lose if the other team arrives at the stadium. Is it wrong to put salt in the gas tank of their bus?
What about redrawing the maps to ensure your guy gets in power or stays there because he is good and the other guy is evil? Is God on your side when you play the game the devil’s way? Or more to the point, if you were to hear a voice whispering to you that it is okay to lie, cheat, steal, kill, or to destroy, could you tell if that voice is actually coming from God or some place else?
Is winning the only thing that matters? Can you actually be doing God’s Will when you disrespect the boundaries of your neighbors, though His Law Affirms and Commands the Respect of Boundaries?
And when you take the voice or the choice away from another person, aren’t you Crossing a Boundary? Aren’t you taking something that isn’t yours to take? Aren’t you placing your self, your opinion, your belief, your view, over another as if you yourself are Lord and God? Like Lucifer did when he rebelled against God? Like Absalom did when he rebelled against David?
No it is never right to cheat, lie or trick others.
Re read the surmon on the mount in Matthew5, particularly
33 ‘Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not break your oath, but fulfil to the Lord the oaths you have made.” **34 **But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; **35 **or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. **36 **And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. **37 **All you need to say is simply “Yes,” or “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Jesus is saying not only just to simply say ‘ yes or no’ but also to do what you have said you will do.
The ten commandments say do not lie, give walse witness, and if you follow Jesus’s interpretation of the law that means not doing all the coniving tricks you listed.
Most people prefer not to plunge a fork in their own eyes because vision is so useful. Lying and cheating disconnects us from truth and while there might be a short term advantage, being blind to truth is a definite disadvantage.
Christianity is supposed to be about becoming like Christ (selflessness). Conniving and scheming to gain advantage almost defines the flesh (selfishness). One would assume that a Christian should not chose a trajectory that takes him further from Christ.
I totally agree. Thank you both for clarifying that cheating, even in politics, is evil and counter to everything Christ stands for.
And because we are in agreement on this, we can also agree that all politicians who cheat in this way should be stripped of their power and removed from office.
And because we are in agreement on this, we can also agree that if they Justify this behavior by invoking the Name of God and by falsely claiming a Just cause, that they should also be completely and utterly Rebuked in That Name that is Above all other Names. And that Name is Christ Jesus.
And because where two or more are gathered, in agreement, in That Name, as we three clearly are, then Christ also stands with us in Prayer and Power and Authority that we can turn to the Father and say together-
“We Rebuke these lying, thieving, scheming, conniving, Godless politicians in the Name of Christ Jesus. We Rebuke the spirit of Lawlessness that is enabling them. And we cast them out In The Name of Christ Jesus. AMEN.
“And we pray for Mercy for all those who have been decieved by the Lies of these Lawless politicians and by the Lying Lawless spirit working through them. We pray that their eyes, minds, and hearts would all be opened, by The Truth in order to be turned toward The Truth that they might turn from sin and flee before the consequences of aiding and abetting Wickedness arise. And we ask for all this In the Name of Christ Jesus. AMEN..”
Thank you, brothers and sisters tor agreeing with me now. May God’s Will be done, and Justice be realized. And May all corruption be brought to a swift and proper end, through the Power of the Holy Spirit.
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those [who live] according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded [is] death, but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:5-8
And of course this. You are leaning on your own understanding.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Oh, and the list you gave kinda sounds opposite to these.
"You shall not commit adultery.
"You shall not steal.”
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that [is] your neighbor’s.” Exodus 20:14-17
Be careful, my friend. As Jesus tells us plainly.
“And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Luke 12:15
Also, as Paul warns us.
“For we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” 1 Timothy 6:7-10
If we’re going to talk about politics and cheating, what are your thoughts on how the media twists the truth just to get clicks?
When you read news from both “left” and “right” sources, it’s easy to see how often they use misleading headlines or leave out key facts to support their preferred narrative.
Do you think that’s a form of lying by omission? And are both sides of the media partly responsible for shaping public opinion in ways that aren’t always honest?
Sure, the politician says the untrue (or partly true) thing…But, the media amplifies it.
As believers, we’re called to walk in truth. “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor” (Ephesians 4:25).
Then latching onto the obvious agreement good christians will have you make a jump; if this is true then this must also be true. Thus the trap.
Where is the line? Politicians are people, people lie/cheat/steal, exaggerate to prove their point, leave out information to further prove their point. Who is above reproach? Which ever party you prefer all would fall under your large umbrella. Some sins are more obvious, is it only the obvious ones we point at?
What about the finger pointer?
I am responding to a message here but this applies to everyone no matter who you are:
I pointed no finger at any specific person or group. I pointed a finger toward an act and those who do that act in a place of power where the most harm can be done.
But by agreeing that cheating is a sin, and by immediately envisioning who is being referred, you acknowledge that the wrong doing is happening and have no excuse for your part in supporting them if you continue to do so.
I repeat, if the politician came to your conscious mind, your conscious mind acknowledges that the sin is there.
If you choose to aid and abet a person or a group who commits the act because they align with you and your politics, THAT is between you and God.
But sin is sin. It does not stop being a sin because it is committed by someone you like or endorse.
Furthermore, if any of you feel “tricked” by any thing I have posted here, maybe that is a place in your own heart that needs some self examination. “Why is this just about how you feel?”
Someone else is being cheated by the action. And THAT person has a claim in God’s Court against the Cheater(s) and those who help them. And the Day will come when all people appear in THAT Courtroom to bring their claims and charges against those who sinned against them.
And do not think being a Christian gives you a free pass. Christ is NOT some “get out of jail free card” for you to throw to get out of THAT day. That is not how Salvation works. Not everyone who claims to know Christ actually knows Christ. And this is just one way the weeds are seperated from the wheat.
My position is irrelevant. Sin is sin, and I only focussed on the sin, not on any specific sinner or group of people. Again, I pointed no fingers at anyone. I merely pointed out the truth. And if it stirred the conscience of someone, if it gave the Holy Spirit an opening to get in there and convict, well then, Praise Jesus!
As for my methodology, anyone who has actually read the Bible would be familliar with how I work. I learned the technique from the Prophets. Sometimes the best way to see the truth is to see it in someone else first. Before God says, you are looking at yourself.
But sin is sin, and consequences are consequences. And the clock is ticking when atonement wont be possible. And I think I have said my peace so if you need to run, well then, be off with you. But just know this- once you have seen the truth it can never be undone. Your conscience knows the score and will make sure the truth is remembered.
We are responsible for our own choices, and we are responsible for whether we support those who are Lawless and hell bent to cause harm by their choices.
If people starve or freeze to death because we voted a person or group into office who promised us wealth, it falls on us. The favor of money over human life is not lost on God.
If people are killed because we voted in a murderer, that falls on us. Every innocent life lost because our ears were tickled by someone’s violent words, that is not lost on God either. We embraced one spirit over another. That is our sin to attone for.
