Inferences from the Impossibility of God to He
W. Gouge. Hebrews 6:17-20 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to show to the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:… 1. The impossibility of God to lie is a great aggravation of the heinousness of unbelief. For he that believeth not God, hath made Him a liar (1 John 5:10), which is in effect to make God no God. 2. This is a strong motive to believe: a greater cannot be given: for as there is no will, so neither power in God to lie. 3. This should make ministers who speak in God's name to be sure of the truth of that which they deliver for God's word, else they make God a liar, for their word is taken for Gods (Colossians 2:13). They are God's ambassadors. An ambassador's failing is counted his master's failing. 4. Though we cannot attain to such a high pitch of truth, yet every one ought to endeavour to be like God herein, namely, in avoiding lying. Lying is a sin unbesseming any man: but most unbeseeming a professor of the true religion.General arguments against lying are these: — 1. Lying is condemned by those who were led by no other light than the light of nature: as philosopher, orators, poets. 2. Every man's conscience condemns lying. If one be not impudent, he will blush when he tells a lie; and infinite shifts are ordinarily made to cloak a lie, which show that he is ashamed thereof, and that his conscience checketh him for it. 3. No man can endure to be accounted a liar. 4. Lying over throws all society. 5. A man taken tripping herein will be suspected in all his words and actions. He that is not true in his words ,'an hardly be thought to deal honestly in hi, deeds.Arguments against lying in professors of the Christian religion are these: — 1. Lying is expressly forbidden in God's word (Leviticus 19:11; Ephesians 4:25; Colossians 3:9). 2. It is against knowledge and conscience. 3. It is a filthy rag of the old man, and one of the most. disgraceful; and therefore first set down in the particular exemplification of those filthy rags (Ephesians 4:22-25). 4. It is most directly opposite to God, who is Truth itself, and concerning whom we heard that it was impossible that He should lie. 5. Nothing makes men more like the devil, "for he is a liar and the father thereof" (John 8:44). A lying spirit is a diabolical spirit. 6. As a lie is hateful to God, so it makes the practisers thereof abominable (Proverbs 6:16, 17; Proverbs 12:22). 7. Lying causeth heavy vengeance. In general, it is said, the Lord will destroy them that speak lies (Psalm 5:6). Memorable was the judgment on Gehazi (2 Kings 5:27). And on Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5-10). (W. Gouge.) Parallel Verses KJV: Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: WEB: In this way God, being determined to show more abundantly to the heirs of the promise the immutability of his counsel, interposed with an oath;