Eighth, we have to pay special attention to the matter of lies. The double-tongued person to whom we have referred is a close kinsman of the liar. All utterances that are made with an intent to give a false hope or a wrong impression fall into the category of lying. Sometimes a lie may not contain any false statement, but it is skillfully spoken to give others a false impression. This is in reality a lie. We have to remember that honesty in our speech is a matter of motive; it is not simply a matter of correctness in words. If a brother asks a question we do not wish to answer or are unable to answer, we should politely refuse to reply, but we should not deceive the brother. A false statement is a lie, and anything that gives others a wrong impression is also a lie. We want people to believe the truth; therefore, we dare not use words that are true in order to convey a false impression. For God's children, it should always be "Yes, yes; No, no." Anything more than this is of the evil one. The Lord once spoke very strongly to the Jews: "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father....When he speaks the lie, he speaks it out of his own possessions; for he is a liar and the father of it" (John 8:44). The devil is the author of lies. He was a liar from the beginning. Even today he is filled with lies. He is a liar and the father of it. It would be unthinkable for a child of God and, even more, for a worker of the Lord to lie. Yet some are indeed lying. This is too poor. There is no sickness more fundamental than this one. This is a very serious problem, very serious and very sobering! We must pay attention to the matter of lies. We should not think that everything we say is always accurate. The more careful we are, the more we will realize the difficulty of being accurate in everything that we say. Sometimes our intention is to speak the truth, but with a little carelessness we find ourselves off the mark. If we can so easily veer off when we are trying to be accurate, how much more we will be off the mark if we are not consciously trying. It is hard enough for us to speak the truth by carefully watching over ourselves. It is harder still for us to speak the truth when we do not control ourselves. Hence, we must guard ourselves, pay attention to our words, and never be loose. Otherwise, we will not be able to serve our God. God cannot use a person who is His mouthpiece one minute and a mouthpiece of Satan the next minute. No, He can never use such a person.

Ninth, we should pay special attention to another point, which is to "not strive nor cry out." The Bible prophesied of the Lord: "He will not strive nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets" (Matt. 12:19; Isa. 42:2). Paul said, "A slave of the Lord ought not to contend" (2 Tim. 2:24). This means that no servant of the Lord can strive or make a loud noise. Making a loud noise is an expression of rudeness. The Lord's servant should be under such control that he will "not strive nor cry out." He should not quarrel with anyone. Loud speaking usually indicates a lack of power, at least the power of self-control. No servant of the Lord should be so loud that his neighbor can hear his voice next door. No one could hear the Lord's voice in the streets. This is the pattern He left for us. This means more than a rejection of lies. Many words are indeed correct and true, but we would rather not strive or cry out. "A slave of the Lord ought not to contend." We can keep our mouth shut about many things. A brother or a sister has to be extremely loose before he or she can shout at others. He or she must have been living an undisciplined life for many years before he or she could shout with little restraint. We should restrict ourselves and exercise discipline over our own voice, like the Lord, whose voice was not heard in the streets. Let us learn to muzzle our mouth from unwarranted noise, shouting, crying, and clamor. This does not mean that we should try to act in a sober and quiet way. We have to be spontaneous, and when we meet others, we have to speak with them in a proper and natural way. But the fact remains that those who have never been disciplined in their speaking will face difficult times in the work. We hope that all the workers of the Lord will learn to be finer and more tender and that no one will be rough and uncouth. Our Lord is very fine and tender. He did not strive or cry out, and no one heard His voice in the streets. God's servants should give others the impression that they are fine and tender persons before the Lord.