AH! they have caught him, just taking a peep, while playing at blind man’s buff. But this is not fair, it is cheating they say, because he is uncovering his eyes so as to see where they are, while he pretends to have his eyes covered all the time. He is trying to deceive them. Some may think that does not matter much, because it is only at play: but acting a lie is as bad as telling a, lie, and if it is allowed in play, it will soon be thought nothing of in connection with what is not play.
Sometimes the tongue is used as well actions, for deceiving. That is, things are said in such a way as to lead others to believe something different than what is said, and yet it may not be a lie, but it is just as bad, because others are deceived.
God has spoken of that in His word as one of the things that is true of all. He has said, “With their tongues they have used deceit.” Do you think you have never done this? All must say, “Yes, I have.”
Well, God is so thoroughly just and right in everything, that He cannot allow even that sin to go unpunished; so what will we do, dear children? Must we bear the punishment ourselves? No, we need not, for the word is,
Do you know when He gave His only begotten Son? I am sure many of you can answer— it was on the cross, in the three hours of darkness when He was forsaken of God while bearing sins. But can you say, He bore my sins there? Notice what the next part of the verse says: “That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Oh, what a wonderful thing this is, and how thankful we, who believe, should be to Him who has borne the punishment from God for our sins, so that we should never have to bear it. He said on the cross, “It is finished.” Then instead of perishing, we get “everlasting life.”
If you believe in Jesus as your own Saviour, may you not only thank Him for what He has done for you, but may you seek in all your ways to please Him, and remember that even deceit is one of your sins that the Lord Jesus died for, and if the thought comes in your mind to deceive, turn away from it immediately.
ML 07/20/1902