If you're good at something and it's virtuous, it's still sinful to be prideful about it. If you fill up your words with half truths, untruths, false teachings and backbiting, you're just building up death and tearing down life. Deviant unnatural teaching and behaviors is not something to boast about. Demonic rhetoric will bear demonic fruit. And there are those who love using the words that devour with misinformation and false colors, that will grow even more demoralizing fruit from your half truths.
Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
They tell the truth, but not the whole truth. It's often said of them, "There was some truth in what he said". They make it appear otherwise, to say what they want it to say. The more craft and contrivances, the more the Devil is in it. They'd rather please and be found acceptable by the world by telling a lie than please God by speaking a truth. It's bad to speak devouring words, but it's even worse to love them. And it's deceitful to mask a devouring word in a virtue-signal, sharing a half truth or full untruth as if it's the gospel truth.
Friends,
Have you ever wondered to yourself how it is that people will work diligently to cultivate half truths and straight up untruths? It seems like it used to be that folks could recognize a lie for what it is. But nowadays not so much. It seems like a little truth is all it takes to swallow a whole bunch of untruth when it serves your predilections. I got to thinking about this lately mainly because these days the deceptions of the Pride movement are gaining traction and mainstreaming throughout many of our Western cultural institutions and traditions.
Telling half the truth tends to be easier on the conscience than an outright lie. The thing is, I see it as even worse that an outright lie. Mingled with the lie is a deception, you're causing someone else to think wrongly about the whole truth when you play around with half truths. You deliberately give the other person the wrong impression.
If we are a culture that treasures the whole truth, that appreciates justice, we must reject any form of deviousness. We should walk in integrity. We should not yield to the temptation to chisel the truth until only what is favorable remains (Ephesians 5:8-9). We shouldn't be making the unnatural seem favorable in our attempts to make love with one another. As Christians, we are children of light. Whether we are winning or losing, trust God and do the right thing.
Genesis 4:7
"You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”
You might feel good for a short time, you may stave off for a while some challenging choices, but in that dying moment when you've played fast and loose with the truth you've set yourself off on a course that inevitably leads to failure. Don't deceive yourself, just because you're seemingly winning today, sooner or later, our sins always catch up with us—always.
Galatians 6:7 (AMP)
"Do not be deceived, God is not mocked [He will not allow Himself to be ridiculed, nor treated with contempt nor allow His precepts to be scornfully set aside]; for whatever a man sows, this and this only is what he will reap."
The Bible warns, “You will be sinning against the Lord; and you may be sure that your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).
Final thought:
Sin is serious, it sent Jesus Christ to the cross. He took the judgment we deserve, so our sins could be forgiven and we could go to be with Him in heaven. How will you respond? With half truths and a deceptive reply? Do you really believe in these half truths? Eternally? Are you really willing to bet your eternal life on these deceptions? Just to make some confused people feel more comfortable within their own skins? Are you really willing to participate in and commit cancel culture, humiliating God's gospel in order to legitimize a Prideful unnatural halftruth? Are you really going to tolerate your beloved Savior being mocked for the sake of yourself and your need for tolerance?
The truth always comes out, malice may attack it, ignorance may unknowingly join with deception to deride it, but it cannot forever be dismissed. The truth is what sets you free (that's what Jesus said). Living in an attitude of half truths, no matter how much you're trying to be generous, is not going to set anyone free. It will not free people from their sins and confusion. In fact, it'll just contribute to the sin. Meaning well by drawing water from a poisoned well kills everyone who drinks from it. I know, you're thirsty for tolerance, for kindness, and compassion. And the water still looks like water even though it's mingled with the poison of half truths. But if you draw from it and drink it into yourself, you will die in that choice, by your own hand.