Galatians 1:20

Letters to the Faithful - Galatians 1:20

Berean Standard Bible

I assure you before God that what I am writing to you is no lie.

King James Bible

Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.

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To the faithful in Christ Jesus, to the beloved who are called to liberty and yet bound in love, to the household of God across every city and nation, I greet you in the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. May your hearts be strengthened in truth, and your minds established by the gospel that was once delivered to the saints, for the days we live in are not unlike those of the early Church—marked by great opportunity and yet threatened by subtle distortions.

I write to you concerning a single sentence spoken with the force of a righteous conscience and the clarity of apostolic integrity: “Before God, I do not lie.” These few words, penned by Paul in his epistle to the Galatians, are not merely a defense of his personal testimony, but a spiritual declaration of the holiness required when one claims to speak in the name of Christ. They form part of a larger argument in which Paul is laboring to uphold the purity of the gospel against corruption, clarifying that what he preaches did not originate from man nor through the tradition of human institutions, but through revelation directly from Jesus Christ.

We must not treat lightly the gravity of such a statement. Paul, having laid out his personal transformation—from persecutor to apostle—underscores his account with an oath before God, as if to say: “Let heaven bear witness to my words, for I speak not from agenda but from truth.” And herein lies a truth sorely needed in our generation: that those who handle the Word of God must do so not for applause or affirmation, but under the eyes of the Almighty, who searches hearts and weighs every word.

What compelled Paul to write these words? It was not pride. It was not self-promotion. It was not insecurity. It was holy burden. For there were those in Galatia who had begun to turn from the gospel of grace to a different message—a distorted message—one that added human effort to divine mercy, one that mixed the old law with the new life. And Paul, moved by the Spirit, stood against it—not casually, but fiercely. He did not accommodate false teaching in the name of unity. He did not water down truth to make it more palatable. He appealed to God Himself, declaring, “I do not lie.”

This, beloved, is the posture the Church must reclaim. In a world overflowing with opinions, platforms, and performances, who will stand before God and speak only what He has spoken? Who will preach the Word not for gain, but for the glory of the One who gave it? Who will walk in such integrity that they would dare to call upon the Lord as their witness—not only in public ministry, but in private conduct?

Let every minister, every teacher, every disciple hear the weight of Paul’s oath. Before God, I do not lie. This is not a casual sentence—it is a vow of accountability. It is a refusal to twist truth to suit culture. It is a declaration that what we say about Jesus, what we proclaim as gospel, must be so pure, so untainted, so free of personal agenda, that we could speak it in the throne room itself without shame.

Oh, how greatly we need such voices again—men and women who tremble at the Word, who love truth more than reputation, who would rather be forgotten in this world than be found false before God. For deception often wears religious clothing. Lies often parade as revelation. But Paul reminds us that even spiritual stories, if not anchored in truth, can lead astray. And so he anchors his entire message in divine verification—not human approval. He does not appeal to titles. He does not invoke the names of apostles to bolster his claim. He appeals to God.

Church, this is the call of integrity: to live and speak as if God is always listening—because He is. To testify not only with our mouths, but with our lives, that the gospel we preach is the gospel we practice. To flee every form of manipulation, exaggeration, or distortion for the sake of numbers, likes, influence, or applause. For we do not answer to man in the end, but to God who knows all and sees all.

Paul’s statement also reminds us that credibility in ministry does not come from self-declaration, but from alignment with divine truth. He could say “I do not lie” because his gospel matched the character of Christ, the Word of God, and the fruits of righteousness. It was consistent with the witness of Scripture and the transformation it produced. Can we say the same of our lives, our sermons, our conduct, our witness?

Let this be a call to examination. Are we declaring truth with a clean conscience? Are we walking in the same gospel we preach? Have we sought the approval of man or the affirmation of heaven? When we say “God told me,” is it truly the voice of the Spirit, or the echo of our own desires? Can we say, in sincerity and trembling, “Before God, I do not lie”?

And let this also be a call to courage. For Paul knew that truth-telling comes with a cost. He was rejected, resisted, misunderstood. But he would not alter his message to fit the mood of the moment. So too, we must be prepared to speak truth even when it is unpopular, to stand firm when compromise is applauded, to live uprightly when deception is easier. We are not called to win favor, but to bear witness. We are not called to craft messages, but to carry them. We are not called to be clever, but to be faithful.

Finally, to the believer who feels discouraged, surrounded by conflicting voices and uncertain which message to trust—know this: the Spirit of God bears witness to the truth. He will confirm in your heart what aligns with the Word. Do not be swayed by charisma without character, by eloquence without substance. Look for those whose message can be weighed by Scripture and whose lives can be measured by the cross.

Let every word, every teaching, every testimony in the Church pass through this test: could it be spoken before God without shame? And let us resolve anew to be a people who need no embellishment, no flattery, no distortion—because the truth of Christ is enough. His gospel is still the power of God unto salvation. His cross is still the only means of reconciliation. His Spirit is still the only source of revelation.

So let us live and speak with that same conviction, that same clarity, that same reverent integrity. Let us say, not in arrogance, but in trembling humility, “Before God, we do not lie.” And let us proclaim the gospel not with mere words, but with lives that testify to its power.

To Him who is Truth, who speaks no lie and in whom is no shadow of turning, be all glory, honor, and dominion, now and forevermore.

Amen.

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O righteous and holy God, the Father of truth and the Judge of all the earth, we come before You in awe and trembling, knowing that Your eyes see all, and Your ears hear every word uttered from the mouths of men. You are the God of integrity, of light with no shadow, of justice with no corruption, of faithfulness without flaw. From everlasting to everlasting, You are true. And in Your presence, every falsehood is exposed, every pretense brought low, and every boast that rises from the pride of man is silenced.

Today, Lord, we humble ourselves before You, stirred by the weight of a solemn declaration once made by Your servant, who wrote with clarity and boldness, “Before God, I do not lie.” These words ring with deep conviction—not rooted in self-defense, but in the fear of the Lord, in the earnestness of one who knew that he must give account not to men, but to You, the God who searches the heart. And so we pray: make us such a people—honest in heart, blameless in speech, unshakable in our testimony, and accountable not merely to men, but to You who sees all things as they truly are.

Forgive us, Lord, for every time we have treated truth casually, for every time we have shaded our words to gain favor, protect ourselves, or manipulate an outcome. Forgive us for the moments we have spoken on Your behalf when You did not speak, for the times we have exaggerated our stories to seem more anointed or more faithful than we are. Forgive us for the subtle deceptions we have justified in the name of influence, strategy, or self-preservation. We confess, O Lord, that we live in an age where truth has been twisted and integrity compromised, even within the household of faith. Restore in us a holy fear—one that trembles to speak falsely before Your throne.

Lord, raise up a generation that values truth more than reputation. Raise up men and women who will speak with clean lips, because their hearts have been purified in the fire of Your presence. Let our words be few but weighty, not shaped by the pressures of the crowd, but anchored in the eternal. Let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no—not only when it costs us nothing, but especially when it requires sacrifice. Teach us to fear Your gaze more than the judgment of others. Let us speak, live, and serve as those who will one day stand before You and give account.

Grant, O God, that our testimony may never be built upon embellishment or performance, but upon truth, verified not by our voices alone, but by the witness of the Spirit and the fruit of righteousness. Let us be known not for charisma, but for character—not for clever speech, but for clean conscience. We pray for leaders, pastors, and all who proclaim Your Word: cleanse our hearts from hidden motives. Let no message proceed from our lips that cannot be upheld under Your all-seeing eye. Make us bold in truth and gentle in spirit, firm in doctrine yet broken in humility.

Help us to live in the sight of heaven, with our speech seasoned by the knowledge that every word is weighed before Your throne. Teach us to reject flattery and falsehood, even when it appears harmless or gains us earthly advantage. Let us be content to be misunderstood by men if we are known and approved by You. Let our declarations be so pure, so Spirit-filled, and so true that we could, like Your servant of old, lift our hand and say, “Before God, I do not lie.”

Lord, in a time when many are confused and deceived, let the Church be the pillar and ground of truth once more. Let there be clarity in our witness, conviction in our teaching, and purity in our conduct. Let us hold fast to the truth with joy, not as a weapon to shame others, but as a light to guide them. May our lives reflect the very gospel we proclaim—uncompromised, unpolluted, and unashamed.

We also pray for those who wrestle with the fear of man, who are tempted to lie, exaggerate, or hide their true convictions out of fear of rejection or persecution. Strengthen them, Lord. Remind them that You are near to those who walk in truth. Let the Spirit of truth dwell richly within them, bearing witness to their words, upholding their hearts, and supplying courage when the cost is high.

And finally, Father, we pray that we may become people whose testimony does not require a defense. Let our lives so reflect Your truth that our words are trusted because our conduct confirms them. Let our communities be places where truth is loved, where integrity is nurtured, where speech is pure, and where every person speaks not for their own glory, but for the honor of Christ.

May we never forget that to lie is to grieve the Spirit. That to manipulate is to serve self rather than Christ. That to distort truth is to place our own interests above Your holiness. Let us not be those who mix truth with error, but those who walk uprightly, even when it costs us comfort, popularity, or influence.

So we pray, O Holy God, give us clean hearts and truthful tongues. Make us people of the truth—guardians of the gospel, lovers of honesty, defenders of what is pure and good. And in every word we speak, in every story we tell, in every account we give, may we be able to say, in humility and truth, “Before God, I do not lie.”

In the matchless name of Jesus Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we offer this prayer. Amen.