54 Bible Verses about Truthfulness

We live in an age where people often lie and cheat to get what they want, leaving others in the wake of their deception. If we do not guard ourselves against a culture of deception and self promotion, we can end up hurting others and ourselves.

It is reassuring to know that God provides a standard of truth that we can trust.

Jesus was the perfect embodiment of truth. As such, he is the ultimate standard by which we should measure our lives. When we put our trust in Jesus, God gives us the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth.

God's word is true, and trustworthy. It teaches us how to become people of integrity. By putting God's word into practice we become the type of people others can rely on.

Read these Bible verses on truthfulness to learn more about how to become a person of integrity.

Jesus is the Truth

John 14:6 

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 1:14 

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:17 

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

1 John 5:20 

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.

Matthew 22:16 

And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.”

The Truth will set you Free

John 8:31-32 

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

The Spirit of Truth

John 14:17 

Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 15:26

But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.

God Guides Us in the Truth

Psalm 25:5 

Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 43:3 

Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling!

Psalm 86:11 

Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name.

John 16:13 

When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.

1 John 2:27 

But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

God’s Word is True

Psalm 119:160 

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.

John 17:17 

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Ephesians 1:13-14 

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

2 Timothy 2:15

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Titus 1:1-3

Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior.

Hebrews 4:12 

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

James 1:18 

Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

Worship God in Spirit and in Truth

John 4:23-24 

But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.

Be People of the Truth

John 18:37-38 

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” 

Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 

Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” 

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.”

Psalm 119:30 

I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I set your rules before me.

Psalm 145:18 

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Proverbs 11:3 

The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.

Proverbs 12:19 

Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

Proverbs 16:13 

Righteous lips are the delight of a king, and he loves him who speaks what is right.

Ephesians 6:14-15 

Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.

Philippians 4:8 

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

1 Peter 1:22 

Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart.

1 John 3:18 

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

3 John 1:4

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Speak the Truth in Love

Ephesians 4:15-16

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:25 

Having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Proverbs 12:17 

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.

Psalm 15:1-2 

O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart.

Zechariah 8:16 

These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace.

James 5:12

But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Satan is the Father of Lies

John 8:44 

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and has nothing to do with the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Revelation 12:9

And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

Genesis 3:1-5

He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” 

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Warnings against Lying and Deception

Exodus 20:16 

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Proverbs 6:16-19 

There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 11:1 

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.

Proverbs 12:22 

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Proverbs 14:25 

A truthful witness saves lives, but one who breathes out lies is deceitful.

Proverbs 19:9 

A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish.

Luke 12:2

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

Romans 1:18 

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

1 Corinthians 13:6 

Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

1 John 1:6

If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

1 John 1:8 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Revelation 21:8 

But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.