Lying is terrible! And I think everyone understands that. It does cause anguish and pain and most often sin. Our answers should be yea yea and nay nay. Half truths aren’t that. But, it does appear that sometimes it’s a small part of a large puzzle that needed to happen anyway, for whatever reason, not necessarily because God asked people to lie. I think the point I was trying to make more was that lying doesn’t condemn you. If you lied once in your life (even in Mosaic times) you wouldn’t necessarily have to face harsh punishments, etc. like if you broke other commandments.

If I am understanding your definition of “lie” it is to deceive. The first deception in the Bible was the Devil deceiving Eve. So a lie lead to a sin against God. Ananias and Sapphira lied and they died, God never lies Titus 1:2, and it is impossible for God to lie , Hebrews 6:18.
Half truths are lies and we are not in complete trust of God to make all things good for us.

Oh, you make a good point! Great even! Though the commandment isn’t “thou shalt not lie” but rather “bear false witness against your neighbor” which are different and I think the latter refers more to legally lying, or perjury. Lying against your neighbor would certainly conflict with the commandment to Love your neighbor as yourself as well. But, I do think the Lord leaves room for lying, in rare circumstances, especially when it doesn’t affect other people, etc.

I am not one for slippery slopes in the Gospel of Christ, so I’m not saying I support people lying all the time, and certainly the “lord hates a lying tongue”. But, I’m not sure someone who lies, for whatever reason, would instantly be barred from heaven either… ?