"Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure." (1 Timothy 5:22)  What a verse of scripture in these days of 2016!  Recently in my Pastoral ministry I have dealt with several situations where the question has come up: "What do I do or what do I say?"  And yet when it comes to the decision of "what side do I take" the answer to the question seems to be right in front of our faces and that is the scripture that I have just shared with you from out of 1 Timothy. 
So much SIN has seized the hearts of people who, at one time, were or even are of the household of faith.  But as Demas did in 2 Timothy 4:10, some have come to love this present world and what it has to offer instead of the God whom created them.  But for the Christian who does this it affects their Christian friends around them as to "How do I handle them?"  "What do I do if it comes down to lying or telling the truth as to what they have told me?"  Surely we must do all we can to keep their confidentiality as God would have us do that unless it were to bring physical harm to someone.  But our verse above once again comes to thought about this where Paul told Timothy "Not to be a partaker of another man's sins" which is to say that if someone tells a lie to cover for someone then they hold themselves in account to God for bearing false witness.  For 1 Timothy 5:22 is not a question in my opinion but a commandment and we should NEVER allow ourselves to get into a place where we are "aiding and furthering" someone's sins against God.  For just as their sins will be found out as Numbers 32:23 says, the one who is defending the sin or trying to help cover it up will one day stand in account if they bear false witness concerning another person's sins.  Jesus said in John 8:32 that the truth will make us free.  Lies just like other sins DO NOTHING but hold us in bondage to Satan, and wreak havoc in destroying people and lives,  in which by the way, the devil totally enjoys and has pleasure in!  Because that bondage blinds believers who have drifted away, and most of all blinds the lost that what they are doing, and how they are living is justified, lets be in mind that in God's eyes, lying, adultery, stealing, hatred and wrath are NEVER justified in His eyes!  Jesus said in Matthew 5:39: "but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." But yet the reason we do not follow this commandment goes back to the blindness and bondage of jealousy, hate and envy that has taken hold of so many hearts today.  We cannot see this commandment because vindictiveness, and revenge is all that controls our spirit when He himself tells us in Exodus 14 to let HIM fight our battles for us and in Romans 12:19 it says that "Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord." 
So I encourage you all, that you BE NOT a partaker in someone else's sins for that will only bring judgement down upon yourselves.  Instead allow Jesus, who is the way, truth and the life to set you free by telling and living the truth before He returns and finds you living in bondage instead of in the freedom of HIS truth."