If I am willing to tell a lie,
If I can misrepresent the truth by shading it with true words,
If I can deceive others by a look, a gesture, or even my silence,
I know nothing yet of truthfulness.

Truthfulness is being truthful—wholly truthful—full of truth.  God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the Bible are Truth.  “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”—John 1:14.  “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”—John 1:17.  “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”—John 14:6.  “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth. . .” —John 16:13.  “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”—John 17:17.  Truth is whole truth—perfect truth.  The source of all truth is God.  And, of course, the father of lies is the devil.  There is no middle ground.  What is not wholly true is a lie.  Have you ever thought about it this way before?  Everything we learn in books, hear from our teachers, see on the television, listen to on the radio, and hear from our friends should be examined—first, at face value, then in the light of God’s Word.  We must then examine our own lives—our thoughts, our words, and our actions.  We must be very sure that we speak and live the truth, and that there is no lie in us.  It is quite a challenge to be truthful in all words and actions.  However, we must also be truthful in our hearts, for God sees our hearts.  Let’s study this trait with much carefulness.