1 John 1:8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
1 Timothy 2:15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
John 1:14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came 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.
John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Psalms 25:5 Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
Psalms 119:160 All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.
Psalms 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
John 18:37 “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”
1 Corintians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
I heard Charles Swindoll speaking on truth and it got me to thinking about what is the truth. It is hard to tell what is truth or lies. Truth for us is surrounded by perception. What we declare as absolute truth someone else can see it as false. We listen to media outlets speak of their truth and it is hard to tell because of how they spin the article. The same can be said about those who are called out by the media. When caught in an outright lie they respond with “I’m sorry for the confusion” or “that is not true” and we are left to determine what is true by our perception of what we have heard or read. It has been said “how do you know if a politician is lying? When they open their mouth”
We can see pictures that accompany an article and are convinced of the truth, only to find out that the pictures were staged. We don’t have to look far into social media to see how people will tell us “all is well” they support this with pictures of smiling faces and no troubles in their relationships, finances, employment. The fact is that we have no way to determine truth from lies in this world.
There is one truth that we can believe “God” and “His word”. It is impossible for God to lie. It is impossible for God to judge improperly. His plans are never wrong. His purposes are never wrong.
We choose to believe the truth of Him through His word, or we choose to believe some of it and lie to ourselves that the rest does not apply to us. We choose to believe the truth of His love, Jesus Christ, salvation, heaven, eternity and then somehow choose to believe wrath, judgment, anger, sin, complacency, neglect, discipline, rebuke, and testing are not true enough to even give a second thought about. If we spend time in His word we see that this way of thinking is believing in lies that our culture influences our heart, mind, and soul with. We believe the lie we are “ok enough” or “not bad as others” or that there is some kind of grading scale by which we will be approved” or “I’m saved by grace and therefore I have no need of works” or “I will get serious about God in my life when I am not so busy” or “God won’t know or doesn’t see” or “God is a God of love and will not display anger or wrath against me” or “I have done enough good to stand before God on the day of judgment”….
In our unholiness, it is hard for us to understand the Holiness of God. It is hard to understand that “He is withholding His wrath and anger” in light of this time of “His Steadfast Love, Grace, and Mercy”
Being luke-warm, neglectful, complacent, stiff-necked, with a hardened heart, dull ears, closed eyes, and not seeing a need of forgiveness, disobedience, double-minded, prideful, lustful, greedy, causing and living in confusion, anxiousness, and grumbling, these are results of chasing after and believing lies.
Peace, joy, love, gentleness, kindness, hope, forgiven, strength, power, courage, humbleness, rest, order, purpose, meaning, eyes and ears open, and heart, mind, and soul desiring and seeking to serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey God are results of believing God’s truth.
Make it an intentional daily plan to spend time in His word of TRUTH.