Exodus 20:16.
“Thou
shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an
unrighteous witness. Thou shalt not
follow a multitude to do evil: neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline
after many to wrest judgement.
Exodus
23:1-2.
Good morning, truthful Christian! Since the Lord Jesus saved your never-dying
sinful soul and redeemed you with His own precious Blood shed for you and I at
Calvary – you have been indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, and because you have
been, you seek to be truthful and honest in all that you say and do daily. Praise God for honest and truthful Christians!
The Lord God Almighty’s will on this
matter is very clear:
“These are the things that ye shall do;
speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth
and peace in your gates: and let none of you imagine evil in your hearts
against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I
hate, saith the Lord.” (Zechariah 8:16-17)
“And be renewed in the spirit of your
mind; and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour:
for we are members one of another.”
(Ephesians 4:23-25)
Practicing such a close concept as
‘speaking the truth’ at all times, is not just as easy as to do as one might
imagine – because there can be a high cost to pay for trying to speak the
truth!
A quick perusal of ‘Foxes Book of
Martyrs’ by John Foxe (1554) will testify of the high cost of seeking to speak
and practice Christian truth. As Foxe
recorded in the chapter ‘The Story, Life and Martyrdom of Master John Hooper,
Bishop of Worcester and Gloucester’ relates: “...I am more confirmed in the
truth which I have preached heretofore, by their coming. I have left all things of the world, and
suffered great pains and imprisonment, and, I thank God, I am as ready to
suffer death, as a mortal man may be. I
have taught the truth with my tongue, and with my pen heretofore; and hereafter
shortly shall confirm the same by God’s grace with my blood.” (Foxes Book of Martyrs, Confirmed in Truth,
page 203)
Speaking God’s truth, preaching sound
Bible-based Christian doctrine; ‘contending for the faith once delivered unto
the saints.’; cost many throughout the history of Christ’s Church their very
lives, often by being tortured in the flames of Papist executions.
Today, however, this vile practice of
burning truth-speaking Christians is carried out in a different, more subtle
manner, by those who would corrupt the Gospel of Jesus Christ and lower the
Holy standard against sin. Character
assassinations are taking place day and daily – especially evidenced on our TV
screens, as Satanic-inspired atheistic writers portray Christian values in the
most gross and negative ways. The very
Holy Name of God, Jesus Christ, is penned into pathetic Soap Opera Dramas as a
curse word; an expletive of anger or indignant shock; linked together with the
most gross and sinful language!
Were
the Muslim Mohammad to be maligned in this same manner as the Lord Jesus Christ
is daily on National television screens – there would be violence and bloodshed
on British streets until it ceased!
Truth-speaking Christians are easy targets for the vilest anti-Christian
TV and Film writers! Beware, fools, God
is not mocked!
“Thou shalt not take the Name of the
Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh His
Name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)
“Neither is there Salvation in any
other: for there is none other Name under Heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
“...Christ Jesus...was made in the
likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and
became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him,
and given Him a Name which is above every name: that at the Name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth, and things under the
earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the
glory of God the Father.” (Philippians
2:5-11)
Thus you now see an example above of one
Christian writer daring to ‘speak the truth’.
For the past 39 years – since the Lord Jesus saved my soul in repentance
and faith – I have been detested for speaking the truth concerning the
Scriptures, Christian doctrine; and many many other social and political
issues. However, every time the enemies
of truth have sought to shut my mouth; break my pen; destroy my computer and
keyboard – they have come to nought, for God is with me, and has placed His
truth in my mouth and writings.
Hallelujah!
“He shall cover thee with His feathers,
and under His wings shalt thou trust: His truth shall be thy shield and
buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for
the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence
that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at
noonday...only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the
wicked.” (Psalm 91:4-8)
Well
has it often been said, ‘You can often trust murderers and thieves, but you can
never trust a liar!’ Lying as a practice
reveals a heart that is very dark in sin’s blackness indeed.
There is no such thing as a ‘...little
white lie...’, or a ‘...half-truth’; all that is not of the truth is a total
lie and should be avoided like the plague.
We must train our tongues to speak only the truth to all with whom we
converse daily. Honesty is the very best
policy!
“Wherefore I will not be negligent to
put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be
established in the present truth.” (2
Peter 1:12)
“I hate and abhor lying: but Thy law do
I love.” (Psalm 119:163)
“A righteous man/woman hateth (hates,
and continued to hate) lying: but a wicked man/woman is loathsome, and cometh
to shame.” (Proverbs 13:5)
“Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God
of Israel, Amend ye your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in
this place. Trust not in lying
words...” (Jeremiah 7:3-4)
Thought:
In conclusion, we see that lying, and bearing false witness against others by
lying, is especially detested by our Holy Lord God Who has saved us from our
sin. Let us, therefore, go forth from
today, always seeking to speak the truth in love. Amen.
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