Integrity is vital

At times I’ve tried to speak kindly to people that I don’t feel kindly toward. If another person always talks and never listens, I might act as if I care about all their stories but really don’t. If another person lies to me, I might be polite, but inside I’m not trusting them. If another person goes through the motions of paying attention but is not really listening, I often stop talking just to see what they will do.

I know that Jesus did not have this dual thing going on. He never sinned in pretense — to care when He didn’t because He always cared. He also knows what is in every heart and does not trust Himself to those who fake it. He deals in truth. As the NT says:

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17)

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

Reading this shows the connection of inner character and outer behavior. If they do not match, then it is called hypocrisy or lack of integrity. Connecting that to ‘pretending to be nice’ means that I am not true to myself or to my inner feelings. The solution has two aspects.

One is to be true to how I really feel. Sometimes that is hurtful, but it can also be helpful — only if negative feelings are true about the other person and they are spoken in love like Jesus speaks. His words that expose my sinfulness are loving because He knows the destruction power of sin. He does not want me to go merrily about my bad attitudes so He speaks to me about them.

However, there are times when speaking to another person about their sin is not appropriate and it is better to talk to God about it and let Him deal with them. This means listening to the Holy Spirit to make sure I’m not being silent for the wrong reasons, such as fear of losing a friend.

When John wrote, “I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father” (2 John 4) he was likely referring to gospel truth and the ‘children’ mentioned had faith in Christ, confessed their sins, and were growing more like Jesus. What stands out to me is that he rejoiced in this. If my attitude of “walking in truth” makes people joyful, that is a good thing. Some will not respond this way though because the truth is: unbelievers will hate those who have faith even to persecuting Christians in various ways.

All of this applies to how I think of Jesus. I can say that I know Him and trust Him, but what do I really think? Several verses tell me that His name says much about Him besides that He is truth. He is also Immanuel (which means, God with us (Matthew 1:23) and Light, and the only Way to the Father. Do my thoughts and actions match? Can I hide anything in my head or heart from Him? Not only that, if I say He is “Master” or “Lord” but am not obeying what He commands, do I really think that my Christian words can hide my thoughts from Him? My actions will eventually reveal them because if I really think He is my Lord, I will do what He says. And one of the things He says is:

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. (Luke 6:45)

This phrase “the abundance of the heart” is not about the fleeting things that fly in to tempt me, but about what my mind dwells on. If it is not on Christ and on doing the will of God, it is apt to be my will and my way — which translates to selfishness and sinful disobedience. Trying to look good on the outside does not cut it if my heart is unkind or even nasty. This is just one way I can call Jesus Lord but not do as He says.

PRAY: Jesus, more and more I’m seeing how thoughts connect to actions and how they need to match. This is not just about negative junk that needs to be confessed, but about truth concerning You that needs to be shared. I need wisdom and discernment from You to match how I think with how I behave and how I respond to others.


 

Speaking truth in love

 

READ 1 Kings 18–22

Prophets were the black and white people in the OT. No compromise. Confrontational. Sent with truth to overcome lies and false prophets. In this reading, Elijah confronted Ahab, calling for a meeting with his false prophets in the presence of the people of Israel. He challenged the people: “How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.” They were speechless. (1 Kings 18:21) Then altars were set up. The prophet told the idol worshipers to call on their god to prove himself and mocked them when nothing happened. Then he turned to the altar dedicated to the Lord and prayed:

“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.”

The fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.” (18:36–39)

At that the false prophets were seized and slaughtered. Elijah’s actions were related by the king to Jezebel his wife and she sent a threat to the prophet. He fled in fear, revealing that even those gifted to hear and proclaim truth from God had feet of clay. God didn’t let him stay in hiding for long. He told him to stand on a mountain before Him:

And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. (19:11–12)

This is often the way God speaks. This time, He told the prophet to anoint three leaders; Hazael in Syria, Jehu in Israel, and Elisha to be prophet in his place. He took Elisha under his mentor ship and did as he was told.

Later, another prophet urged Ahab to attack the threatening Syrians. He said, “Thus says the Lord, Have you seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will give it into your hand this day, and you shall know that I am the Lord” (20:13) and later, another man of God told him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because the Syrians have said, “The Lord is a god of the hills but he is not a god of the valleys,” therefore I will give all this great multitude into your hand, and you shall know that I am the Lord.’ ” (20:28)

Nevertheless, Ahab was like a spoiled child. He wanted a garden and the owner would not sell it. Ahab whined to his wife and Jezebel had the man killed so Ahab would have that vineyard. For this and for their sins, God told them they would pay the ultimate price (21:23–24) .

And when Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth on his flesh and fasted and lay in sackcloth and went about dejectedly. And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster upon his house.” (21:27–29)

Some are gifted to discerning God’s Word and confronting any who oppose it. As a Christian, I’m to “speak the truth in love” that God’s people “all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” and grow to maturity and the fullness of Christ, “so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” (Ephesians 4:13–16) However, in a world that interprets love as making others feel good about themselves and life in general, this is a challenge.

How does a sin-discerning Christian speak the truth in love when the truth hurts and the words don’t sound as if they are loving? One well-known author says that when God reveals truth, rather than spout it off to others who might need to hear it, take it back to the Lord in prayer, talking to God before saying anything. If He wants a confrontation, He will prepare the words and the way because He is the Author of both truth and love! I just need to see His mind and not take matters into my own hands.

 

Settling contentions . . .

 

 

In a world filled with disputes involving almost everything, I’m not minding the isolation involving Covid. It keeps me away from the struggles and squabbles, yet I’m noticing the tensions and some inner stress.

CONTENTION is universal. In the OT, the sons of one man “contended against Moses and Aaron in the company of Korah, when they contended against the Lord.” This simple sentence shows that this dispute was rooted in rebellion against God and reveals how that attitude showed up in disputes with others. This suggests that submission to God — not always but in this and other cases — produces peace with others.

Job’s problem was not so much with people as it was a contention with God. He lost all he had and struggled with God’s silence to explain what was going on. Yet he also honored the Lord and His wisdom:

Job 9:2–12. “ . . . . But how can a man be in the right before God? If one wished to contend with him, one could not answer him once in a thousand times. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength —who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?  . . . (He) does great things beyond searching out, and marvelous things beyond number. Behold, he passes by me, and I see him not; he moves on, but I do not perceive him. Behold, he snatches away; who can turn him back? Who will say to him, ‘What are you doing?’ ”

Job 10:2. I will say to God, Do not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me.

God affirmed Job’s declaration about God’s ways, but challenged his demands. He said: “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it.”

Then Job answered the Lord and said: “Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you? I lay my hand on my mouth. I have spoken once, and I will not answer; twice, but I will proceed no further.”

Who can argue with the Almighty? Yet many do. To them, Isaiah wrote: “The Lord has taken his place to contend; he stands to judge peoples. The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders and princes of his people.”

His people rebelled yet He goes on to promise: “You shall seek those who contend with you, but you shall not find them; those who war against you shall be as nothing at all. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you’ . . . . Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the tyrant be rescued, for I will contend with those who contend with you, and I will save your children . . . . Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob . . . .  I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. For I will not contend forever, nor will I always be angry; for the spirit would grow faint before me, and the breath of life that I made.”

God contended with His people for their disobedience, challenged their home-made gods, and their vanity, yet David knew he could plead with Him: Psalm 35:1. Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!

The NT uses of contend has several meanings including “to judge, distinguish, evaluate” and can also mean to “doubt” or “waver.” 1 Corinthians 11:31 says, “If we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged” and Jude uses the same word to say, “Have mercy on those who doubt.” The general sense is that contention is about trying to figure something out. It seems to describe those who make a decision about an issue at hand but (right or wrong) are pushing hard to affirm it to others.

Jude 3 has this to say: “Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” The foundation here is not an opinion but standing firm on the Word of God.

GAZE INTO HIS GLORY. In these verses, I see a similar application as yesterday’s post. The answer to opposition and to those who contend against me is taking it to the Lord to learn His evaluation of my side of things, and seek His protection against any contention from those who disagree. As Jude suggests, I’m also to make certain that what I defend aligns with the body of truth given to me and to all God’s people. If I stand on that, God will stand with me and nothing can defeat that position. However, if I resist God and go with my own ideas or actions, I will lose, no matter how well I defend myself.