Speak Truth

Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination, whenever you have said, ‘Declares the Lord,’ although I have not spoken?” Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, therefore behold, I am against you, declares the Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord God. Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. And I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it with whitewash, and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God. (Ezekiel 13:7–16)

This prophet has a way with words. The Holy Spirit reveals the picture Ezekiel paints concerning false teachers. First they say all is well when it isn’t. This tells me to face the reality of a very messy world but not sugarcoat it as if nothing bad is happening or will happen.

Also, if people build a wall to protect themselves and feel safe in whatever is threatening them, or build a wall to repair what has been destroyed, the false prophets will applaud their human efforts. This may not be a wrong action, but if done without the Lord’s direction or in the power of His Spirit, the storm that hits them will reveal that neither the wall or the whitewash will do what was intended.

In our day, to whitewash anything is about disguising it. If I make a mistake and invent an excuse to protect my ego or reputation, I am whitewashing it. Instead of being honest with others and with God, such pride promotes a false teaching. It is never right to lie by whitewashing truth.

Jesus, more and more I realize the power of truth. If spoken, people listen. Your Spirit often is also speaking, backing up what I say with His own way to telling people to listen. Keep me from whitewashing anything, even embellishing anything to make me look better than I am, or to make anything look more glorious than it really is. 

 
 

The see-saw of pride and humility. . . .

  

Writers are taught to write what we know. Christians are taught to share in the same way. I cannot share a doctrinal truth if it is unknown to my heart or not practiced in my life. In other words, I must walk the talk. Today’s reading says my goal is to share with others in such a way that the glory of God has satisfied the longings of my own heart. If what I tell others betrays that God has not met my needs, my words would be dishonest, even deceitful. If I want people to believe me, Christ must be real to me when I tell them about Him.

Last week a group of my quilting friends became upset with political shenanigans. I suggested that when they went home, to get a Bible and read Psalm 2. If reading this did not bless and calm my heart concerning the current political scene, then I would have no right to tell them to read it and be calmed in their hearts. I must ‘practice what I preach’ and avoid saying, “I know we are supposed to do” such and such but not be doing it.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. (Matthew 23:1–12)

Telling others to do what I don’t do myself reveals fleshy and sinful motives. In the case of these religious leaders, they wanted to be seen, exalted by others, put on pedestals as if better than anyone else. Purely pride. But pride in me is not the way to glorify God. I know. I’ve been there, breaking my arm as I pat myself on the back.

What makes me sad is that others are sometimes reluctant to recognize human weakness that enables godly people to rely on Him. My sister once admitted her inability to a group of other Christians and they said to her, “Oh no, not you, Janet.” She didn’t know how to respond to that reaction to her admission of being unable and her desire to glorify the Lord. They saw her strengths but refused to recognize where they came from.

PRAY: Jesus, I know You were often in this awkward place. You equaled yourself with God yet also said You did only what He told You to do. That enraged those who merely talked but did not do what they told everyone else to do — and they eventually crucified You. I’m not nearly so solidly like You. Help me to not only be gracious to those who have a problem with honest admissions of weakness, but to always remember the truth of it — You are my everything and apart from You I can do nothing.

Honest with God?

Genesis 49; Job 15; Luke 2; 1 Corinthians 3

A woman complained of her troubles and someone said, “Why don’t you tell God how you feel?” She replied, “Oh, I could never talk to God like that. It would be disrespectful.”

Job’s ‘friend’ had that attitude. He said to Job:

“Should a wise man answer with windy knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind? Should he argue in unprofitable talk, or in words with which he can do no good? But you are doing away with the fear of God and hindering meditation before God. For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty. Your own mouth condemns you, and not I; your own lips testify against you.” (Job 15:2–6)

Job later declared that he would not violate his integrity. Integrity means being the same person on the outside as on the inside. That is, it means not pretending ‘nice’ when you are angry or faking anything to make myself look good or more pious when I’m not what I am putting forward on the outside.

People of integrity are usually well-respected but at times they are resented for their honesty. I’ve a family member who told me that saying what he thinks sometimes gets him in trouble with those who don’t like hearing the truth. He has learned to temper his words with kindness yet refuses to pretend to agree when he has a different view. Those who like integrity say he is “refreshing” and they like his openness.

Eliphaz did not like Job’s openness with God, but what did God think about it?

All through Scripture I’ve seen that God knows my heart. If someone asks, “How are you?” I might say I am fine when I am not, but I cannot fake anything with Him. To even try it would be an insult to His omniscience. Besides, reading the Psalms shows me that His people should never fake telling Him how they feel. The psalmists never did. Sometimes they seemed to be yelling at God. Are those who keep their thoughts from God being honest with Him — the God who does not look at the outer appearance but at the heart?

Towards the end of the book of Job, God spoke to him about how he talked without knowledge, yet He did not rebuke Job for speaking his complaints and frustrations. The man was not a fake, never pretending to be pious when he was frustrated and confused. Did God find this man “refreshing” or not? The Scriptures say that the Lord sided with the way Job talked, even when whining and complaining, even when he seemed irreverent . . .

After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite: “My anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has.” (Job 42:7)

I know that God wants both humility and honesty, not pride and lies or faking it. While it seems irreverent to complain to God, He would rather I be honest about my feelings than pretend they don’t exist. I tend to think that most people are the same; they would rather hear the truth than anything like insincere flattery, a pasted-on smile, or only my good news and never the nasty realities of life.

Job’s example then is highly practical. From him I am encouraged to be honest with God, honest with people, and honest with myself.

Light, darkness and His glory

The Bible is full of metaphors and other figures of speech that help readers understand what God is telling us. One of the easier ones, at least for me, is light and darkness. I like light, but too bright hurts my eyes. Darkness is okay, but not total as running into walls or tripping over shoes on the floor is dangerous.

In the Bible, light suggests nothing hidden, no areas of confusion or being unable to see. Darkness is the opposite. Yet this metaphor goes farther than our personal experiences and represents much more . . .

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5–7)

Obviously, God is the ultimate light. He sees and knows everything. Because of sin and human frailties, I cannot do that. These verses suggest light and truth go together, but I’m not able to see and discern every lie. I mishandle the truth myself. I also fail to walk in the light that I do have, falling short of my own standards, never mind the higher standards of my holy God.

These verses tell me darkness is more than not being able to see. It is also not being able to have fellowship with God even though He loves me dearly. To remedy that, I must get out of the dark!

Another factor of darkness is how I can walk around in it saying I know and have fellowship with God, but that does not fly with Him. To say it is a lie. Practicing the truth is not only knowing it but walking by it, living the life that God’s truth describes and being truthful concerning where I am in that walk.

Another gauge of where I am walking is my spiritual relationships with other Christians. Fellowship is an interesting and often misused word. Christians can meet, sing, have coffee, and do all sorts of things together but no have fellowship. Genuine fellowship involves sharing the life of Christ with each other. If I am walking in the dark, that will not happen. Relationships will be superficial and mere ‘human’ (even fun) if they are without the precious openness and light of the Holy Spirit.

How does anyone get out of the dark and into the light? The answer is right after these verses:

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

It is a simple answer — be honest about where I am. Yet if I am in the dark, how can I see where I am? This enlightening is the work of the Holy Spirit! He continues to bring light and life to all His people, correcting, encouraging, instructing, and drawing us continually to God, to the light. The enemy tells me lies — I tell myself lies — but greater is the One who lives in me, whose desire and task is to keep me in His care and walking in truth.

Many times, I have prayed, “Lord, You are the Savior. I need saving. Save me.” As Tozer says, the Holy Spirit comes with the light of truth in one hand and the blood of Christ in the other. What the light reveals, the blood cleanses.

^^^^^^^

Jesus, You are so wonderful. I was not like the moth drawn to the flame but was more like some horrid creature drawn to darkness, yet You took hold of me and pull me away from the fate of living lies in oblivion and thinking I was okay. You continually steer me toward the light and the truth — not only to show me where I was and am now, but to show me the glory of Yourself!

Honesty

Years ago, I wrote a very long poem about the importance of honesty. I’d become a Christian and was impressed by Jesus who said, “I am the way and the truth. . .” because my memories still hurt of people who had lied to me.

Later, this conviction about honesty included integrity, not just in others, but in myself. Being the same person on the outside as I am on the inside is high on my priority list. However, I realize the subtlety of trying to make a good impression, of hiding how I really feel for fear people will reject me, even the subtlety of not knowing how I genuinely think and how those elusive thoughts and feelings can affect my behavior.

Jesus knows. It seems to me that this is the biggest reason for a question He asked His disciples. He had just spoken to people who seemed to follow Him regarding their depth of commitment. He included a figure of speech about ‘eating my flesh’ and ‘drinking my blood’ which they took literally and were offended, even repulsed.

“After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you want to go away as well?’” (John 6:66–67)

Jesus puts similar questions to me, particularly when I am tired, discouraged with my spiritual progress, frustrated with not seeing answers to prayer, or simply fed up with the lack of reward in following Him. Sometimes I have felt like turning back also.

Christian history tells of some who seemed to be disciples of Christ, but they did not stick with it. I know a few of them personally. Does this mean they once believed and were saved only to lose their faith and salvation? I don’t think so. They started out well but became offended at the cost, then left. Of them, the Bible says:

“Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” (1 John 2:18–19)

The theme of 1 John is how to identify true, genuine faith. The description includes love for other Christians and obedience to Christ, but also that endurance lacks in some who follow for a while then fall away. They are “of us” in the first place, and as soon as following Jesus became uncomfortable or too costly, much like those Jesus spoke of in John 6, they turn back also.

In His love for me, every now and then there is ‘check-up’ time. Jesus puts questions to me, not necessarily in these words, but in circumstances, in emotions, in the way I view the life I now have. Is it too hard? Am I tired of giving up what I want to serve others? Are the trials of life no longer a challenge but a pain that seems to be avoidable if I just go my own way?

When I was saved, God restored my power of choice. Without the Holy Spirit, I could not choose to be godly; my only option was sin. After Christ came into my life, His power and presence enable me to say yes to Him and no to sin. These trials and that question really ask if I am willing to keep going on with Him. Love is always about choice and He wants me to follow Him with a willing heart, not because it makes me look good, or is comfortable, or is the ‘thing to do’ or for any other reason except that I love Him.

When a new Christian, I was not so much aware of my own weaknesses and inabilities as I am now. Back then, I could imagine running my own life and being free from the trials of being a Christian. Now, I have to admire the answer Peter gave Jesus. There are no other options:  

“Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.’” (John 6:68–69)

The integrity part is admitting the reluctance, those thoughts of running away, the fatigue of following. In all other fields, a ‘perfect’ example or model is to me at first an inspiration, but soon turns into a hopelessly discouraging and unreachable goal. The people who pray with King James English silence me. Those who win every soul they speak to (or claim they do) make me feel like quitting. Those whose teaching methods seem flawless dampen my enthusiasm to share Christ with His people. But someone with integrity enough to admit their fears, failures, and sense of weakness give me a desire to rely on Christ and to give them a hug. If that is the result of their honesty in me, then my honesty to others becomes far more of an important issue than ever.

^^^^^^^^^

Jesus, don’t get me wrong. Your perfect example does not discourage me because I know that You are not deceptive or self-deceived in any way; You are sinless and without flaw. Not only that, Your way is not merely to imitate You. Instead, You come into my life and give me Yourself so that I have what I need to persist, to carry on when living for You becomes difficult. Thank You for saving me. Thank You for continuing to save me. Thank You for holding on to me, even when I feel like letting go.