ARE YOU ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH? Part 2, No. 520
ARE YOU ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH?
Part 2
“And shalt return unto the LORD thy God,
and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day,
thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul”
(Deuteronomy 30:2).
TRUTH BUYERS
Proverbs 23:23: “Buy the truth and sell it not.” When we get hold of the truth, we don’t give it away. Nor do we sell it! We are not tempted by the bribes of deception.
- TRUTH CHOOSERS
The Psalmist states in 119:30: “I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.” Again in 119:173: “I have chosen thy precepts.”
We constantly face choices, but you do not need to vacillate when making decisions. The right decision is always the way of truth (which is what God states in His Word on the subject), no matter what everyone else is doing and no matter what the cost.
- TRUTH COMMANDERS
God lifted up Abraham as an example of godly fatherhood and said of him: “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD to do justice and judgment” (Genesis 18:19).
Deuteronomy 32:46: “Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.” We don’t allow our children to find their own way. We command our children in the truth. This is the same word God uses when He commands us to walk in His statutes (too many Scriptures to list here). God does not give suggestions, but commands. He lovingly commands but expects obedience. As we parent in the likeness of God’s heart, we don’t bark commands at our children but lovingly command them in the right way—and we also expect obedience.
- TRUTH CONFESSORS
Romans 10:9, 10: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
We are saved by believing in our hearts and confessing without mouths. We are not truly saved unless we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. This is the way we came into God’s family. This is the way we continue to walk in God’s kingdom. We believe and then we confess. Believe and confess. Believe and confess. Yes, you are getting the message! As God continues to reveal truth to us through His Word, we not only believe it, but we confess it aloud! We speak it out.
The psalmist declared in Psalm 116:10: “I believed, therefore have I spoken.” That’s not only Old Testament. It’s repeated in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 4;13 states: “I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.” If we truly believe, we will confess. When we confess, the truth becomes stronger in our hearts and lives.
Matthew 10:32: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.” Read also Luke 12:8; Romans 14;11; and Philippians 2:11.
1 Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Hebrews 4:14 (NKJV): “Let us hold fast our confession.”
Hebrews 10:23 (NKJV): “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
The word confession in the Greek is the word homologeo meaning “to publicly acknowledge, to confess, to say something in agreement with, to say the same thing another is saying.” In other words, we confess the same truth God says in His Word. We don’t have a different confession. It lines up with God’s truth.
- TRUTH CONTENDERS
Jude 1:3: “It was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”
To earnestly contend for the faith means “to strive for, to fight for.” When folks speak things that are contrary to God’s word or false doctrine, we earnestly argue for the truth. We fight for the truth, but we don’t do it in a fighting spirit. We answer with love, grace, and earnestness.
Ephesians 4:15 exhorts us to “speak the truth in love.” We never compromise the truth, but we do it with a loving spirit. We don’t show love to people when we leave them in deception. Jesus came to this earth “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14, 17). He spoke gracious words, but never compromised the truth.
PRAYER:
“Dear Father in Heaven, please help me to be a confessor of your truths. You gave me a mouth to speak for You and to confess Your salvation. Save me from being silent when I have opportunity to confess. `Amen.”
AFFIRMATION:
I believe and I confess that Jesus Christ is my Lord.
Did you know, I am now doing a podcast for you each week called FROM OUR HOME TO YOURS w/ Nancy Campbell? I know you will be blessed and encouraged. Go to www.aboverubies.org and you’ll see the icon. Or go to http://ARPoddy.buzzsprout.com