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Telling The Truth!

         Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth before Abraham was even born, I am!” John 8:58. In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Jesus uttered the words over and over as He taught, “I tell you the truth!”
         Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” John 14:6.
         The truth matters to God. Nowhere is it made more plainly than in Proverbs 6:16-19 ff. There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things He detests haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
         The Ninth Commandment – “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.” Exodus 20:16. (NLT). “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (NKJV).  False denotes untruths, or as Proverbs says, ‘lying tongues.’
         In this time, we do not know if the words we hear in many places convey the truth or lies.  Words have power and shape hearts and the minds who hear them.  They carry shreds of evidence of our thoughts whether in love or hate and anger.
         To hear lying words ‘face to face’ they become underlined and spoken with facial expressions eliciting fear from the hearer.  Words spoken in anger are like weapons piercing the heart.  Written words do not carry such added menace but can be deceitful.  Language began long ago.
         Words in a conversation bridge the gap between the listener and hearer when meet.  A consistent message is a measure of truth. The first four words of John 1 is an echo Genesis 1. 
         In the beginning, the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He existed in the beginning with God.  God created everything through Him, and nothing was created except through Him, the Word gave life to everything that was created, and His life brought light to everyone.
          John wrote ‘Word’, for the translation of Logos (the Word). Insert Jesus where the Word is written, and you have the message God intended.  God sent his Son Jesus as His Message of Love and Salvation to us.  Jesus is the Word from Whom we learn of God’s purposes.
         The ten commandments, include, “Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.”  The ten commandments compose the boundary to protect us in this life.  Truth and Honesty creates a community of Trust.  A haven where all the inhabits live behind a ‘picket fence’ of Peace and Joy.
         When we take the witness stand, we are required to say, “I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God!”  Are these just words?  Are they uttered with our fingers crossed?  Words mean what they say.  
         Consider a world that lives by deceit and lies, how long can it survive?  A nation, Community by Community, fall prey to living with lies until no one can believe anyone. There is no ‘little white lie.’  The size of the lie does not matter.  Truth is part of personal integrity.  We are prone to bear false witness even to ourselves.  Wearing a mask of purity and goodness is a delusion. 
         What if we want to clear our hearts of the evil of lying and replace our hearts with His Truth? Or what if we are a victim of someone who lies and hurts us?     
   ·      First, we can tell God everything, He already knows. But if we confess our sins to him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. I John 1:9.
   ·      We allow God to fight for us. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” Exodus 14:14.
   ·      Flee from evil. So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7.
   ·      Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. I Peter 5:8.
         Samuel, as the prophet declares in 2 Samuel 12:20, “Don’t be afraid,” 
Samuel reassured them. “You have certainly done wrong, but make sure now that you worship the Lord with all your heart, and don’t turn your back on Him.
         Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32.
         Grace, mercy, and peace, which come from God the Father and from Jesus Christ—the Son of the Father—will continue to be with us who live in truth and love.  2 John 1:3.

          Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. Ephesians 4:15.

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