Category Archives: Truth

Bible, Goodness, Righteousness, Scripture, Truth, Walking

FRUIT OF THE LIGHT?

EPHESIANS 5:9

“(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),”

I have never seen light give off fruit. Have you? At first reading, you may think Paul has lost his marbles or something. This is why it is so important to consider the context in which this verse lies. Paul had been talking about darkness and light before this verse. This verse simply carries on that idea. Don’t let the language of the text confuse you. Remember, God is not the god of confusion.

MacLauren says this about this verse. “The Apostle has just been exhorting his Ephesian friends to walk as ‘children of the light’ and before he goes on to expand and explain that injunction he interjects this parenthetical remark, as if he would say, To be true to the light that is in you is the sum of duty, and the condition of perfectness, ‘for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth’.” 

APPLICATION

Okay Carl, so what are you trying to tell us? I’m glad you asked. The evidence, the fruit of your walk in the light is goodness and righteousness and truth. Do you perform goodness rather than “badness”? Do you want to do good or evil? It’s that simple. Your goodness is not your goodness. There’s nothing good about you. That goodness is the fruit of the Spirit in you.

How about living a righteous life? What does that mean? It’s living a life approved in the eyes of God. Wow! Who doesn’t want that? You may be surprised. Some people could care less about having God’s approval. In fact, they will do everything they can think of that runs counter to God. But not you – you have received His righteousness.

And the truth is also fruit of your walk in the light. There is no hiding yourself, sneaking away to do who knows what. Your life is an open book, no secrets. The truth is there for all to see. How do you live that way? Because the One Who is the Truth lives in you. He produces the fruit of the light in you. What a Savior! What a Lord!

Father, help me to walk in the light as Your are the Light

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Bible, Body, Falsehoods, Freedom, Trust, Trustworthy, Truth

STOP THAT LYING

EPHESIANS 4:25

“Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, because we are parts of one another.”

Boy, I remember growing up with three siblings. There were always lies flying around. “Who broke that?” “It was Tim.” “Who didn’t take out the trash?” “Cheryl was supposed to do that.” I could continue, but you get the picture. There was no way I was going to own up to something that I could possibly get away with. Lying was like breathing, lol. Yea, those were small lies, but they were still lies and once caught (and I almost always was), I got the expected consequence, a spanking (yep, my parents believed in that).

The Ephesian believers had been immersed in a pagan culture for years. Now they are new creations in Christ which demanded a different lifestyle. Lying was customary in paganism. Honesty was rare. That bad habit, that lifestyle had to go. The word “falsehood” is pseudos, which literally means a lie, an untruth. Paul is telling them that because they are part of each other now in the body of Christ, truth must be practiced.

APPLICATION

John uses this word pseudos in 1 John 2:21 and 27. “I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it, and because no lie is of the truth.” “And as for you, the anointing which you received from Him remains in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you remain in Him.” Truth is important. Jesus called Himself the truth, didn’t He? Therefore, I can’t imagine Him approving of our lying.

Over in Romans 1:25, Paul talks about the danger of lies. “For they exchanged the truth of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.” You see, the opposite of truth is falsehood. If you are not practicing the truth, you are practicing falsehood. We must live in the truth.

The next time you are tempted to lie about something, remember this verse. Remember how Jesus called Himself the truth. Remember what God requires. Remember you are part of the body of Christ. Walk in the truth and then you will be walking with Jesus.

The truth will surely set me free. Thank You, Father, for giving me the truth.

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Bible, Confrontation, Love, Peace, Scripture, Truth

SPEAK THE TRUTH, BUT…

EPHESIANS 4:15

“but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ,”

We all love to be told the truth, right? No one wants to be lied to. We would prefer that people tell us the truth, but some people like to be downright rude in doing that. That don’t care how much it hurts the other person, because they just “tell it like it is.” How does that mesh with today’s verse?

In verse 14 Paul has just told us to be careful and watch out for deceitful scheming. He continues that sentence by tell us to speak the truth in love. What did he mean by that? Don’t forget what Paul wrote in verses 11-14. He was talking about the body of Christ and how it is built up. Paul still has that thought on his mind. He wants us all to speak truth one to another but always in love.

APPLICATION

The phrase “speaking the truth” is actually one Greek word, used only twice in the New Testament. It is used here and over in Galatians 4:16. The word is alétheuó which can mean a “Spirit-led confrontation where it is vital to tell the truth so others can live in God’s reality rather than personal illusion.” (HELPS Word studies). In the Galatians passage it says, “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?” Paul was warning the Galatians in this passage about those who would lead them away from their faith.

But the key, for me, in today’s verse is the little phrase “in love.” Don’t just read that and move on. Let it soak in. The word used here is agape, which is God’s love. It’s a beneficial love, a sacrificial love. That changes everything. Paul is saying to speak the truth to a brother or sister but do it like God would. How many of us are guilty of speaking truth in our own way?

The next time you need to confront someone about their behavior or their words, do it in love, God’s love. As I close this blog, read 2 John 1:1-3. I believe John says it well. “1 The elder to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth; and not only I, but also all who know the truth, 2 because of the truth which remains in us and will be with us forever: 3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.”

Lord, help me to love in truth and speak truth in love. They go together because they are both of You.

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Authentic, Bible, Commands, Deception, Disciples, Following, Love, Scripture, Trustworthy, Truth

AUTHENTICITY

GALATIANS 6:11

“See with what large letters I have written to you with my own hand!”

Call me a little crazy, but the first thing I thought of when I read this verse was the story of “Little Red Riding Hood.” You know, when Little Red Riding Hood remarked at what large ears, eyes, hands and mouth the wolf had. They looked very different than her grandmother’s, so Little Red Riding Hood noticed. Some things are just obvious.

Paul wanted to make sure the Galatians knew he had written this letter and not someone else. Scholars vary on why Paul wrote these words. Some say it was because he had bad eyesight, so he had to write large. Others say it was because he had difficulty writing the Greek letters. Still others say he was referring to the length of the letter. For whatever reason, this marked this letter as being authentic.

APPLICATION

I have a signed poster from Herschel Walker, the great running back of the 80’s at the University of Georgia. Someone told me I should get it authenticated. There are people out there who do that. We have someone in our lives, as believers, who authenticates us. In John 15:8, Jesus tells us if we are producing fruit we will be proven disciples. “‘My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.’” The Greek word translated as “prove to be” means to come into existence. We are authenticated as we come into existence, as we prove to be His disciples.

We are also authenticated by our love. In 1 John 4:8 we are told, “The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” How many people do you know who say they love God but hate people. They hold grudges against people. They refuse to forgive people. God’s Word says clearly that our love for others is a sure sign of being His. It authenticates us.

Keeping God’s commandments also shows the world we are authentic believers. Also in 1 John, we find this in chapter 3 and verse 24, “The one who keeps His commandments remains in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He remains in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” So, the question is “Are you authentic?” Are you who you say you are?

Father, I want all who see me see me as an authentic follower of Christ.

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Accountability, Appearance, Arrogance, Bible, Deception, Honesty, Lies, Scripture, Truth

YOU CAN’T MOCK GOD

GALATIANS 6:7

“Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap.”

To mock someone isn’t very nice. Have you ever been mocked? Do you even know what I mean by that? To mock someone is to turn your nose up or sneer at them. In other words, you show how you feel about them – not very much. It’s meant to try to hurt that person. When you mock someone, you almost always do it so they are aware of it. You want them to see you do this in order to inflict as much pain as possible.

Well, that just won’t work with God, according to Paul in today’s verse. He says, “God is not mocked;…” The Greek word used here is only used right here in the New Testament. The word comes from the Greek word for nostril. So, you can see the symbolism. But look at why Paul says God will not be mocked. A man will reap what he sows. Let’s look at that.

APPLICATION

You may have heard it said that a lot of folks are quick to sow their wild oats and then they pray for a crop failure. Well, you can’t fool God. He knows what you’re up to. You are only deceiving yourself. You can’t pretend to be a Christian and keep one foot in the world. God knows. You can’t say you love your brother and try to take advantage. God knows.

The Greek word for “deceive” means to wander or be misled. It’s in the Present tense which means you are constantly doing it. It’s a command – don’t do this. And it’s in the middle voice which means you are misleading yourself. Did I lose you. Paul is saying to the Galatians, “Don’t let yourself wander from the truth.” This applies to us today just as much. We are prone to wander just as easily.

Do you want to live in truth? Do you want to live with nothing to hide? Then submit to God. Do not attempt to hide stuff from Him. You may turn your nose up for a while, thinking you’ve got this handled. But it will come crashing in sooner or later. Do not be deceived! God will not be mocked!

O Lord, I want to live for You and show the world I am Your child

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Bible, Lies, Obedience, Responsibilities, Scripture, Truth

TELLING THE TRUTH

GALATIANS 4:16

“So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth? 

As parents we often tell our children to just tell the truth. Why? Because we want them to grow up doing that. Sometimes when we tell the truth it can be hard to hear. We are told to in Ephesians 4:25, “Therefore, ridding yourselves of falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE OF YOU WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, because we are parts of one another.” (Those caps point back to Zechariah 8:16)

Paul has been telling the Galatians the truth about their actions. Remember back in chapter 2 of Galatians Paul spoke the truth to Peter and rebuked him. Truth is hard sometimes, but he had to be truthful. Even at the risk of Peter turning on him, he had to tell the truth. Paul told us later in Ephesians 4:15 to speak the truth in love. “but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, that is, Christ,” It’s all about being like Jesus, Who always spoke the truth because He is the Truth.

APPLICATION

In the ministry in which I serve, Every Man A Warrior, we have a commitment each man must sign in order to be a part of a group. #5 in the commitment states, “I will not be defensive if my brothers challenge me if I do not fulfill my commitment. I will welcome their challenge and seek greater faithfulness.” That is a big pill to swallow for a lot of guys. Some get mad, even though they signed the commitment.

Let me encourage you to speak the truth in love. Be gentle, but truthful. You may have to confront a fellow brother or sister’s sin. That’s hard. But we are told to bring our fellow believers back into fellowship and out of sin. Don’t be vengeful and try to find out stuff on people. That is not what Paul did. He saw the Galatians not living according to the teachings of Christ and confronted them.

Proverbs 27:5-6 says, “5 Better is open rebuke than love that is concealed. 6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” I had much rather have a friend hurt me by telling me the truth than lie to me and wind up deeper in my sin. Hadn’t you? Is that easy to receive? No, it’s not, but it will draw us closer to our Savior. What will you do with this truth today?

O Lord, You are the Truth. Help me to live in truth daily.

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Accused, Bible, Deceit, Enemies, Lying, Scripture, Truth

I AM NOT LYING

GALATIANS 1:20

“(Now in what I am writing to you, I assure you before God that I am not lying.)”

Have those words (I am not lying) ever come out of your mouth? If you are like most people, they probably have at some point. Maybe you were telling an incredible tale that most people would not believe. Perhaps you were defending yourself from a false allegation. I think of our U.S. courts that swear you in by asking you respond to the question – Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth (they used to include “so help me God” but not anymore)? I wonder how the court would respond if you said, “Heck no, I am going to lie the whole time.”

Obviously other stories of Paul’s journey to Jerusalem had circulated in the Galatian churches. Perhaps someone said that Paul got all his instructions from the apostles. Maybe they were saying Paul had no authority to teach. So, Paul explains that he only met with Peter and James on this trip. The word Paul uses here for “lying” means to willingly misrepresent, to deceive. It was important for Paul to make it clear he was not doing that.

APPLICATION

We shouldn’t be surprised when the enemy falsely accuses us. Look at Matthew 5:11-12 from the Beatitudes. “11 ‘Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.’”

In other words, we are in good company. People more spiritual than us have been falsely accused. Jesus Himself was falsely accused by those who wanted Him gone. We just have to keep telling the truth. In John 8:31-32, Jesus tells us the importance of the truth. “31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, ‘If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

Yes, we may have to defend ourselves from time to time. But if we are living according to His truth, He will defend us. He will give us the words to say. He will give us His words of truth to say. That’s what matters the most. We can honestly say “I am not lying” by living according to the truth each and every day.

You are the truth, Lord. Show me how to walk in it daily.

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Accursed, Bible, Deceit, Deception, Enemies, Falsehoods, Gospel, Scripture, Truth

UNRELIABLE PEOPLE

GALATIANS 1:8

“But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!”

I’ve known people who were flip-floppers. What does that mean? It means they would change their minds or views on a subject to go along with others. They would stick their finger in the wind and go in that direction. They were not reliable, therefore, for anything important. And they soon proved to be unreliable as a friend or confidant.

In today’s verse, Paul addresses the threat of a changing gospel. He gets pretty forceful by saying even if they hear he, other apostles or even an angel was preaching gospel different than what he preached earlier (only Jesus was required for salvation), let them be accursed. The Greek word for “accursed” is anathema. It means “excommunicated thing, cursed.” That person should be totally disregarded.

APPLICATION

Albert Barnes says this about today’s verse: “It follows from this:

(1) That any other doctrine than what is proclaimed in the Bible on the subject of justification is to be rejected and treated with abhorrence, no matter what the rank, talent, or eloquence of him who defends it. (2) that we are not to patronize or countenance such preachers. No matter what their zeal or their apparent sincerity, or their apparent sanctity, or their apparent success, or their real boldness in rebuking vice, we are to withdraw from them.”

In other words, believers, be careful who you follow. There are so many wolves in sheep clothing out there. The Lord said in Matthew 7:15-16a, “’15 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits.’”

Paul warns us, also, in 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”

You’ve been warned. There is no excuse. You have to protect your ears by staying in the Word, listening to His voice, spending time in prayer. Listen to the Holy Spirit always and compare what preachers and teachers are saying with God’s Word. Ask the Lord to show you if what they are teaching is true. He will. He wants you to follow only those who know Him.

Father, show me very clearly who is following You and not themselves or our enemy.

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Accountability, Bible, Clarity, Commands, Scripture, Testimony, Truth

THE BRACKETS

GALATIANS 1:1

“Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through human agency, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),”

I entitled this devotional “The Brackets.” No, I’m not talking about the CFP (College Football Playoffs) or March Madness (NCAA Basketball Tournament). I am talking about those statements you make that are used to clarify a point. That’s what I did above. I wanted to make sure you knew what CFP and March Madness stood for. We do this all the time in conversation. We may not use the brackets in our speech, but they are there to clarify.

We see the same thing in the first verse of Galatians, which we are starting today. Paul begins this letter to the Galatians, whom we will describe later, by clarifying his position as an apostle. He says very clearly that he was appointed by Jesus and the Father. He even states it was God the Father who raised Jesus from the dead. He wants to remove all doubt of his authority to address them on the matters in this letter. Hang on, it’s going to be a great study.

APPLICATION

Are there some things in your life that need clarifying? We all have some. I know I do. We have to clarify why we said something to someone. We have to clarify why we did a certain thing. That’s okay. It’s good to be clear. Jesus even tells us so in Matthew 5:37. “‘But make sure your statement is, “Yes, yes” or “No, no”; anything beyond these is of evil origin.’”

James says something similar in James 5:12. “But above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you do not fall under judgment.” Clear, simple remarks are always best. Then, if need be, clarify it to make sure you are understood.

I heard the story of Winston Churchill when he addressed the students at Harrow School on October 29, 1941. He began the speech by saying, “…never give in, never give in, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.” That’s pretty clear, isn’t. Nor should you give in to anything or anyone. Let the Lord lead the way this new year.

Father, I thank You for a new year. Help me be clear in all I say and do and when necessary I should clarify.

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Bible, Glory, Honor, Praise, Reverence, Scripture, Sincerity, Truth, Worship, Worthy

DEFILED WORSHIP

MALACHI 1:7

“‘You are presenting defiled food upon My altar. But you say, “How have we defiled You?” In that you say, “The table of the LORD is to be despised.”’”

Worship is something I take seriously. I hope you do also. In my ministry experience over the past 4+ decades, I have seen quite a diversity of worship. Some has been pointed more at man than God, unfortunately. As I preach or sing in worship, it is my prayer that everything done is pointed heavenward.

The Lord is chastising the priests of Israel because of their manner of worship. They were bringing defiled offerings to Him, and He was not pleased. Their excuse was that since the people were not taking it seriously, it did not matter what they did. They missed it. They were wrong.

APPLICATION

So, how do you know if you are doing it right? By listening to Him. By making it all about Him and not you. If you are a singer, sing to the Lord. If you are a preacher, preach to draw people to Christ, not yourself or your church. If you are sitting in the pew or chair, forget about yourself and concentrate on Him. If we shy away from the truth, we have despised worship as much as those priests who brought defiled offerings.

Psalm 96:7-9 is a beautiful picture of worship. “7 Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; Bring an offering and come into His courtyards. 9 Worship the LORD in holy attire; Tremble before Him, all the earth.”

Now, if we do that, we are truly worshipping. This Sunday, as you are in church, reflect on today’s verse and this Psalm. Check your attitude at the door. Spend time BEFORE you go to church worshipping in your Quiet Time. Prepare your heart for worship before you ever set foot inside the church. Let Jesus see your heart and feel your reverence.

O Lord, my God, You are too wonderful for words. I worship You.

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