Serving God in Truth
It is not a spectacular thing to believe in God; the multitude of diverse religions testifies to this fact—and so does the Bible.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? James 2:19,20
There seems to be a large consensus today, even among professing believers, that each person’s “sincerity” will grant them salvation and blessing. To me this lie is quite plain. If one expresses belief in a supreme, omnipotent God, then we should follow (obey) Him as He chooses; to say that God is content with our own sincerity, is to make the Almighty subject to us. Brethren, this must not be!
Therefore God must show us how to please Him, and this He does through His holy, perfectly preserved Word (KJV only). This article is for those who profess to be saved through Christ, regarding the importance of truth in our relationship with Him. In the near future, a different article will discuss the nature of many false religions; it is good for the true believer to understand what these are, where they stand, and why they fall short in achieving spiritual salvation.
So why focus so much on truth, if we are already walking in Christ? Because we need to come to the place of complete honesty with our Lord, and with ourselves. Remember that the “natural man” within us rebels against fellowship with God, and fosters separation. Through discipline and self-denial (Holy Ghost empowered) we must train ourselves into new and Godly spiritual habits. To achieve this greater (and growing) closeness with God, it is vital that we strive to do so in truth.
As we examine our holiness manual, the Bible, we also quickly see that truth is inseparably interwoven into our faith. Consider these key passages;
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. John 4:23,24
Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. John 17:17
Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31,32
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. John 14:6
Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. John 18:37
Even beginning with these few scriptures, we plainly see that real followers of Christ must come to Him in truth—or they are not actually His. We must constantly be examining ourselves before God in prayer, that we may discern what truth is, and walk in it.
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. John 3:21
There are many ways that we can be untruthful with the Lord, but we must start by being truthful to ourselves. This is generally where the devil begins to turn us from the truth. But we desperately need God to reveal these areas.
It is now only fitting to note some of the ways in which I have observed professing believers compromise away the truth. This of course applies to me, as well! Day by day, the Lord is continually “rooting out” my carnal self, and transforming me by even more infilling of the Holy Ghost. All of my own righteousness is but a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6); I must settle for nothing less than the righteousness which is through faith in Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:8,9). The following list is meant to provide examples of ways in which we can be less than 100% truthful. These are not categories, or even a listing given in order of priority.
A) Disbelieving God’s Word. In a sense, all areas of untruthfulness stem from disbelief or disobedience to God’s Word. Yet here I am primarily speaking of ways that the Word is directly contradicted.
Pastors and teachers routinely do this thousands of times each week; many in front of large congregations. They will redefine or translate at a whim—making the promises of God null and void. This in turn leads those being taught to do the same thing in their personal devotional lives.
It is a spiritually dangerous thing to re-translate the Bible; the books contained within it are not the mere words of men, but they are God’s Words (II Peter 1:20,21). Please read our Word of God section for better clarity on this subject.
So many who profess Christ as savior, because of faith in God’s Word as true, deny many other parts of the Bible—either from their own discomfort, or because educated (?) religious teachers have taught them to do so! These are seeds sown in shallow soil, and the great majority of them will not be saved (Denial of Christ).
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. Matthew 13:20,21
Others rationalize disobedience to the Word. One might say “well, this is the Old Testament.” Some deny the needs of fasting and prayer, or tithing, or verbal witnessing. This ends up being the creation of another gospel (Galatians 1:6-9) with which they are comfortable. It will not hold up under scrutiny before God.
B) Wrong Motives in Prayer. Even by those whose intentions are sincere, the motives are not quite right—we wind up serving or praying outside of the truth.
Suppose there is an unruly, disruptive person in your life. They cause you great grief, but you proceed to pray for them anyway. You are asking the Lord for their salvation, and to bless them, even as the Word of God directs us. This is a good start, but what is your motive? Is it really for their best, or yours? Perhaps you are more concerned about how their behavior affects you; and those prayers you offer are really motivated by self-interest. Do not stop praying for them out of guilt, but ask God for the right heart and motivation within yourself.
Even prayers for revival often have wrong motives. True revivals begin by broken hearts, and repentance in the lives of believers. It will not necessarily mean promotion/status in the community we live in—Satan will attack harshly to try and stop it. Do God’s children really humble themselves in repentance? Do they put away earthly things to separate themselves unto the Lord? Do they truly desire God’s pure light to shine into the darkness of the world around them? These are some ways to discern where our motives are at, but let the Lord Jesus be our true guide in this. As we become more like Christ, our desires will naturally become more like His own in every way; yet we must prayerfully examine even our motives in prayer, for our war against the flesh and Satan are perpetual.
C) Keeping Your Word. We are so used to dishonesty and lackluster commitment, that it can easily take shape unnoticed within our lives. Jesus told us that we will give account of “every idle word” on the Day of Judgment. Follow through on the things you said you would do, at the time you indicated. Among brethren in Christ, sometimes forgiveness is assumed to be automatic—hence the greater infidelity in our words. But lying, and being a false witness are sins. You need to confess them to God in repentance. Unexpected events in life may hinder us at times, but we should not give our word on something lightly.
D) To Evangelize by Compromise. In attempting to reach lost souls, many take it upon themselves to become more like the sinners they are trying to reach. They go back into behaviors which God had delivered them from, in order to convince others.
No matter how the Lord provides for us to relate with others, we are to be holy in our behavior. Being “all things to all men” does not imply compromise in our Christian walk and values. We are to “come out and be separate;” touching not what is unclean (II Corinthians 6:14-17). You may think of it this way; when we are saved through Christ we become new creatures in Him (II Corinthians 5:17); without any meaningful transformation or change, what is the point of being saved? Lost souls need to see that knowing Christ makes a difference in a person’s life.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1,2
E) Wanting to be Used in God’s Service. Many claim to want this, but are they truly willing to be sanctified, deny themselves that which hinders the Spirit, or accept Godly chastening (Hebrews 12:5-11)? For God to use us as He truly desires, great purging will come into our lives. Will you submit every bit of your life to the Lordship of Christ? This process can be draining, and even humiliating—yet only then can we be truly found in Christ, with the righteousness only He can bring. Many are called, but few are chosen. To really pursue this road will bring great peace and blessing, but there is a cost. Of those who claim they want to serve Christ, the truth is that few are really willing to do so on God’s terms.
Who can understand his errors? cleanse thou me from secret faults. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me: then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression. Psalms 19:12,13
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalms 139:23,24
It is important to come before the Lord in prayer, asking Him to help us see the truth. We are often not aware of our misconceptions, and need to be enlightened from the Lord (John 3:21 again).
The Bible weighs in heavily on the importance of truth in the believer’s life. It is time to look at the vast evidence the scriptures provide to support this. These verses represent but a portion of all that God says or implies on the matter of truth. With some listings, you may have to read the surrounding verses to make better sense (context) of them. Take your time to give this subject due consideration, praying that the Lord will help you apply it to your life.
Please also note; the scriptures printed and listed are very extensive! I do not really expect you to look at them all, or even all at once—but the importance of truth bears much weight in God’s Word, and I wished to convey this message faithfully.
God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19
He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. Deuteronomy 32:4
Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. Joshua 24:14
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. I Samuel 12:24
Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Psalms 15:1,2
All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies. Psalms 25:10
For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth. Psalms 33:4
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Psalms 51:6
Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. Psalms 89:14
Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth. Psalms 96:13
The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. Psalms 111:7,8
Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth. Psalms 119:151
The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth. Psalms 145:18
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: Proverbs 3:3
He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. Proverbs 12:17
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil. Proverbs 16:6
O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. Isaiah 25:1
Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it. Jeremiah 5:1
But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Jeremiah 7:28
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase. Daniel 4:37
These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates: Zechariah 8:16
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matthew 12:36,37
He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true. John 3:33
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. John 14:16,17
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. John 17:19
But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. Romans 2:2
But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. II Corinthians 4:2
Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth? Galatians 5:7
In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Ephesians 1:13
And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Ephesians 4:24,25
(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Ephesians 5:9
And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. II Thessalonians 2:10-12
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. I Timothy 2:3-4
Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures. James 1:18
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: I Peter 1:22
He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. I John 2:4
But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. I John 2:27
We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error. I John 4:6
The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth. Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. III John 1-4
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Revelation 15:3
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. Revelation 19:11
See also…Exodus 18:21, 34:6, II Samuel 7:28, 15:20, I Kings 2:4, 3:6, 17:24, II Kings 20:3,19, II Chronicles 15:3, 31:20,21, Nehemiah 9:13, Psalms 19:9, 25:5, 26:3, 31:5,6,18,19, 40:10,11, 43:3, 45:4, 54:5, 57:3, 60:4, 61:7, 69:13, 71:22, 86:11,15, 91:4, 98:3, 100:5, 115:1, 117:2, 119:29,30,43,142,163, 132:11, 138:2, 146:6, Proverbs 6:16,17, 13:5, 22:20,21, 30:5,6, Ecclesiastes 12:10, Isaiah 10:20, 16:5, 26:2, 38:3,18,19, 42:3, 43:9, 59:4,12,13,15, 61:8, 65:16, Jeremiah 4:2, 5:3, 9:3,4,5, 10:10, 29:23,33:6, 50:36, Ezekiel 18:8, Daniel 10:21, Hosea 4:1,2, Jonah 2:8, Micah 7:20, Zechariah 7:9, 8:3,8,19, Malachi 2:5,6, John 1:9,14,17, 5:32,33, 7:16-18,28, 8:26,43,44, 15:1,26, 16:7,13, 18:37, 21:24, Acts 26:25, Romans 1:18,24,25, 2:8,9, 3:4,7, 15:8, I Corinthians 5:8, 13:6, 14:25, II Corinthians 1:18, 6:7, 11:10, 12:6, 13:8, Galatians 2:5,14, 3:1, 4:16, Ephesians 4:14,15,21, 6:14, Philippians 4:8, Colossians 1:5,6, I Thessalonians 1:9, 2:13, II Thessalonians 2:9,13, I Timothy 3:15, 4:3, 6:5, II Timothy 2:15,18,25, 3:7,8, 4:3,4, Titus 1:1,14, Hebrews 8:2, 9:24, 10:22,26, James 3:14, 5:19, I Peter 5:12, II Peter 1:12, 2:1,2, I John 1:6,8,10, 2:8,21, 3:18,19, 4:20, 5:6,10,20, III John 8,12, Revelation 2:2, 3:7,14, 6:10, 19:2,9, 21:5,8, 22:6
WHEW!!! That is exhausting! But again the sheer volume of material concerning truth in the Bible should plainly speak of its importance.
As followers of Christ, we should be naturally disposed to be truthful in every way. But because we live among corruption, sometimes we don’t realize how it has infected us. It is only fitting to provide some examples from my own experiences; not that we will be identical, but hopefully it will enhance your search for personal hindrances in living the truth which God intends.
Example 1: My wife and I receive mail in two locations. A certain grocery chain sent us an 8 week series of coupons, some of them very good. So we received two sets of coupons, and often would use the best ones of the set—both sets. We split up, and would each use one separately. Why? To make it appear we weren’t together; the coupons plainly state only one per household. We were being deceitful, and exploiting the good deals offered to us. Yes, many people would make a practice of doing such a thing. But we weren’t being honest, and were really close to stealing products! What a horrible testimony of Jesus Christ.
Example 2: Driving a car is almost a necessity in America, and we have posted, legal speed limits. Areas can range from 25 MPH (miles per hour) up to 65 MPH. Most people ignore these signs, driving at their own pace. Really, police pull over and ticket only those speeding excessively; usually at least 10 MPH or more above the limit.
All of my life, I always drove too fast. I was even proud of driving only 5-7 MPH over the limit. I could rationalize that the speed limit was too low, and that I still drove safely. Or, that police were only concerned with serious violators. Also, perhaps the traffic flow in some areas was well above the speed limit, making it seem safer to keep up with the flow…
The Lord wants us to obey all laws of man which do not require disobedience to His Word. Obeying speed limits may be annoying, but they certainly fall into this category. If a law exists to prevent me from sharing the gospel, this I cannot obey.
When I consider Psalms 19:12,13, these two examples seem to fit nicely. The first example would be a secret fault; one that I did without being aware of it—just a long established bad habit.
The second example I would call a presumptuous sin; I was well aware that I was breaking a law which I should be obeying, but considered my own reasoning to be superior. Also, by comparison with others, I was really no worse. I presumed to be right by placing myself above the law, instead of walking in humble submission.
In both situations, it was necessary to ask the Lord for forgiveness, and repent (not do it again). Thank God for His mercy through Jesus Christ, which I could never earn.
It is also important to be truthful in verbal communication. If you suppose a difficult situation will arise, pray to God ahead of time for honesty. As in a current situation for myself, when leaving my job; I do have fleshly grievances about things, but this is not why I am leaving. I would be easy to vent frustration over my job; but when asked why I am leaving, it is honest to say that Christ has led me to do so. My co-workers are mostly non-believers, and probably won’t understand. But the Holy Spirit will provide the right way to bring forth the truth; all has been well thus far!
Recently there was the “Miss America” beauty pageant held here. The finalists (top contestants) are asked questions from several judges, and rated on their answers.
One judge, a homosexual, asked Miss California if she thought that all the states should legalize same-sex marriages. Why? (This shouldn’t have been allowed.) She flatly stated that she believes that marriage should be between a man and a woman. It was pure honesty; not a wishy-washy answer designed to please everyone—which we call “political correctness.” Her answer caused her to finish 2nd, and she was badly slandered over the internet by the questioning judge! Isn’t it strange; those who insist on acceptance for living the life they choose, don’t return that acceptance to those in disagreement? This is plainly sins’ blindness.
The past few months have been greatly humbling to my wife and I, as we are truly learning to walk with the Lord as He intended. It really hurts to discover areas of your life which have been so untrue, when your deepest desire is to bring glory to God’s name. Yet it is also incredible to be experiencing such a deepening spiritual relationship with our creator, savior, and Lord Jesus Christ. When He tries to get your attention in these matters, simply submit. It really is for our own best that we are chastened, and you’ll be glad that you did.
I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. Psalms 119:75
WARNING: To avoid Satan’s snares and deceptions, return to the pure Word of God; which is the King James Bible. Revised translations are not small word alterations meant to bring clarity! Major doctrinal changes have occurred, which will tend to bring doubt and destroy your faith. To follow these new “versions” of the truth, is to build your spiritual house upon sand, and become as the ones reflected in Matthew 7:21-23. Please use this entire passage, Matthew 7:21-27.
Satan means to deceive you into sincerely following his alternate “truth.” You are really being set up to fall, and serve the antichrist.
Pray and seek God diligently in this matter; for time is short. See also our Word of God section and the section on A Sure Salvation vs. Eternal Security.