Probably Not A Christian (4)

If you don’t get angry at lies.

Or lying. Or liars.

In today’s court system, before anyone can give testimony, they are ‘sworn in’. And in most courts, the oath they take is to ‘tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth’. And that’s man’s cleverest attempt to circumvent anyone’s attempts to avoid…pure truth.

Pure truth. An absence of any semblance of falsehood. Truth that doesn’t allow omission. Truth that does not seek disclosure. Truth that is all encompassing. Pure.

So pure, it’s Holy. So unmoving, it has substance. And it has a name.

Jn 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Not ‘a’ way. Not ‘some’ truth. Not ‘alive’. ‘The.’ The. The. The. The ONLY ‘way’, without which man cannot get to God. The ONLY ‘truth’, without which there is nothing made. The ONLY ‘life’, without which there is only death.

Jesus is Truth. A disciple of Jesus LOVES Truth and hates falsehood. Of any kind. From others, about others, particularly about God or His Word…and in the quiet of the night on our own beds…we have to embrace the Truth about ourselves.

Any of us who labels ourself a Christian…and DOESN’T love Truth…is lying to themselves first…and to others…

1Jn 2:4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Think about how that is worded. ‘The truth is not in him’. Now, Jesus says He is ‘the truth’. So John is saying, if anyone is a liar, Jesus is not in him.

NOT…a Christian.

Not ONLY because that person isn’t ‘keeping commandments’…but because that person…is lying. Again, to himself…and/or others…and/or God. But the lie is there.

Christians don’t lie.

Ps 15:1 Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
Ps 15:2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

Well okay…Christians DO occasionally lie. Because they’re human. And then they repent and DON’T DO IT AGAIN. Because their conscience won’t let them.

A Christian…is always seeking more Truth…not less. In every aspect of their lives. Like a hound chasing something down into its hole, to dig it out…Christians’ lives are a long procession of learning what’s true about God (studying His Word), their church (how to serve and why), their own hearts, their work and the world around us.

The opposite of that is this…

Pr 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
Pr 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
Pr 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
Pr 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

Almost sounds like one of today’s politicians, doesn’t it? Regardless of flavor. I mention that here, because today’s world is filled with ‘media’ of one kind or another. News, entertainment, political, even scientific. And virtually none of it is seeking pure Truth. All of it is seeking its own version of truth, that might not include ALL truth.

Because all of it…ALL of it…has an agenda. Self service of some kind. And Jesus routinely got ANGRY at people like these! If you read through the Gospels, Jesus didn't raise His voice from accusations hurled at Himself...or even at others. But he DID get mad...absolutely furious, even...when someone was serving a lie...while pretending to serve God. This usually involved Pharisees or Sadducees or Scribes...the politically religious of His day...whose agendas...were all lies.

(For those of you who have an image of Jesus never getting mad...check out the 23rd chapter of Matthew)

Pure Truth…serves only God. And God’s children…have no other agenda.

If you aren’t embracing and seeking ALL Truth...Truth for its own sake…you’re probably not a Christian.