Integrity- People of God

There is a process to spiritual growth in God’s word, a truth is revealed, a truth is received and accepted and then that truth is tested. God has given us His word and the Holy Spirit to instruct and guide us in all truths.  Then it is a matter of us receiving that information and trusting it as truth and then making applications and walking it out by faith when those truths that we have accepted are tested in our lives. 

God has given the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and to teach ustruth and the ways of His kingdom. With any learning, it is a process of information, instruction and application. Jesus is the truth of God’s word and the Bible was given to us for information that we may know who God is and the purpose of our being, which is to reflect His glory. 

John 13:25-26 “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Often times the truth of God’s word seems to go against much of what we have known, experienced naturally or have been taught by this fallen world system. This sometimes makes it difficult to release what we have been taught or how we feeland often times it is because of pride and self-importance. When people are wronged it is natural for them to want to get revenge or to hate those who have done them unjustly. God’sword tells us to forgive and to pray for those who have done evil and in doing so we show and reflect His love. 

2 Timothy 3:13-15 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

This fallen world refuses to listen to the truth of Jesus because it is tied up in darkness and sin. It was because of Satan that sin came into the world. The false lies of Satan are ingrained in the very fiber of this fallen world system. Humanity has been living in darkness and blinded to the truth of God’s word because of Satan who is the father of lies. Jesus came into the world, that we may know the truth and have a choice to turn from Satan’s deception. 

John 8:44-45 

You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.  But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.

John 18:37-38 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”   Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

Pilate asked the same question many people are asking today, “What is truth?”  We have many different philosophies’ that speak on all kinds of subjects with a wide spectrum of thoughtsas to what may be right or wrong or may be true or false. With so much information readily available it is practically impossible to decipher truth from lies and what is accurate from misinformation. For this reason, we must filter everything through the grid of God’s word to see if it lines up with the truth of His word and His way. When we learn and understand the truths in God’s word we are better able to discern lies and false statements, which oftentimes ensnare and trap people into hate, pride and arrogance. 

John 8:31-32, 34-36 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever.  Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

When God reveals a truth to us, we stand between two views and must make a choice to believe that truth or reject it. This is the first step in growing in the knowledge and understanding of God’s word. Just as it was in the garden and as it was with the Israelites as they were to enter into the land God had promised, they had to choose to believe and obey God’s word as truth or reject it. This is always the first step in growing in the wisdom and knowledge of God, when a truth is revealed to us, then we must decide to trust and accept it, or reject it in disbelief. 

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 “Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse:   the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you today; and the curse, if you do not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. 

Once we decide to receive this word from God as truth, then our spirit by faith, must decide to trust and commit to these truths, which God has revealed to us according to His word.