Being Found A Liar

Clarity comes to the Christian life when we become “hearers and doers” of the Word. The Bible has been described as the manual for life, or “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” All the issues of life can be addressed in the Bible, some very obvious and some not so obvious. Nevertheless, my worldview must be grounded in Biblical principles if I am going to leave a truthful life:

“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” (Proverbs 30:6)

I love the fact that I can put my trust in God and His word because its purity will protect me. It is easy to deceive ourselves into thinking or rationalizing an action we’ve taken or will take is justified. We can use human logic and reasoning, or more nebulous, society’s standards, to validate our desires and feelings.

When I find myself taking such an approach, the Holy Spirit reminds me of how poorly that has worked in the past. Quite often I find myself in conversations or situations that require me to stand on God’s Word. Rarely are those times easy or convenient, however my choices are usually clear and simple. Clarity and simplicity do not equate to comfort and ease; clear and simple are usually the road less traveled. Notwithstanding, I know I can trust God’s Word to always be truthful and trustworthy:

“So Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the Lord which you have spoken is good!’ For he said, ‘At least there will be peace and truth in my days.’” (Isaiah 39:8)

What Hezekiah said to the Prophet Isaiah is instructive today. If all else in my world is falling apart, I can still find peace and truth in the Bible. I cannot count the number of times I’ve turned to the Bible during trying times and although I may not understand my circumstances, I can find peace through God’s truth.

The alternative is chaos and deception. Without God’s truth clarity and simplicity not only elude me, they are also absent of me. Whenever I am “going it alone” and trying to determine my steps, I am provoking God’s anger against me and deceiving myself. My life ends up in confusion and faithlessness. It is at times such as these that God rebukes me and I must cry out to Him:

“O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your wrath, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure!” (Psalm 38:1)

The American Church is irrelevant in culture today because it has been found a liar to its declared precepts. Worse yet, it has used pretzel logic to defy and disobey God’s Word of which it proclaims to follow. Why should non-Christians take us serious when we don’t take our holy book serious? Why should we have any standing in society when we won’t stand up for our declared beliefs? The answer is, we shouldn’t be taken serious and we aren’t.

As the days grow darker, God’s light must shine brighter. Jesus said that we, His children – born again believers, are the light of the world. Darkness is the absence of light, and even the smallest light can greatly pierce the dark.

We must be that light if we are to be true to the God of the Bible.

Doing otherwise means being found a liar.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2015 David Jeffers

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