From: Beverly French [frenchb@vcss.k12.ca.us]
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2003 6:56 AM
To: Heritage
Subject: Sunday Greetings

"How can a young man keep his way pure?
 By keeping it according to Thy word."
"The sum of Thy word is truth..."  Psalm 119: 9 and 160

Truth is the manifested, veritable essence of a matter.  So we look to Scripture for truth!  Let's look into the word to see just some of the things it says of truth.

Truth is precious:
"The law of Thy mouth is better to me
 Than thousands of gold and silver pieces."  Psalm 119:72

"Therefore, I love Thy commandments
 Above gold, yes above fine gold."  Psalm 119:27

"I rejoice at Thy word,
 As one who finds great spoil"  Psalm 119:162

Christ is truth:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1: 1 and 14

All Jesus said was true, because He told that which He heard from God as we see in John 8:40, "But as it is, you are seeking to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth, which I heard from God..."

He is the truth!  "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life...'"  John 14:6

"Pilate therefore said to Him, 'So You are a king?'  Jesus answered, 'You say correctly that I am a king.  For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth.  Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'"  John 18:37

Truth is a moral and personal characteristic of God, He is the God of truth: " He is the Rock, His work is perfect;  For all His ways are justice,  A God of truth and without injustice,  Righteous and upright is He."  Deuteronomy 32:4

"And now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are true, and You have promised this goodness to Your servant."  2 Samuel 7:28

In Psalm 119 the Psalmist declares:
"...Your law is truth."  Vs. 142
"...And all Your commandments are truth."  Vs. 151
"The entirety of Your word is truth..."  Vs. 160

God is perfect in nature and will, therefore He must speak and act in truth. "Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow.  In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures."  James 1:17-18

As for God's own, the Lord tells us in Zechariah 8: 16 -17, "'These are the things which you should do; speak the truth to one another...let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury; for all these are what I hate,' declares the Lord."

Our heavenly Father has sent the Spirit of Truth to dwell in each Believer, it follows then, that His own must function in truthfulness!  To do anything else is to grieve the Holy Spirit! "And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."  John 14:16-17

Ephesians 6:11-17 tells us that we are to put on the armor of God that we may stand firm against the schemes of the devil.  Verse 14 tells us the first piece of the armor to go on: "Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness."  Girded round about by TRUTH!

God is truth; Jesus is truth; and the Spirit is truth!
Because the Spirit of Truth dwells in each Believer, should not truthfulness be synonymous with the name Christian?  Let us each seek that it be so in our lives!

Gratefully we give You glory, honor and praise O Lord!  Amen.