Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
5/3/2022
What is Truth today? How can we know it? Part II
"Stand Therefore” Eph 6: 14-17 having girded our waist with truth”.
Eph 1:13 "when we heard the word of truth… we believed"!
Everywhere I see "truth" I must embrace it. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 "This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. 10 He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. 11 So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. 12 Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth".
Eph 4:20-21 "But that is NOT the way you learned Christ”. “You were taught the Truth is IN Jesus.”
We hear the gospel and love it, embrace it, and desire be taught the truth, in Jesus. The scripture is clear,
continue to seek out the truth of Jesus and grow in that.
Eph 4:15 says, "speaks the truth in love. And then grow in it! As we gird our waist with God’s truth". NO half-truths, “Speak the truth!” Eph 4:25 says< "put away all falsehood, and speak the truth with your neighbors". Reinforcing that we are members of one body.
Ephesians 4:22 "put off your old self and deceitful desires and be renewed in your minds, AND put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in righteousness and holiness of the Truth”.
We embrace all of God’s righteousness and His holiness in the Truth of Christ. Not our truth, not man’s truth, and not necessarily every church’s truth but Only in God’s truth. And then our new self will be created with truth as its basis.
Let's contrast the relationship between
all we have been discussing and Satan.
Eph 6- 11-13 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God” So it isn’t the truth of Flesh and Blood but girding our waist with the Gospel of Truth.
Look again at 2nd Thess 2: 9-12 "Satan is the enemy, the deceiver, the truth is Not in him. John 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father who was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies".
(*1) John 8:44 speaks of the hostility against God, it says “ As Christ's earthly ministry progressed the animosity against the Lord Jesus increased and in this chapter, the gracious words and godly wisdom of Christ stand in stark contrast with the wicked plots of evil men who sought to discredit His words and damage His reputation.. by setting traps to denigrate His teachings. In this chapter .. man's scheming wickedness is seen to be the antithesis of the goodness of Christ.
Grace and forgiveness was contrasted with law and accusations when the woman was caught in adultery. Light was contrasted with darkness; life with death; honor with dishonor; freedom with bondage and the “glorious truth of the gospel of Christ” was dismissed with icy lies.. as the bitter antagonism against the Lord of glory and His messianic message increased to a fever pitch.
The incarnate Word of God stood before them and “Eternal Truth in human form” was presented before their eyes. Immanuel had come from heaven to teach the truth of God to fallen humanity. Christ Jesus the Lord presented this hostile group with the life-changing truth, which could free each one from the bondage of the Law; slavery to sin and death – and eternal separation from God”.
Satan never stands in the Truth as the father of lies. Do you see why the first piece of armor is the Truth, Satan has one power over us… Deception.
Rev 12:9 “This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world—was thrown down to the earth with all his angels”.
So Paul lays out how we stand against the world's natural deceiver, he tells us the first piece of Armor must be truth. The Gospel. Jesus Christ crucified.
Lastly, Look at how the Truth overlaps with "the Gospel" in Eph 1: vs13 Again, "Word of Truth, overlaps with "the Gospel" because they are inseparable. Truth overlaps with the word of God because they are inseparable! When you take up the sword of the spirit, it is an overlap with the truth In this verse and others… truth is the sword in your hand. The word of God.
So love the truth, weld the truth… be a person of God’s truth and you'll be assured of walking in it, speaking it, living it out, and is known for truth, and leaving a legacy of it to a thousand generations.
Jeremy Camp I Still Believe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZPMZV9MVVY
*1 "In a quote from dailyverse.knowing-jesus.com/john 8-44"
Excerpts are taken from O Christians! Be People of Truth: Ephesians 6:14–17, Part 4
