Genesis 10-12
Matthew 4

TRUTHFULNESS

“We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” 
—John 1:14

The measure to which we speak the truth is probably the most important thing about us. Truthfulness is one of the steel pillars in which our lives are going to be held together and structured well. Our integrity is built upon it.

The truthfulness of what we say derives from our character, which is either true or corrupt. To a gathering of Jewish people who Jesus knew wanted to kill Him, Jesus said, “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). If we are telling lies, we are allowing the poison of the native language of Satan to influence and make us. And we can be sure that if we inject poison into the fruit, it will work its way back to the root, and we have given the devil a strong foothold in our lives.

The goal of the gospel is that we are being conformed to the image of Christ, so that we may produce fruit for Him. One of the evidences and outworking of His Spirit within us is that we speak the truth. But it goes much deeper than that. David says, “Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being, and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart” (Psalm 51:6, ESV). David speaks the truth, not because it serves his interest, but because it is true and truth has become his native language—it comes from the heart.

The person who speaks the truth does so because they are being true. Our commitment to God involves a commitment to the truth and to being true. Anything else, says Jesus, comes from the evil one. Satan is the father of lies, often very subtly by casting doubt designed to deceive us. Lying is the devil’s default position, which we are all vulnerable to if truth is not fundamental to our faith. Jesus says of Himself, “I am the truth,” (John 14:6), and John 1:17 tells us, “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

As the One who indwells us is the Truth, then the truth of who Christ is will be expressed in our lives, not simply as an ethic, but the ethic from which integrity of character is built. It is truth in our innermost being that pleases God and makes possible our union with Him.

Dear Lord, I pray that truth will always reign in my life and be expressed in all that I say and do. Thank You, Lord.