Yesterday I looked at the GOD of Truth and today with that thought still actively at work in my mind I want to look at our Truthfulness as a duty of our being, Truth in GODS sight. But before I do I will again turn to Pastor Hoekstra and his revealing Grace and our restored Relationship with GOD in and through Christ the Spirit of both Grace and Truth and much more as we have already seen. And again I will use the ESV translation and if and when the LORD reveals to me illumination I will without hesitation edit the material being looked at, there and then.
"The Excelling Value of Knowing Christ"
"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ... that I may know Him." (Philippians 3:8, 10)
"We can easily underestimate the great value of getting to know the LORD Christ Jesus. Other concerns from the world, or even within the church world, of mans religion, gain our interest and allegiance. Paul clearly saw the precious treasure of Knowing Christ. Sadly because the world of the church as it is today does not in most cases measure up to the standards of the former Church as the Family of GOD. In other words it has fallen from Grace much the same way that Israel as a Nation did. Old habits are hard indeed to break away from.
Paul had advanced greatly in the religious culture of Israel's Jewish community of the elite. In today's language they were the religiously politically correctness, high and lofty minded of the day. He was "a Hebrew of the Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5). He was a prominent Pharisee, a leader among the nation of Israel. Nevertheless, he forsook all of that cultural and religious advantage in order to follow, become One with Christ. "But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ." He considered Knowing the LORD Christ Jesus a far greater thing than his privileged personal position as a mere Jew. You see being a Jew is no different than being and remaining a person in rebellion and disobedience, even as a religious person today. there is no relationship with GOD in Christ while we are in that status and if we think otherwise we deceive ourselves. As there is no Truth or Grace within us at all.
Furthermore, Paul continued to consider other matters as loss, as compared to the supreme value of knowing his LORD better. "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the Excellence of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my LORD." Now that Paul had a remarkable Relationship with the LORD, is without question. For he considered any thing that would interfere with or diminish that Relationship as being a spiritual loss. This is the same kind of attitude that we must require of ourselves to acquire without question. Sometimes, we are tempted to engage in matters that seem to bring some blessing or advantage. Yet, when we see the impact it might have on our Relationship with the LORD, the apparent gain is actually a loss. Our mental perception must be changed by acquiring the mind of Christ. In other words how do we discern the things of life and the world that we are just passing? Do we only see the materialism of man or do see and hear the spirit that is driving man and men and even nations as the Lord Jesus Himself did.
Paul knew Jesus as his personal LORD and Savior, Christ. Still, he was aware that more of the blessings of Christ were yet to be experienced, if his Relationship were to develop into more depth and Intimacy: "that I may gain Christ." Thus, he repeats his two-fold renouncement of anything that might interfere with this desire. First, a look at the past: "I have suffered the loss of all things." Then, a confession of the present: "and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." This term ("rubbish") refers to garbage, to waste, to dung. Is this our own attitude? If not why not?
These convictions left Paul with one great goal is his life: "that I may Know Him." Paul realized that this goal was the excelling value in all of the universe: "the Excellence of the Knowledge of Christ Jesus my LORD.""
The duty of Truthfulness:
Proverbs 12:16-23 and Zephaniah 3:13 "The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult. Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit. There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment. Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but those who plan peace have joy. No ill befalls the righteous, but the wicked are filled with trouble. Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but those who act faithfully are His delight. A prudent man conceals knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaims folly."
Zephaniah 3:7, 8-13 "I said, 'Surely you will fear Me; you will accept correction. Then your dwelling would not be cut off according to all that I have appointed against you.' But all the more they were eager to make all their deeds corrupt.
"Therefore wait for Me," declares the LORD, "for the day when I rise up to seize the prey. For My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out upon them My indignation, all My burning anger; for in the fire of My jealousy all the earth shall be consumed. "For at that time I Will change the speech of the peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call upon the name of the LORD and serve Him with one accord (shoulder to shoulder). From beyond the rivers of Cush My worshipers, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering. "On that day you shall not be put to shame because of the deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; for then I Will remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be haughty in My Holy mountain. I will leave in your midst a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the LORD, those who are left in Israel; they shall do no injustice and speak no lies, nor shall there be found in their mouth a deceitful tongue. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall make them afraid."
Zechariah 8:14-17 "For thus says the LORD of Hosts: "As I purposed to bring disaster to you when your fathers provoked Me to wrath, and I did not relent, says the LORD of Hosts, so again have I purposed in these days to bring good to Jerusalem and to the house of Judah; fear not. These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the LORD."
Malachi 2:1-9 and 2Corinthians 12:6 "And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to My name, says the LORD of Hosts, then I Will send the curse upon you and I Will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I Will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that My covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of Hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he (greatly reverenced) feared Me. He stood in awe of My name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with Me in Peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of Hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep My ways but show partiality in your instruction."
2Corinthians 12:1-10 "I must go on boasting. Though there is nothing to be gained by it, I will go on to visions and revelations of the LORD. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, GOD knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, GOD knows—and he heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter. On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses—though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the Revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the LORD about this, that it should leave me. But HE said to me, "My Grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
Ephesians 4:25-32 "Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the Truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give Grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of GOD, by Whom you were sealed for (on the day of your) the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as GOD in Christ forgave you."
Ephesians 6:10-17 "Finally, be strong in the LORD and in the strength of His might. Put on the whole armor of GOD, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole (Light as the) armor of GOD, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of Truth, and having put on the breastplate of Righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the Gospel of Peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of Faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of GOD."
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