Scripture and Truth

Just a few words today on a topic that's as old as the hills and older, and just as solid in truth and value. I'm talking about keeping one's word. It's been said that "a man is only as good as his word," and that saying is about as true as true gets, and with good reason. The reason is that God's Word IS Jesus Christ, and the scripture says of the same Jesus Christ; "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True... and his name is called The Word of God" (Rev. 19:11,13). Jesus also said very plainly about himself, "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (Jn. 14:6). In another place he said something very similar: "These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness" (Rev. 3:14). So the point here is that God's Word is Jesus Christ, and everything God could ever say is summed up in his only begotten Son, who is 'the Word of God' (Jn.1:1). The reason that Christ is called the Word of God is because he was begotten by the word of the Father. That is how and why he is referred to as "the express image of [God's] person" (Heb. 1:3). We all know that we 'express ourselves' by what we say. Seeing we are made in the image of God, he is no different. When God, who had no beginning, finally decided to speak, there was absolutely nothing for him to say other than a total expression of himself. Jesus Christ is "the beginning," and was and is "before all things," as the scripture tells us (Col. 1:17,18). God was alone in eternity, with nothing or no one else existing. There was no one to talk to, and there was nothing to talk about; so when he finally decided to speak something, the only thing that could be spoken was an expression of himself. So Jesus Christ was and is that "express image of [God's] person," and was 'begotten' of the Father's word.

In light of that reality there simply is no way that Jesus could be anything other than "the Truth," and there is no possibility of him being anything apart from "Faithful and True." Being made in the image of God, and understanding that God has never lied or failed to uphold his word, we should also speak what is right, and be true to our word as well. The one who is called the Word of God made it crystal clear that what we speak and why, is utterly integral to our faith and salvation, and that our words show forth what we are in our hearts: "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mat. 12:32-37). All I can say about that mouthful is WOW!! That has to be one of the most overlooked and undervalued passages of scripture in the Bible. As far as meaning what we say, and saying what we mean, Jesus was clear about that as well: "But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Mat. 5:37). Since the Word of God came to earth and died for the sins of mankind, and rose from the dead, and went back to heaven; we have real access to mold ourselves into people who can truly keep these sayings. Reason being that through his death and resurrection, Jesus gained the capacity to come and live in us by means of his Spirit (Jn. 14:16-20; Col. 1:27).

If we have believed on Jesus with all our heart, then we have been baptized with his Spirit, and have the actual Word of God inside of us. And as the scripture cites, "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit" (I Cor. 6:17). So if we are 'one spirit' with the Word of God, then we should be faithful and true with our words, even as God is. When we go around saying things we don't mean frivolously, or not doing what we say we will do; it greatly lessens our credibility with our fellow man, and largely diminishes our witness of Christ. When we waste our words on nonsense and frivolity, and speak apart from sincerity and truth, we simply cannot be taken seriously as witnesses of the one who is called the Word of God. When Jesus called himself 'the Amen' in Revelation 3:14, he meant that he is the 'so be it' of God. Everything Jesus did and said when he was here was exactly what the Father would have been doing and saying if he had been here. That is what Jesus meant when he said, "he that hath seen me hath seen the Father" (Jn. 14:9). Those who saw him were seeing the Faather because he was absolutely "the faithful and true witness" of the Father, as he also referred to himself in Revelation 3:14. Jesus was 'the Amen' of the Father when he was here because the same Spirit and life that dwells in the Father was dwelling in him also (Jn. 5:26; Rom. 8:2). Jesus came here strictly for the purpose of making that same Spirit and life available to dwell in us as well, so that we could be faithful and true witnesses of him, as he was of his Father: (Jn. 10:10). The apostle Paul told us that it is that same "Spirit of life IN Christ Jesus [that makes us] free from... sin and death" (Rom. 8:2). If we are literally free from sin then Christ has free reign to manifest himself through us, because there is nothing blocking his way.

The scripture tells us clearly, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal. 3:27). Make no mistake, this verse is speaking of the baptism of the holy Ghost that first came from heaven at Pentecost, which baptism puts us into Christ (Acts 2:4; I Cor. 12:13). The Spirit baptism literally and substantially adorns us with Christ, because "the Lord IS that Spirit" (II Cor. 3:17). If we have literally 'put on Christ,' and have become 'one spirit' with him, then we should act like him and speak like him. If we do not act and speak like him then we are not 'faithful and true witnesses' of him, as he was of his Father. If our words are not like his words, then we cannot be an 'amen' of him, as he was of his Father. And if we are found false witnesses of Christ we very simply are going to be in a lot of trouble in the end of this journey. Jesus told us the following in no uncertain terms, in regard to the final judgment: "That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." Yes, I did quote that already, but I think you can probably agree that it's a quote worthy of repeating. In light of all these things, it is also no wonder that the Bible is replete with sayings like the following: "Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few... and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words" (Eccl. 5:2,3). I will conclude with the scripture that may be the most powerful saying in the Bible, regarding the weight that our words carry, whether for good or for bad: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Prov. 18:21). I think that about says it. God bless.