El Emet – The God of Truth
Proverbs 23.23 tells us, “Buy the truth and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”
In these days where truth is oftentimes interpreted subjectively on a personal level, it is ever more important to hold fast to God’s word of truth!
Truth is Eternal
God’s truth stands alone, it is not subject to the changing times, but definitive, objective, unassailable truth.
Jesus said in Matthew 5.18– “For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
God’s truth is universal, and eternal across all times and cultures.
Isaiah 40.8 – “The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever!”
Psalm 119.89 – “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven.”
Beware of Deception!
2 Timothy 4.3-4 – “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.”
This is happening in our churches, here and now!
People refusing to listen to God’s truth and presenting their own version of it, unteachable people believing fables, being deceived and refusing sound doctrine!
We must cling and hold fast to God’s word of truth, not creating our own truth.
Truth is not to be shaped or manipulated by our own desires.
If we know the truth, we will not accept counterfeits, going down rabbit holes of deception.
We will know the truth deep within us, because we will be grounded in His word of truth, and be open to being corrected, in fact, we will welcome it!
His Word is our unchanging foundation.
This is part of my reason for presenting this particular word right now.
Let us not fall into being those wanting to have their ears tickled by whatever sounds good or suits us, but stand firm on His unchanging Word of Truth!
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked.
Colossians 2.8– warns us to be on our guard;
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.”
Test the Spirits
So, how do we avoid falling into these pitfalls?
Well, for a start. God has given us His church, stay in fellowship with established believers, brothers and sisters who know God and His Word, this will help us to keep on track, believing what is right and be prepared to listen to wise, biblical counsel.
1 John 4.1-6 “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.”
A message from God should be in alignment with scripture, never contradictory.
Compare it with scripture (2 Timothy 3.16-17) If it contradicts scripture, it isn’t from God.
Check what is being said for consistency with God’s character, is this something God would do, or not?
God is consistent, He does not contradict Himself, His character is stable.
Seek confirmation; ask God for more confirmation and talk to your brothers and sisters about it and listen to them.
Cultivate your relationship with God.
Read your Bible.
Truth is Under Attack
Right from the beginning of Genesis in the garden of Eden, Satan, the Father of lies and the deceiver starts his assault on God’s truth, “Did God really say?”
That question was enough to trick Eve into sin and he’s been using it ever since.
Joseph Goebbels, one of the architects of the holocaust said, “If you tell a lie big enough and often enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”
Well, that method has worked so well, that even today, some people really believed that the holocaust never happened!
Satan causes a credibility gap, a wedge causing us to doubt the truth, and ask “Did God really say and is the Bible really true?”
Do we believe God, or the world?
What is or source of truth?
His Word, or scientists, professors, or conspiracy theories?
Don’t believe everything you hear!
God has given us discernment and a way to stand against the lies of the devil.
Satan twists the Word of God to deceive, we see this in Matthew 4.1-11, when Jesus goes into the desert after His baptism and is tempted by the devil, he uses God’s own Word against Him, but Jesus replies in kind;
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”
4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
At Jesus’s trial, Pilate asked the question, “What is truth?”
People may ask the same question as Pilate, and the world comes up with many of it’s own answers, but none of them lead to life, because only Jesus is the truth!
This is just the first part of the verse, but I’m sure we’re all familiar with the rest, check the link if you want to read the whole section!
Isaiah 59 tells us, “Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perversity.
4 No one calls for justice, nor does any plead for truth.
They trust in empty words and speak lies;
Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off;
For truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
15 So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey.”
“They have made themselves crooked paths;
Whoever takes that way shall not know peace.”
And it tells us the action that God takes to counteract it;
“Then the Lord saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor;
Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; and His own righteousness, it sustained Him.
17 For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on His head;
He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.”
Fight back with the Word of God
We are to do as God does, as Jesus did in the desert and in His interactions with people, He replied with the Word of God.
Ephesians 6.11-17 shows us how; Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
Speaking the Truth in Love
We are to stand in God’s truth, speaking the truth in love.
This can sometimes be a challenge to do, many (including me) are good at being sharp with the word of truth, but it’s an art to do it with love, the Spirit without love is meaningless and potentially quite destructive.
It can be church and relationship destroying.
That we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
2 Timothy 2.15 – Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We must know the Word of God and the Spirit sufficiently to right people who are heading for the wrong path, or when we ourselves are wandering onto it.
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word reveals and discerns the thoughts, intentions and motives of our hearts, allowing us to come into alignment with God’s truth and cut away that which is in opposition to Him.
Walk the Walk
We are to be imitators of Christ, doing as He did, walking in love;
Ephesians 5.1-2 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
And walking in the truth;
3 John 1.1-3 – Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.
Just a note on another deception prevailing very much these days, that of financial prosperity or “prosperity doctrine”.
God wants our soul to prosper, just as written above and I believe that all God’s promises and His Word and names are all part of equipping us in this way, so that we will be “equipped for every good work”, but the prosperity doctrine is a false doctrine of deception.
Jesus was not rich, nor was He comfortable, in fact He shook people out of their comfort zones, including me!
He often slept rough as He travelled from town to town, not in a luxury hotel, or the equivalent of the day, but said, “Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.” Luke 9.58
The gospel applies to us all, rich or poor!
There is also another fad which is popular at the moment, of “manifestation”.
We can’t manifest what we don’t have, if your bank account is empty, they will still take your house, this is just prosperity and “name it and claim it” dressed up!
Popular, but little more than wishful thinking paraded as faith.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
We are to seek God and the good of His kingdom as our first priority and everything else will follow that we need.
Need not greed, blessing for God’s people, not God’s “person”, we are to die to self and it’s needs, trusting Him to provide what we need.
God Takes Lying Seriously
Acts 5.1-10 – “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things. 6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.
7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?”
She said, “Yes, for so much.”
9 Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”
God takes lying very seriously and it has severe consequences, in the end, both of these situations resulted in death.
But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Into Your Hands I Commit My Spirit
The name El Emet comes from Psalm 31.5:NMV
“Into your hand I commit my spirit:
You have redeemed me, O Lord (Messiah Pre-Incarnate) God El Emet
(The Living Word of Truth.)”
Sound strangely familiar? These were the words of Jesus as He took His last breath!
He committed His spirit into His Father’s hands in the midst of His suffering and saw resurrection and redemption come to pass.
“Crown Him with many crowns, the Lamb upon the throne,” the royal diadem, the crown of thorns, is replaced with the many crowns that He alone deserves, because He is worthy of all our honour.
El Emet is God’s truth, the seal of God is truth, the very stamp of it.
Truth belongs to and comes from Him, He is the supplier and the boundary setter of it.
He is the factual truth and we can test His truth against reality.
His truth is not self-determined, not whatever is best for me or for society at the time.
The Yes and Amen
Jesus is the “Yes and Amen”, the “Faithful and True,” His name is “the Word of God.”
His Word is truth and He is faithful and true, He is the True Witness.
We can commit our life into His hands and trust in Him because He is faithful and true.
If God has promised deliverance from death we can consider it done, we can have confidence in His redemption.
Proverbs 30.5 says, “Every word of God is pure, He is a shield to those who trust in Him.”
He is faithful to His promises and keeps His Word!
The Way, The Truth and The Life
Jesus is The Way, The Truth and The Life, He is the very Spirit of Truth, the Living Word of Truth!
In John 14.6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
He is the only way and the only truth and the only life, all other ways are put there to deceive us into taking the wrong path.
All paths do not lead to God, most of the others lead us away from Him, to distract us from taking the one right path, so that our foot will slip down that slippery slope and we will be lured into the mire, but fear not, our Good Shepherd, even then can pull us out.
The one who wants us to go down that wrong path is Satan, the father of lies, God did not create falsehood, but Satan did, to entangle us in sin and spiritual death.
But Jesus comes to bring life, and to lead us into it.
The Word of God, the Living Word, Jesus, brings life and the word of the enemy of our souls, Satan, brings death.
Jesus sets before us life and death and urges us to choose life.
Deuteronomy 30.19 – “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”
Children of the Light
James 1.16-18 – Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
And now we are living in the light as children of the light, God’s children, let us have nothing to do with the works of darkness.
John 1.5 – The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Let us live in the light of His truth, we no longer need to hide in darkness from God’s judgement, covering our sin, the light has overcome it.
The Truth Shall Set You Free
John 8.31-32– “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
Truth is freeing, if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
We are brought out of captivity to the lies of the Liar and into the freedom of God’s truth.
We can be conditioned into accepting a mindset of captivity, believing what the world and the devil says about us rather than God.
Like the elephant trained as a baby to accept that he cannot escape from a chain around the ankle, he believes it when he is old enough to break the chain, but doesn’t, because he thinks he can’t.
It is possible for us through Jesus because He has broken the yoke of slavery and the chains are broken.
He gives us freedom from sin through salvation.
As we continue in His Word we are transformed and conformed to His image, set free by the truth, to testify to the truth.
Romans 12.2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
The reality of and truth of God’s kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven, brings healing and liberty to souls when love is practised and shown through His children.
From the Beginning, He was the Truth:
John 1.1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God.
John 1.14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
He is full of grace and truth.
God is true – John 3.31-33
He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all. 32 And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies; and no one receives His testimony. 33 He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.
We know the truth deep within us when He reveals Himself to us.
He knows what is best for our souls and will set us free and fill us with love, peace and joy. We can have confidence in the gospel to build our lives on God’s truth.
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ Perfect message and perfect timing. This is what I needed. ❤️ ❤️ ❤️