Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Psalm 119:160 "The sum of Your word is truth,..."

The "seat" of Truth, and the natural extension of the TRUTH

The great benefit of a New Testament Church is the exposition of the Word of God. I've had the grand pleasure of attending a Church that is determined to be True in the ultimate sense: It is consistent with the Word of God.

While the church is dealing with the Scriptures and conforming to them, I know that there are lies within (That which is not consistent with the Truth) which will have to be closely examined, compared to the Scriptures and changed or eliminated. The great joy is that we've (the Church proper) worked through everything that we know to be a lie (see prior definition above and when lie is used hereon, it is assumed that clear definition) and taken the Truth found in the Word to formulate the foundation for ministry, service and order.

I acknowledge that God has established Truth in Him. Truth: That which conforms to the Person of God. We can understand that anything that is presented as Truth by the objective means of comparing the expression to the Person of God. Psalm 119 exposes the Person of God and acknowledges this fact.

I have contended for the Truth in an number of ways in the past as God has established the foundation for that Truth in His monergistic work of redemption to me. It's to God's credit that I am able to perceive Truth and to the work of the Holy Spirit that I contend for Truth. Naturally, the process He is working, that of sanctification (conforming the believer to the image of Jesus Christ) is ongoing, you will not find me exhaustively consistent with the Truth. That does not cripple me, as the Holy Spirit is "... is God who is at work in you (me), both to will and to work for His good pleasure" Philippians 2:13b.

Therefore:

Contending for the Truth involves reading the revelation of Jesus Christ and conforming to the work of the Holy Spirit (Phil 2:13), measuring one's action to the standard of that Truth and conforming. Using the presupposition of my axiom*, "everyone is a jerk in their own way" and examining the consistency of other believers is a challenging task. The challenges are numerous:
1) The axiom above forces self examination first. That task in ongoing and difficult.
2) The examination of others is rightly True in categorizing all people in two groups: Those who keep God's covenant by His Grace and Those who break God's covenant by His decree.
3) Equipped with the truth I (and believers all) am compelled by the Holy Spirit according to Phil 2:13 to confront a Lie exposing it as rebellion to the person of God and providing the hope of the Truth of the person of God, revealed in Jesus Christ; "For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form," Colossians 2:9
4) Therefore trouble is manifested; "Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." Job 5:7

I have contended with what seems to me to be such men. It's painfully clear that a professing Christian would be consistent with the Truth when it is exposed to them. If not, they would be consistent with the Truth when they are called to repent. It should be no surprize when this does not happen due to the sureness of the Truth in Job 5:7.

Church attendance is a Joy. Plain and simple and True. It's packed full of the blessings of God. When a professed Christian refuses to attend the local church, its a Lie. When they are confronted with the Truth, with gentleness and respect, they are called by the Spirit of God to repent and conform to the Truth. The exhortation is therefore one to:
1) Learn the Truth
2) Enjoy the Truth
3) Enjoy the Truth as it is lived out in other believers.
4) Enjoy the blessing from God of the exposition of the Truth from the pulpit, the lives of others and the Holy Spirit as He Philippians 2:13-s him (the believer).

The struggle for Truth is worthwhile. It's a struggle as sure as the sparks fly upward.

To the Elect of God: enjoy the Church.
To the non-churched: Enjoy the Truth: The Church
To God the Father, The Son and The Spirit, You are TRUTH.

The Church,... it is a TRUE blessing of God, and God: "The Church is Glorious because of YOU, You are Truth!"

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