John 16:13a When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth.
God can never lie and the devil can never speak the truth. Truth is God’s nature and deception is the devil’s mother tongue. Jesus categorically spoke to the slanderous and coldhearted Pharisees; “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. 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). The native language or the vocabulary of hell is “deception”. The demons come in gangs to deceive and to mislead us. However, the Spirit of Truth who resides in us gives us the wisdom to decipher right from wrong; truth from lies.
Jesus never spoke anything to please people. He did not preach to become popular. He both preached and prophesied the truth. But the truth was hard for the religious leaders to swallow. They were steeped in the ritualistic rites but Jesus said, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). The absence of truth will block the airway of our prayer line. Integrity and truth was the lifestyle of Jesus and that should be our lifestyle too.
We must be careful not to say anything that we do not mean. Deception, hypocrisy and falsehood must never be found in us. There must be no exaggeration or downplay of information to suit our convenience. White lies, grey lies and black lies are from the devil and are diabolical. Even a white lie that harms no one will leave an open door to the demonic forces to rightfully enter our domain. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another (Ephesians 4:25).
Lifestyle of truth and integrity:
1. Teach: We live in a world that is filled with deception and corruption. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6a). The footsteps of Jesus are the only way to integrous lifestyle. If we are truthful, transparent and honest before God, we will be truthful before men as well. If deceit and lies are found in a person then it is certain that their spiritual life is marred as well.
2. Trust: Truth builds trust. Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18). We can do the right things for the wrong reasons but wrong intentions will break trust. Truthfulness must not just be in words but also in deeds.
3. Truth: The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth (John 14:17a). Be led by the Spirit of Truth.
Develop a lifestyle of thinking, talking and walking in truth.
Proverbs 12:22: “The Lord detests lying lips, but He delights in men who are truthful”.
Prayer: Spirit of Truth, teach me, coach me and transform my thinking and my talking to be truthful and integrous. Amen.
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