Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67

Good morning, dear ones.

I can’t believe how close the morning is to ending. It’s way too late…and I’m still in my jog togs. It was a late bedtime as we took the grandkids to the Buckeroo Rodeo last night that ended with a fireworks display. Sadly, there was some disciplinary action that prevented one of the kids from attending…which also required one of us grandparents to miss out. Actually, we shared our miss-out time.

There was some difficulty knowing how to wrap up this devotional message. I basically end with a quote from verse 12…which contains a provocative phrase—“delighted in wickedness.” Without being too judgmental, have you noticed that most movies in our modern culture invite us to delight or be entertained by some form of wickedness? I think it’s safer to be discerning as opposed to gullible.

Lots to do. I better get moving.

Blessings. Love, Dad/Ray

God the Father is TRUTH. Jesus is TRUTH. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of TRUTH and is given to lead us into all TRUTH. The Word of God is TRUTH of which Jesus said that if you continue in, the positive results will be that “you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Is it any wonder then that Paul describes the very first piece of “the armor of God” as being “the belt of TRUTH” (Ephesians 6:14)? Is it any wonder that the greatest failure of a human being as described in this particular passage is to fail to “LOVE THE TRUTH and so be saved?” And is it any wonder that Jesus specified that TRUE worshippers must “worship in spirit and in TRUTH” (John 4:24)? To LOVE THE TRUTH is to love God. That’s the first and foremost command of all scripture. To LOVE THE TRUTH is to love Jesus, Who is “the Way, THE TRUTH, and the Life” (John 14:6). To LOVE THE TRUTH is to “walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). To LOVE THE TRUTH is to love others according to His command (Galatians 5:13-15).

Contrary to a lot of modern thought, the natural human heart has a built-in resistance to TRUTH and goodness. Remember Jeremiah 17:9? “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” Please recognize this condition as your number one enemy—NOT Satan. He can have no continuing hold on one who seeks to continually LOVE THE TRUTH. Such a person is made free and cleansed thereby. God’s antidote for our universal problem is His Word which is “living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12).

The Bible gives me heavy-duty reason to be concerned for your very eternal soul if you do not grow to LOVE THE TRUTH and show evidence thereof. That means growing in your eager consumption, knowledge and application of God’s Word. It means becoming totally honest with yourself, with your husband or wife, with your children and family members, with the management of your money, with the way you work on the job, with the fulfillment of your schoolwork, and with absolutely every other person and part of your whole life. Why should my concern be so great? Because I cannot imagine anything more important to talk about and understand. “For this reason God sends them (--those who do not LOVE THE TRUTH) powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness” (vv. 11-12). Please—let’s be people who truly LOVE THE TRUTH.