Chapter/Preface -- The Fruit of the Spirit
TRUTH
“For the fruit of the Spirit is in all . . . truth” (Eph 5:9).
There are several statements (commands) by the Lord as to the order of conduct when dealing with brethren. Concerning being reconciled to an alienated brother, “whosoever is angry with his brother (without a cause) shall be in danger of the judgment: . . . Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift” (Mat 5:22-24). The one step apparently must come before the other for the other to be acceptable. The same principle is apparent concerning judging (criticizing, condemning, etc.) a brother. Matthew records Jesus concerning judging:
"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. "For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. "Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? "Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? "You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (7:1-5, nkj95)
Again, we see that proper first action will determine acceptable following action.
When Jesus was asked by a lawyer as to the “great commandment in the law,” he replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Mat 22:36-40).
The Mark account occurred at the request of a scribe. “And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment” (12:29, 30).
The Luke account begins when “a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (10:24). Jesus answered him, and in so doing taught those present and for us today when we are asked provocative questions by dishonest inquirers. He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live” (10:25-28).
Immediately following this discourse we have the beautiful story of “The Good Samaritan.” I could only hope that more of us could (and would) learn the message of this account.
Following the Luke account of this lesson on who to love “first,” Jesus castigates the Pharisees for their lack of spiritual foundation in their overbearing leadership. “But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone” (11:42). And still later, “No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Luk 16:13). Matthew records the same principle expressed by Jesus, “Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also” (23:26).
There has always been the Kingdom of God, from Adam until the very end. But the Kingdom that was the answer to all of Israel’s problems, both physical as well as spiritual, was the new Kingdom with Christ as King. It had not arrived, but was soon to arrive, when Jesus spoke these words, most applicable to the Jews, but appropriate for us today as well:
“. . . Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. . . .” (6:25-33).
In our most materialistic day, the above statements of truth should be considered very seriously. I’m concerned that they are not.
Just one other “do first” commandment: “Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)” (Eph 6:2; see Exo 20:12; Deu 5:16; etc.). We are hearing comments from influential voices in our great country that “America is ‘broken’!” Certainly this is not the only thing, but disrespect for parents is one of the great sins being commited by what we formerly, but not now so much, referred to as “a Christian nation.” (And, no less a sin is that of parents “dishonoring” their offspring by neglecting them!!! By my judgment America is slowly but surely being destroyed simultaneously [at the same time] with the destruction of the God-ordained family).
Love Of Truth
Who among us could possibly enunciate all of the essentials and absolutes encompassed in this little word “truth.” With mankind truth is just an admirable quality, and often practiced only when convenient. With the Almighty God it is the decisive undebatable factor in the integrity of God’s existence and ultimate authority. God is, or He is not! God has ultimate authority, or He does not! His message to sinful mankind is authoritative, or it is not! Jesus is His only begotten son, or He is not. When Jesus told his fellow Jews, “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (Jno 8:24), he told them the truth, or he did not. When someone confesses today that they believe that Jesus is what he claimed to be while here in the flesh, they do believe it or they do not. The same principle is true when one claims to repent of their sins; they have truly repented or they have not repented at all. When one is immersed into Christ, they understand they have died to sin and now belong to God, or they have not died to sin and are still their own to live as they please.
A high ranking military leader once told me that he was baptized “just because he did not want to take any chances.” It was not a matter of belief in the authority of Christ, but a matter of personal judgment and even his judgment was unsettled. (This is not just a preacher’s example to make a point. This friend told me his motives.) I have experienced many other cases where it appeared that one was simply not “taking any chances,” but really had no concept of being “born again,” and henceforth no dedication for living for the Savior. At least one of our brotherhood’s most influential evangelists taught that the physical act baptism simply to “obey the command” was all that Jesus commanded. Many of us disagreed.
The conclusion is that when God demands certain things of those of us who indicate submission to Him, this submission must be genuine, or it is not genuine. It must not be a matter of simply not taking any chances that Jesus just “might” be what he claimed to be, but he most certainly is what he claimed to be. Is this not one of the main purposes of real Gospel Preaching? The little song that follows has much meaning to many of us:
I have decided to follow Jesus; No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow; No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me; No turning back, no turning back.
The Nature of Truth
In its very essence truth is agreement with, or conformity to, what is real. We ask then, what do we mean by being real? For purposes of our study we suggest, occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable existence, genuine and authentic. When I hear, see, taste, smell or handle something I can KNOW that it is real.
Some years back I happened to be walking across a street and saw a truck back out of a driveway into the side/front of a car that happened to be passing. In a moment I realized that the owner/driver of the truck was beginning to intimidate the elderly gentleman whose car had been hit. I walked up and handed him my business card and told him that if he had any trouble getting his car fixed to please call me. Within a few days he did, and I appeared as a “witness” to the accident. The owner of the truck had employed an attorney who claimed that the old gentleman had changed his course of travel and had hit the truck. From my vantage point I could “see” clearly the line of travel and could testify that this was not true. I will always remember the words of the judge who said, “If I did not know that we were talking about the same wreck I would think that we were talking about two different wrecks. In “truth,” I was an unbiased “witness” to something I had “seen” and “heard” and the case was decided in favor of the old gentleman. (We have become familiar with the term “hearsay” evidence that is not permitted in court trials today.)
The apostle John, one of the eleven who had received the command of the Lord to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, later wrote in his “testimony”:
1Jo 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.
We who teach and preach today did not ever see, hear or handle the body of Jesus, so we can not testify as John testified. Many dishonest teachers and preachers today lay claim to this personal interaction with the Lord, but surely it is false. Jesus did indeed make certain promises to his apostles that was to be fulfilled after his ascension. Many teachers and preachers today also claim that these promises are being fulfilled in them today, but surely these claims are false.
What then can we legitimately claim as the basis for our proclamation of the Gospel? Only one thing and one thing only! Paul tells the Romans, and it is applicable to all mankind today, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? . . . So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom 10:13,14,17).
Can a person be saved who does not believe that God is? NO! Can a person be saved who does not believe in the Scriptures that testify that God is? NO! Can a person believe the Scriptures who does not study them honestly and sincerely to find out that God is? NO!
David once stated “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. . . .” (Psa 14:1; 53:1). Wise King Solomon is later to write, “A fool takes no pleasure in understanding, but only in expressing his opinion” (Pro 18:2), and then, “The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall” (10:8), and again, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered” (28:26).
Truth is true and reality is real, in all areas and in all matters. Regrettably, some seem
to think that since they are knowledgable in one matter this qualifies them to become
authoritative in other matters. Many preachers (students of the Scriptures) seem to think
they are knowledgable in scientific matters, and perhaps more often, the reverse is true. As
a former athlete (not such a good one) I get a laugh when I see certain broadcasters and
announcers and reporters who never played athletics on the level which they now report,
seem to know exactly how everything should be done! Taint so! Some years ago I saw a
series of lessons on raising children authored by a young man who had no children. This is
one good reason why one of the qualifications for selecting and appointing overseers
(shepherds) stated that a man must be married, and the husband of one wife, and have
children. (See 1Ti 3; Eph 5; Col 3; etc.)
I have heard certain individuals referred to as “very intelligent.” I’ve seen numerous instances where a person was indeed “very intelligent” in his exclusive field of endeavor, and rather unintelligent in several other areas. It is sad that in matters of marriage, family and parenting, the failure rate seems higher than among the common ordinary ones of us.
When we speak of matters of eternal life, and knowing God, we refer to those teachings which are clearly enunciated by Him who can determine the standard by which we can know we are accepted. There is a lot of “God talk” whereby certain ones claim to know God and are known by Him, which are the creation of false teachings and foolish imaginations. My judgment is that there will be a judgment day surprise when man who has followed his own fantasies and fulfilled his own desires will meet the Lord face to face and be subjected to reality. (See Mat 7:21-23)
By my judgment we are today living in the most immoral period of the last several generations. (We highly recommend a book by Judge Robert H. Bork entitled “Slouching Towards Gomorrah.” It will not be enjoyable reading because it addresses the dark side of our great United States Of America.)
By moral truths we refer to those teachings which are in exact harmony with the ethical or moral values which have been established by proper authority. We emphasize here, “by proper authority.” What is permissible conduct for one may not be considered permissible conduct by another. My children were never permitted to dress like, or participate in, many of the activities commonly engaged in by their peers. This was not always a pleasant restriction, but parents, not peer group culture, was the binding authority.
This past week the Nashville Tennessean ran an article where a state representative was driving while intoxicated, tried to outrun the police, was caught and judged. He went before his fellow Representative and “apologized.” One fellow Representative was quoted by the Tennessean as saying that he did not accept the apology for there was nothing he needed to apologize for, for said he, “all of us in this group have – and here he lists three unacceptable acts, one being adultrey – and there is no need for apology.” I wrote him and called his statement “disgusting!”
Our interest is in understanding the moral standard as laid down by the ultimate authority, the Lord God, who created man and who alone has the right to legislate matters of morality, binding upon all men!
Our relationship to God through Christ is not based upon opinions, but upon belief of facts. The Good News, or gospel is composed of facts related to a person whose entrance into and exit from the material universe brought reconciliation and hope to lost mankind. These facts are seven in number, embracing the life, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, coronation and glorification of the only begotten Son of God. All of these facts are substantiated by the testimony of witnesses, the first by men chosen and sent into the world, and the last two by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.
The gospel was proclaimed in its absolute fullness on the first Pentecost after his resurrection, and those who accepted its demands obeyed it fully that day. Not one word can be legitimately to that preached at that time. Today the “catchword” is change; we need to change. One of the most insulting statements I’ve heard in years was by a “Christian” University professor who said essentially that if we are not willing to chance with the times we’ll “just have to get over it.” Yes, we need to change and go backward to the morality demonstrated by the demands of the Gospel as first preached, but never, never, never change the facts laid out by the apostles or the morals delineated by the Lord as writen and spoken by the Holy Spirit directed apostles. Adding to this, or denigrating (“getting over it”) the principles authorized by Christ, is soul damming. was ever added to the gospel. Nothing ever spoken or written after that date became or becomes a part of the gospel, although many letters were written to those who had accepted the good news. The gospel is the saving truth of God, and since it is an account of what God has done for us and is historical fact, it can and must be believed to come into the state of reconciliation or salvation from sin.
By my judgment never has God demonstrated in greater measure that divine wisdom than in his provision for the saving of the human race. If it had been made contingent upon attaining a certain level of knowledge of abstract truth, only the intellectually elite could have attained unto it – and they would not have had agreement! (Was not this the Roman Catholic method of controlling the masses for centures?) The huge mass of mankind would have been doomed to destruction by an imbecility they could not help. As it is, the humblest country bumpkin can hear the story of how Jesus came to earth, lived, died and rose again, and can be saved through faith. Thank You Lord!
It is the tragedy of the ages that men have taken these simple truths of the Gospel and formed them into creeds, defining and re-defining them, and creating a "system of faith," which can only serve to confuse, and which, instead of producing joyful acceptance, has contributed to endless debate and strife. In God's plan there is but one fact which must be believed and one act which must be performed, to bring one into that glorious fellowship of the redeemed. That fact is that Jesus of Nazareth is the Son of God, and that act is immersion into Christ, with the reconciliation vitally necessary for the forgiveness of sin an the hope of Life Etenal. (Joh 17:1-3)
Every person on this whole wide earth who has believed on Jesus, and is now “in Christ” (see article “In Christ) is a member of that one body (Eph 4:4), and possesses that one spirit, and a fellow-member with all other members. Only God can un-member these, and only God can un-brother any of the brotherhood with just cause. He is a child of God, a member of the one body, a citizen of the kingdom, and a living stone in the temple. He may be quite ignorant of many things, including the how and when of God's forgiveness, as well as the truths upon which he will grow and thrive, but if he trusts in the righteousness of Jesus to deliver him, and is baptized to fulfill God's righteousness, he is God's child. God wants to accept all who come to him. He does not throw up intellectual barbed-wire entanglements through which one must work his way into freedom, as would some of the more aggressive children who feel obligated to guard the glory road and repel all who may be more ignorant (about some things) than themselves.
It is unthinkable that God intended to reveal all truth to man. It was probably not his intention to reveal any truth to man which man was capable of discovering by his own ability. It was probably what “eye could not see and ear could not hear, and what could not have entered into the heart of man” (1Co 2:9) that God has revealed through the Spirit. The Sacred New Covenant Scriptures are not a textbook discovered by man’s ingenuity or inventiveness, as could be said of scientific, mathematical, or even some moral truths. Their simple purpose is to reveal the truth concerning God's reconciling move into an alienated world, motivated by the dynamic of love, and culminating in a restoration to wholeness of every sinful being who comes to trust in this divine thrust as his only hope of extrication from the impending doom wrought by sin.
The word of God is true! It is unquestionably and undeniably so, being an expression of one who cannot lie, because of his nature, which is grounded in verity, without a shadow of change or variation. The word of God is truth, but not all truth is the word of God, from the standpoint of having been given by revelation. Truth is not contradictory, so those truths discovered in the laboratory or by exploration of the physical universe, are not in dispute to the truth which God has spoken.
ENDNOTES: