Daily Devotion
Practicing The Truth
By: Marissa Wolf
“If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
1 John 1:6-8
Doing the Word is a huge part of a Christlike lifestyle. The Lord created the Bible for all people, not just for some. So when we do the Word, do we do the Word unto all people? Or is our doing of the Word only partial to certain people? We aren’t called to do the Word halfheartedly or to show partiality in doing the Word. (See: James 2:1-4 and Revelation 3:16).
If we only hear the Word of God, that doesn’t necessarily make us a Christian. In order to become a Christian we have to repent and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and to be hearing and doing the Word. (See: Acts 3:19). We have to be continually having fellowship with the Lord and walking in His light. We have to acknowledge that we are sinners who fall short of the glory of God. (See: Romans 3:23). If we don’t, we deceive ourselves and God’s truth isn’t in us. If we are not living out the Word, we are walking in darkness, not in light. Practicing the truth is denying the flesh every single day for the rest of our earthly lives. (See: Luke 9:23 and Galatians 2:20).
We as Believers are called to be holy, and to not do Satan’s dirty work. (See: 1 Peter 1:15-16 and Galatians 5:19-26). The world is already doing enough of Satan’s dirty work. Practicing the truth doesn’t mean to do things our own way, but rather to lay our own way down and surrender it to God so that by His strength and the leading of the Holy Spirit, we can do things God’s way. (See: Isaiah 55:8-9 and Romans 8:14). Ignoring God and doing things our own way is a sin and it means that we are walking on the wide path of destruction. (See: Matthew 7:13-14). If we want to get onto walking the narrow path, we have to die to ourselves and become crucified with Christ and be born again. (See: 2 Corinthians 5:17). God’s truth is what sets us free from sin. (See: John 8:32). God sent His Son, Jesus as a sacrifice to be the propitiation for our sins. Jesus died for every single one of us individually. (See: John 3:16-17 and 1 John 2:2).
Do we only do God’s Word in public, yet neglect to do it in private? Neglecting doing God’s Word in private can be a warning of where our hearts are really at. Sometimes it starts with just neglecting prayer. What are our intentions when we do God’s Word? If our intentions are rooted in the flesh, doing God’s Word is then done in vain, such as the Pharisees who lived holy on the outside to impress others but their hearts were far from the Truth. (See: James 1:26). We are called to do all things heartily as unto the Lord. (See: Colossians 3:23-24). How can we go around the world to share and do God’s Word and yet neglect to do that in our homes, local churches and communities of those around us? Sharing and doing God’s Word is for those both near and far! (See: Mark 16:15).
Practicing the truth and doing God’s Word is to be walking in holiness and in the light. We as Believers are to be set apart from the world and to not do things the world’s way, but to do things God’s way. (See: Romans 12:1-2). Practicing the truth and doing God’s Word is a hard task, but the right one! (See: Psalm 33:4-5). It will come with suffering, persecution, hatred, ridicule, and possibly even being martyred for your faith in Christ! (See: 2 Timothy 3:12, John 15:18-27, and Psalm 34:19). Walking down the road the Lord paved for us isn’t always going to be easy. There will be many obstacles, trials, tribulations, and temptations, and sometimes even chastisements from the Lord as the Lord disciplines those He loves. (See: John 16:33 and Hebrews 12:6-11). The world hates the Lord and His Word so when they see us following the Lord and doing His Word they in turn will also hate us as they hated the Lord first.
A part of the Christlike lifestyle is continually departing from evil and resisting the devil. We are called to “Neither give place to the devil.” as written in Ephesians 4:27. (See: Psalm 34:14-16 and James 4:7-10). This is always going to be one of the hardest parts of doing the Word. In order to depart from evil and resist the devil we mustn’t give into our fleshly desires. We can do this by submitting ourselves to God and drawing near to Him, praying on the armor of God, remembering that God makes a way of escape from temptation for us, humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord, and also taking up the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God (that’s apart of the armor of God), but we can also resist the devil’s attacks with His Word by reciting it back to the devil. Jesus shows us how to do just that in Matthew 4:1-11. (See: 1 Corinthians 10:13 and Ephesians 6:11-18).
Not one of us is perfect on this side of Heaven, we all will ultimately fall short in doing God’s Word and practicing the truth. (See: Romans 3:10). We’re all sinners and we’re all hypocrites who need a loving God who can save us. We just have to remember to have patience with each other and wait on the Lord and give each one the Lord’s grace and mercy. (See: Ephesians 4:32 and Luke 6:36).
Do you strive to be a doer of the Word? Does what we say align with what our actions are doing? Are our words and actions rooted in God’s truth? Do you extend the Lord’s grace and mercy unto others? Are you practicing the truth?
“But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”
James 1:22-25