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In today’s segment on how The Root Determines the Fruit, let’s discuss 10 Commandment # 9, Thou shall not lie. Exodus 20: 16 says it this way, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Duet 5: 20 also repeats this command. The positive paraphrase that expresses the behavior that helps us walk out this command is “The Truth Is All There Is To Tell.”
Now if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit, none of us tell the truth all the time. In fact God knows this, and He loves us despite this short coming. Psalm 116: 11 says, “All men are liars.” This sentiment is repeated in Titus 1:12. God’s standard for us, however, does not change, just because we fall short of it. In Rev 2:2 Jesus commends the church in Ephesus for discerning and testing and calling out those whom are liars.
So, the challenge for us believers whom are the people called by God’s name, is that we are sinners who must turn from our wicked ways for God to hear and forgive us and heal our land. We must be like the church in Ephesus and discern what we hear, and test it against God’s Word, which is the ultimate Truth, and we must call out those whom are lying to us. We also have to let the Word of God act as an effective mirror that continually shines on us; and we must be willing to admit as Isaiah did in Isaiah 6: 5 that we are “a people of unclean lips,” and in Isaiah 53:6 that “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way.” Our challenge is to be faithful to support God’s standard, even though we are tempted to fall short of it. We must dig our roots into God’s truth in order for righteous fruit to be born in our lives.
The reason Psalm 32:12 says, Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for His inheritance” is because Godly people who read, understand and know how to apply the Bible to each situation in life, are those who discern lies and also help their families, work-mates, social clubs, civic organizations, communities and nation to discern God’s truth in relation to each lie.
When I hear some Christians say, “All politicians lie” as a justification for them supporting and voting for the people, whom are lying to us, I cringe, because God is not going to bless us individually nor collectively bless us as a church, or a nation, if we do not take His Commands seriously. As Christians we have an obligation to be Watchman and watch-women who help people see God’s truth in all situations.
Living by God’s Commandments and applying them to every aspect of life, is how our nation gets blessed to be “Lifted Up In Liberty.”
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