Understanding truth’s importance is not enough. We can see from our past failures that dishonesty is never worth the consequences. Instead we must build honesty into our hearts and minds by recognizing truthfulness is a foundational principle for life, and filling our minds with God’s Word. Then, we will become trustworthy, reliable people whose words are true. Visit us at: https://www.intouch.org/
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today in touch the Teaching Ministry of
Dr Charles Stanley reaching the world
with the Gospel of Jesus Christ next on
in touch building truth into your
life where does truth fit in your
personal list of essential character
qualities do you just take it for
granted for example that you’re a
truthful
person you take it for granted that
everything you say is
truthful or is truth an issue with you
and when I think about how important it
is I think often times we
Overlook how Central it is for example
when truth
loses its
particular
area of strength when it loses its
supreme position in our life
individually or in the life of a Nation
everything begins to crumble on the
inside all you have to do is to look
around and see something is happening
the truth in our land well the Bible has
a lot to say about truth and you’ll
remember in Proverbs chapter 3 and uh
one of these verses that I is one of my
favorite verses in this third verse he
says do not let kindness and Truth leave
you bind them about your neck write them
on the tablet of your heart kindness and
Truth why would he put those two
together
for the simple reason they’re very
essential in a person’s character who
they are how they respond how they
relate to other people remember Jesus
said I am the way and the truth all
truth is to be found in him he said for
example speaking of the Holy Spirit the
spirit is the spirit of
Truth and um you remember what pilate
asked Jesus when they were before the
trial pilate said to Jesus what is truth
and I believe pilot meant exactly what
he said he had no earthly idea in that
corrupt Society of Rome what truth was
really all about but it was all about
corruption and power and all the things
that were going on around them at that
particular time and on one occasion for
example in Galatians the scripture says
that the Apostle Paul had written a
letter to the Galatians and one of the
things that he was having to deal with
was the fact he said uh uh he said now
that I have written you this letter he
said you hate me because I tell you the
truth and I wonder how many pastors
could say that they tell the truth and
often times people don’t like the truth
because the truth hurts it cultivates it
digs up it reveals and so when you come
to this passage here in uh in Ephesians
that I want you to turn to if you’ll
turn to this fourth chapter of Ephesians
and uh look at this one simple command
that the Apostle Paul gives but I want
us to start with the 17 verse because
he’s describing in beginning in the 17th
verse the lifestyle that people are
living and so forth and so he says and
beginning in verse 17 of chapter 4 so
this I say and affirm together with the
Lord that you walk no longer that is
stop walking just as the unbelievers
that’s what he calls Gentiles
unbelievers also walk in the futility of
their mind being darkened in their
understanding excluded from the life of
God because of the the ignorance that’s
in them because of the hardness of their
hearts and they having become callous
have given themselves over to sensuality
for the practice of every kind of
impurity and greediness but you did not
learn Christ in this way if indeed you
have heard him and have been taught in
him just as look at this truth is in
whom in Jesus that in reference to your
formal manner of life you lay aside the
old life that is walk away from that
which is being corrupted in accordance
with the lust of Deceit and that you be
renewed in the spirit of your mind look
at this next verse and put on the new
self which in the likeness of God has
been created in righteousness and
Holiness of the truth therefore laying
aside
falsehood speak truth each one of you
with his neighbor for we we are members
of one another now I would ask you this
simple question where does truth fit
into your
life would you say I’m a truthful person
or I’d like to be truthful or I’m
truthful sometime or how how would you
say truth fit fits into your life let me
just say this it doesn’t happen it
doesn’t just happen so first of all
let’s clarify the meaning of Truth and I
put all these on the uh screen so you
can jot them down so you won’t forget
them and it’s simply this it’s listen
truth is what corresponds to what
actually is what as things really are
truth isn’t what I feel like it is truth
isn’t what I want it to be truth is what
corresponds to what absolutely is
reality and when you think about it in
that way then uh you realize that truth
is something that is very specific that
is uh true statements are those that
correspond to what is really true now
falsehood for example is a misleading
statement that is falsehood is not
telling it like it is but it’s telling
it in a way it’s it’s a
misrepresentation of the truth so we
either tell the truth or we don’t tell
the truth now some people say well I
sort to tell the truth that means you
sort of sand it off here and sift it off
here and cut it here and and by the time
you get through massaging it it may look
like the truth feel like the truth but
it’s not the truth if it’s not the truth
you suffer the consequences of telling a
falsehood now
let’s just take a few moments have a
little self-examination this just
between you and God’s nobody else’s
business but I think it’s something that
would be good for us to think about as
we think about being honest and I would
just ask you to consider these questions
do you consider yourself a truthful
person you so that’s an odd question no
would you consider yourself a truthful
person and some of you might say well
sometimes most of the
times and uh often times that’s the way
it is many people are truthful when it’s
convenient uh when it protects them they
think or when it profits them in some
fashion but truthfulness is a character
quality it isn’t just a word it’s a
character quality now there a two andf
necessity in being truthful and having
true relationships and the first one is
this that is
when we build when we build truth into
our life it’s for our
protection for example you do not want a
pastor who does not tell you the
truth now you can’t say that about
everybody because there’s some people
who deliberately willfully go to a
church where they know that it’s okay to
drink they don’t expect you to tithe you
can do this and you can do that and
especially since they will tell you that
all the Bible’s not true
now most of it is true and a lot of it
is left to personal interpretation and
therefore that gives you a lot of
freedom is that the kind of church you
want there words you want a church where
truth is not absolutely
essential if if you if you want to go to
church where truth is not the bottom
line and where the Bible is not the
ultimate expression of divine truth then
what you’re saying is I don’t really
want to know the truth I want to I want
to know the truth that I I want to know
the things that I agree with but I want
some I want some room other words I want
some Liberty that I can do some things
that uh I don’t have nobody’s going to
bring it to my
attention that’s
deadly truth is part of our
protection if I said to you that snake
is not going to bother you and it’s a
diamondback Rattler is that what you you
want me to tell you that it’s okay no
you do not truth is a protection it’s a
form of protection and God has given us
that quality in our life because he
wants it there if I know the truth I can
protect myself from error and missing
out on things that God very evident has
given us in his word and so people deny
the truth they resist the truth they
don’t want the truth and when you don’t
have truth let me ask you what do you
have to Anchor your soul when you don’t
have the truth what do you have to
Anchor you in times of difficulty and
hardship and pain when you you don’t
have the truth that God is with you what
do you have to Anchor you when you are
trying to make a
decision and you don’t know which way to
go and everything in your life hinges on
that decision it is the truth of
almighty God I will guide you with my
eye I will teach you in the way which
you should go not only that it provides
listen to this guidance to know what to
do that is if I if I if I know the truth
I will know what to do in a given
situation
secondly uh I will have wisdom to know
the best way to go because truth will
show me the best way to go in whatever
that situation may be thirdly truth
strengthens us enables us because we
have a solid firm you see it’s a
foundational part of our very being
truth is then of course truth gives us
the courage to do whatever we need to do
it motivates us and this is why when you
and I believe that Jesus J Christ is the
Son of God and he’s the only way of
Salvation it gives us courage to state
that clearly to people whether they like
it or not whether they accept it or not
it’s not the issue we’re being truthful
and many Christians today compromise
what they believe for fear of rejection
oh well you know if I were to say that
and this is what Paul meant again I said
it again he says do you hate me now
because I tell you the truth and I think
many pastors many many pastors face that
very thing they will not tell the truth
they will compromise what they really
and truly believe because they don’t
want their congregation to not like them
so you have to make a decision in life
do I want to please God or other people
listen once you settle that issue then
it’s over if people like you fine if
they don’t like you that’s that’s not
your issue it’s their issue and so it’s
a protection to be truthful is to be
protected and when you say I’m committed
to the truth of the Gospel whatever that
means you’ll make enemies from some
people
and you’ll make people who love you
forever because you told them the truth
then not only that it’s a comfort it
produces a comfort in us to Lift Us in
situations well I know this is the truth
and I have done exactly what God Said
now Lord I’m going to leave all the
consequences to you because this is what
you said I to do then of course I think
it it produces a faith in us to act on
the truth that we need that is if we’re
truthful persons there there’s a sense
of faith
in God that he is going to do what he’s
going to sustain you in living walking
and speaking the truth truth is very
very very important
then what can we expect if we fail to
build truth into our
life as we said it doesn’t just
happen I think about most people who
don’t go to
church so they’re not hearing the
truth and if you ask the average person
what is true they don’t even know where
to stand on that subject they don’t they
don’t even know how to answer that
question because they don’t know the
truth and I simply said you the truth is
a basic foundational principle of life
and that’s why one of the reasons Jesus
said I am not only just the way and the
life I am the truth all truth that
relates to anything about life is
wrapped up in the person of Jesus
because he is the answer in some form of
fashion you think think about how many
children are growing up today in homes
where there is no no
Bible nobody goes to church Sunday is a
day of recreation and God has never
mentioned what do they
know they know about money and cars and
clothes and booze and sex and all the
rest what do they know about
life or where do you find out about life
why do you where do you find out about
life and death where do you find out
about ET ET ity where do you find out
about dealing with guilt and sin where
do you find out about getting victory
over those things that destroy a
person’s life you find it from the truth
of the word of God and that’s why truth
is so very important and if you’ll think
about it listen every single one of us
who is a walking spirit filled believer
is a personification of Mo of truth that
is we know the truth and we speak the
truth we live the truth we share the
truth truth is what it’s all about you
want your children to trust you you want
to trust them you want your husband to
trust you you want to trust him and so
it’s all about truth truth is such a
foundational principle that God’s built
into us if if we don’t practice
truth we’ll never reach what God wants
us to do in life that’s where he’s
created us and Jesus said I am the truth
he is the epitome of all truth now that
all being true how do we build how do we
build truth into our life and all these
statements are on the screens and I hope
you’ll jot them down how do you build
truth into your life well first of all
you have to recognize truthfulness as a
foundation life principle that’s how
important it is foundation life
principle that’s how we start that’s the
that’s the bottom line of building truth
in your life secondly we evaluate the
results of past failures of truthfulness
and say all right I didn’t tell the
truth here I didn’t tell the truth there
here’s what happened and you look at the
consequences and you recognize the
consequences was not worth
it that was telling the truth is far
more important thirdly you accept the
Bible as the ultimate guide book The
practicing listen truth there got to be
some there’s got to be some Ultimate
Guide what’s the ultimate guide average
person would say my opinion is good as
your opinion and so why do you think you
know more than I do so that’s words you
have the privilege to think that your
way you want to think and I can think
that don’t try to pull me into your mole
and so people want to jockey it around
for example and the truth is there has
to be some ultimate final principle of
Truth and that truth is found in the
word of God and so what happens
well the way you build truth into your
life is practice telling it and watch
the
consequences practice telling it and be
careful to watch the consequences for
example I told him the
truth I felt like I was going to be
really rejected as a result of it but I
had to tell him
anyway well what were the consequences
the consequences you may have been hurt
or you may not have been but the fact is
that you told the truth freed you up
from any inhibitions you may have had
you have to be honest when you with
yourself when you fail and discover why
why did I tell him the truth why didn’t
I tell the truth and I think sometimes
often times a person doesn’t tell the
truth for fear of
rejection I wonder how many people for
example who are dating a prospective
husband or wife and they don’t tell the
truth about something because they think
oh if I tell her that she’d never marry
me or if I told him that he wouldn’t
want me well you don’t you know what it
just may be the fact that you told him
what you’d had to go through early in
life it’d be one reason he’d love you
that much more that’s something about
truth that just just covers a lot of
stuff in life and people are more often
more willing to accept truth then to
find out later and then learn to be
distrustful all the days of their life
then ask God to give you an ever
increasing desire for truthfulness Lord
just just show me how to be truthful in
every area when I hesitate God bring it
to my attention that that you can trust
me and that I can trust you with truth
whatever is going on I didn’t ify any
area of weakness uh which pops up the
most
often and uh find the scripture that
relates to
that and begin and begin to quote that
verse of scripture in your
heart there something about that’s the
cleansing power of the word of God the
truthfulness of God for example let’s
just say you’re fearful of
rejection what does God say about you he
loves you
unconditionally and so whatever the
whatever the opposite is is the way you
ought to go if you fear this then find
out what God says about it and then you
can tell the truth trusting God to work
at all the results of that then of
course fill your mind with the word of
God sewing your mind with the truth of
God’s word and what happens is it
strengthens you it encourages you it
gives you the courage to tell the truth
and you’ll find yourself becoming more
truthful more honest when the word of
God is more powerful in your life life
and then of course purpose in your heart
to be a person whose words are true
making you
trustworthy reliable and
believable is that what you want to be
if you’re not you can’t have any
relationship and a person for example
they want to be your friend they can
trust you to tell them the truth I have
friends who will tell me the truth
listen if you have a friend who will not
tell you the truth truth they’re not a
true
friend in other words watch this
carefully because it’s not the way it
looks if a friend will not tell you the
truth because they don’t want to hurt
your
feelings the truth is they don’t want to
be rejected by you if you have a true
friend they’re going to tell you the
truth they may get you by yourself and
tell you the truth they may get you on
your knees and tell you the truth they
may say let’s go to lunch this something
I I I need to share with you but truth
is the bottom line now let me ask you
this question do you know the truth
about eternal
life you see I’ve been to church and
I’ve heard all that are you sure you’ve
heard the truth I’m not sure you have so
let me just tell you what the truth is
is the truth about eternal life the
truth about eternal life is this
God recognizes the sinful condition of
mankind which is separated him from all
of
mankind his love for you caused him to
send Jesus Christ to this earth to
reveal to us who God is and what he’s
like and then to go to the Cross lay
down his life on the cross shed his
blood which paid your sin debt in
full and only by his paying your sin
debt in full can your sins be forgiven
you can’t ever be good enough how good
would you have to be can’t ever do
anything thing long enough give enough
be good enough it’s what he did for you
and the moment you’re willing to ask him
to forgive you of your sins based on
what he did he is willing to forgive you
that is the truth he says if we confess
our sins he’s faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us
from all
unrighteousness believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ that is who he is and what
he’s done and you will be saved forgiven
of your sins name written in the Lamb’s
Book of Life sealed by the holy spirit
of God that’s the truth when somebody
says well if you just be good God God
will take care of you that’s not the
truth what you have to ask is this do I
want to know the truth and when I’ve
heard the truth am I willing to abide by
the truth my responsibility is to tell
you the truth your responsibility is to
respond wisely and that’s what I trust
that you
do