THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS OF TRUTH

" . . . If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free . . . If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John 8:31-36)

Devotion 4 of 20

OBEYING AND LOVING THE TRUTH

Obeying the truth has do with conforming our lives to the thrust of the heavenly kingdom. It involves infinitely more than doing a few things "right." The Galatians, by seeking to be justified by the Law, fell out of harmony with Divine intent. "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey THE TRUTH?" (Gal 5:7). Although they may have kept themselves from immorality, they were not obeying THE TRUTH.

Obedience, in its fuller context, has to with living by faith and walking in the Spirit. This spiritual posture addresses all of the details of individual and corporate life. Peter spoke of the effects of conforming to THE TRUTH upon our soul, the rational and emotional part of our being. "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying THE TRUTH through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently" (1 Pet 1:22).

THE TRUTH itself must be loved before salvation can be realized. It is possible to love THE TRUTH, yet be deficient in the knowledge of that truth. Such deficiency is neither willing nor preferred, and will be zealously addressed by those in Christ Jesus. "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of THE TRUTH, that they might be saved" (2 Th 2:10). A hearty appetite for "THE TRUTH" is seen in the Psalmic statement, "O, how love I Thy law, it is my meditation all the day" (Psa 119:97). It also is revealed in Paul's confession, "With my mind, I myself serve the of God" (Rom 7:25). This condition of heart is also described by the solemn warning of the Apostle. "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Th 2:12).

PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to love the truth more, and to obey it with more consistency.

-- TOMORROW: OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE TRUTH --