False prophets always follow the lead of the devil—both misquote and mistranslate scripture. Why? Here are three of many reasons: 1) They hate the Lord God … He is the Spirit of Truth. 2) They hate everyone who believes, speaks, receives, and lives in truth. 3) They really hate how truth burns off every one of their false words.
Truth burns off every false word received by the hearer(s)—especially off those who refuse to submit to any word from any false prophet and the angel of light. However, misquotes perpetrate false senses of deliverance to unbelievers; those submitted to ‘the misquoters’ remain bound by potential deadly results—darkness and judgment.
One of the best things to note about truth is, it burns in the moment received and wars against every false word spoken (and written); it destroys false witness reports. Truth will ridden every false word from its effective injurious penetration in the heart AND will keep a person alive as long as they submit to (and walk in) it.
False leaders ‘hold the truth in unrighteousness’ (Romans 1:18). In other words, they keep truth far away from their followers not only through lies but also the torments of suppression, restraints, and hinderances.
False leaders fight very hard to make sure none of their hearers and followers turn toward the Lord according to the scriptures—but according to the work of the angel of light who presents a ‘false god doing a new thing’ concept—those who receive the ‘false god doing a new thing’ will be trapped and held captive in the web of ‘the new thing god’ with its false words until the Lord sends His preacher, or one (or more) of His ministers of reconciliation.
If they refuse to receive the love of the truth that they might be saved, the Lord will send them strong delusion to believe a lie and be damned (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).
In Romans 1:18, the word ‘unrighteousness’ refers to (those who impede the worship of the true God by their obstinate adherence to worldliness or to idolatry).
Consider the following false statements followed by true results:
- You will not surely die (then the person died spiritually…death ripples to all men);
- You will be as gods to know good and evil (they lost authorities and positions);
- God will give His angels charge over you (then the person commits suicide);
- Live your best life now (then the person died—in hell lifted their eyes);
- You don’t need a pastor (no one can pastor self…eternal judgment);
- You don’t need to be baptized in water (and the person’s sins remain);
- You don’t need the baptism of the Holy Ghost (no life without God’s Spirit);
- You don’t need to live holy (but God commands us to be holy for He is Holy)….
…as you may have noticed, the first part of each italicized statement is false and may sound familiar; the second (parenthetical) part is a far reach for many….
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”
— Acts 17:30-31
Truth Is Light—
When the Light (Spirit) of Truth shines … falsehood (darkness) cannot comprehend (John 1:5).
Just as roaches scatter when the light is turned on, so do liars and false speakers disperse from truth when it is spoken … it burns their consciences. Our pastor talks many times about the ‘truth grenade’ and how effective it is against unbelievers. Want to clear the area of false brethren or the enemies of the cross of Christ? Throw a truth grenade in the midst. In other words, quote what God said in scripture and see how many remain after the dust settles.
Do you love truth? Do you value truth? Is the value meter of truth in your heart at the top of the scale, or below it? Do you know how much truth you value?
Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!”
—Matthew 6:21-23
Transparent Or Obscurity—
How transparent are you? It will be seen by the truth you hear, believe, receive, speak and live by. Any lie you treasure in your heart will cause obscurity and double vision against the truth; the preserved lie will render your eye doubled-sighted and potentially evil; you will not know you are in darkness. Why? There is no transparency with double vision. The more obscure the eye the more withheld truth there will be AND the cloudier the view to see or perceive anything clearly.
The precept evinced in Genesis 3. Adam and Eve did not know they were dead, spiritually. Why do we say this? They tried to cover their sin (i.e., nakedness) with fig leaves. They were naked the whole time but the sin of deception and disobedience caused their spiritual death; their eyes were open for the first time in shame to be naked, bare and exposed for their wrongdoing. The act of sin always causes one to do their best to hide and cover it up. But, those who confesseth and forsaketh sin will receive mercy from the Lord (Proverbs 28:13).
The Fiery Furnace—
Another lesson we learned many years ago is, the use of the fiery furnace—it is a natural example of what causes gold and silver to give a transparent reflection. The fire in the furnace burns away the dross from the surface to the deepest parts inside the gold and silver.
The longer the fire takes to burn away the dross, the longer the gold and silver will remain in the fiery furnace. Then, after the refiner sees their own image in the gold and silver they will remove them from the fiery furnace and place them upon a shelf alongside their other precious jewels and/or stones.
The word of truth burns and is gladly received in the hearts of all whose eye is single. For, the Lord has chosen His people in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10) AND His peculiar people are His chosen generation (1 Peter 2:9-10) … Baptism by fire.
The Heart’s True Treasure—
In Matthew 6:21, the word ‘treasure’ refers to a storehouse used to accumulate valuable property, in this case, the word of God. This storehouse is furnished to be filled with the knowledge of God—His character, authority, works, and will …and… His doctrine is the greatest treasure in the owner’s storehouse (heart). For, the fear of the Lord is their treasure (Isaiah 33:6).
The Single Eye—
Now, ‘the light of the body is the eye’ which refers to light as a lamp of knowledge that surrounds an immediate area and it (the light) is the eye (metaphorically, the eyes of the mind, the faculty of knowing). If the light of the lamp of knowledge is ‘single’ (clear, healthy, and perfect) the whole body (person) will be full of light (transparent). The phrase ‘full of light’ is defined ‘transparent’ in Matthew 6:22.
Transparency also refers to one enlightened in a spiritual sense. Case in point, those who are spiritual judgeth all things (1 Corinthians 2:15). The pure in heart are blessed because they see, that is, rightly perceive God. It is not a ‘natural eye see’ but a ‘spiritual eye see’ as Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up in Isaiah chapter 6. His view of God and the other sights were spiritual (not natural). (See: Isaiah 6).
The Evil Eye—
In Matthew 6:23, the Lord Jesus said, ‘but if thine eye be evil’ … here the word ‘evil’ means, (morally or spiritually wicked, malicious, and mischievous). In this state, the whole person is covered in darkness.
There is no lamp of the knowledge of truth to surround them because there is no light of truth in the lamp to shine in the darkness; nor is there any light of truth in the lamp to show the way out of darkness. The lamp is without knowledge because it is without the light of truth (Proverbs 19:2).
Having said that, the way of escape out of darkness to the light will come by a God-sent preacher who walks in the light as God is in the light …. Jesus started this level of the gospel work when He officially stepped into His ministry.
“…The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
—Matthew 4:16-17
About three and a half years later after His death, burial, resurrection, and forty day seminar with His disciples, He ascended into heaven to make intercession for those whom He will save to the uttermost. He appointed leaders to follow His pattern of ministry—repent, believe the gospel, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and receive the gift (baptism) of the Holy Ghost. (Hebrews 7:25; Acts 2:38).
As we continue in Matthew 6:23, the word ‘darkness’ is synonymous to things ‘difficult to understand.’ You see, without the word of God, which is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path (Psalm 119:104-105), we will not be able to distinguish the truth of the scriptures from the traditions, doctrines, and commandments of men.
We need a pastor according to God’s own heart to feed us with knowledge and understanding so we may learn to hate, renounce, and die to every false way THEN we may be found eligible to escape the things which shall come to pass and stand with the Lord Jesus in peace, and with confidence.
We need a single (that is, a clear, healthy, and perfect) eye of the knowledge of God through His pastor in order to separate ourselves from the false words (and ways) of all false leaders and speakers.
“For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”
—2 Corinthians 11:13-15
Truth Burns Within Believers—
Finally, let us take a brief look at another time when the truth burns in a good way. Luke 24:32 says, “And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?”
It was on the day of the resurrection, two men left Jerusalem to walk about eight miles to the village of Emmaus. Along the way, they talked about the cruxifixction; then Jesus walked up on them but they did not recognize Him in His resurrected state. He asked them what they talked about and one of them asked if He was the only stranger in Jerusalem not to know what things happened over the weekend?
Jesus said, what things? They told Him that Jesus of Nazareth was put to death; then this morning (the day of the resurrection) certain of His disciples found His sepulchre but did not see Him in it … Then Jesus called them ‘fools’ (as in slow of heart to believe the truth, or without understanding of the truth); He did not say it to rebuke the two men.
He expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning Himself. As they drew near the village of Emmaus, Jesus made as so He would have gone further, but they constrained Him to stay for supper. He agreed. At supper, He took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them … and their eyes were opened, and they knew Him; and He vanished out of their sight. (See: Luke 24:13-35).
Truth Draws Believers Closer To God—
The word ‘burn’ in Luke 24:32 is (metaphorically, to be greatly moved in the heart) …and… it is what the word of truth does in those who treasure it—greatly move them (in their heart) toward God but not away from Him. The movement is sparked by truth and ignited by God’s grace which teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts; but to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world among many other things….
Grace And Truth Burns—
We are bent closer to God as we give the least to no resistance when we receive His grace and truth in our hearts directly or indirectly, which burns in a good way to convict and persuade us to be to Him as pure gold, silver, or precious stones (Malachi 3:3; 1 Corinthians 3:12-13).
We delight in (and submit to) God’s truth and divine influence upon our hearts AND we love to yield to His truth and grace because through them He draws us closer to Himself.
What does the word of God do for you? Burn to draw you nearer to Him by His grace and truth, or burn to cause you to flee from His grace and truth? Think about it….
In Christ We Do Remain
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