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For the Love of Truth By James R. Faulkner |
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For the Love of Truth By James R. Faulkner |
Introduction:
Brethren, do you love the Truth?
Should we love the truth?
Is there a reward for loving the Truth?
Is there a punishment for not loving the Truth?
As Christians, how important is it for us to love the truth?
What is Truth?
Psalm 119:142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.
Psalm 119:151 You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth.
To do away with the Law and commandments, is to do away with Truth! Now, who would want to do that?
Traditional Judaism attempts to do away with the God’s law and God’s commandments by making their own traditions and teachings more important than God’s law and commandments.
Traditional Christianity attempts to do away with God’s Law by turning Grace into license to sin. Jude 1:4 They promise liberty and teach we are free from the law. 2 Peter 2:18-22 They teach we are under grace and not under law, ever heard that? Romans 6:15 - We are not under law but under grace. Well, they are quoting scripture, but they leave out some really important details. This is a good example of really quoting a scripture but taking it out of context to make it appear to be saying the opposite of what is really being taught. That's why we need bibles in our laps and we need to look up what the speakers are saying to verify not only what is being quoted is in scripture but also being quoted correctly. Let's look up Romans 6:15 and read the entire chapter to get the context of what the apostle Paul was really teaching. Romans 6:1-23
Satan wants to do away with God’s law and God’s commandments and Satan has deceived the whole world to want to do away with it as well. Revelation 12:9 Satan even deceives you and me brethren, there are times that Satan has us believe that God’s laws are not the best way of doing things. If that were not the case then none of us would have ever sinned again after baptism. How many of us are totally without sin since baptism? Not me. To sin is to show God we don't believe his commandments are the better way, otherwise we wouldn't do it. That's what the Days of Unleavened Bread are all about, looking into our lives and seeing where we fall short and most importantly of all CHANGING when we are shown to be wrong.
John 17:17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
Now, Who would want to do away with God’s Holy Scriptures?
Traditional Judaism attempts to do away with the New Testament, claiming it to be a fraud, because they did not expect the Messiah's first coming. It's not surprising that the most of the Jews did not accept Christ as the Messiah. Think about it, what if Christ came back today like he did back then. Would we accept him as the Messiah? Probably not, and why not? We are expecting him to come back with great power and glory. He came and did things they were not expecting and the fact that they did not accept him for the Messiah is not really surprising. What is surprising is that the Jewish leaders had an innocent man killed out of envy. Matthew 27:1-10 Of course the Romans are guilty of his blood as well. Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, and yet had him flogged and killed. The Romans are just as guilty of the blood of the Messiah. Matthew 27:11-26 Excuse me, but washing your hands and delivering an innocent man to his death doesn't cut it. The Romans are just as guilty, but it was meant to be and not something we should carry a grudge about. One day the Jews will admit to their error and repent and God will forgive them. Zechariah 12:8-14 And let us not forget that the first Christians were Jews and that Jesus was a Jew and that while the Messiah was being crucified he prayed, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Traditional Christianity attempts to do away with the Old Testament, because they don’t want to obey God’s law. Matthew 7:21-23 People who claim to know Jesus and refuse to keep the commandments are liars, so says the bible. 1 John 2:1-6 Did Jesus keep the Sabbath? Yes. Did Jesus keep the Holy Days? Yes. Should Christians who claim to love Jesus be walking as he walked and keep the Sabbath and Holy Days? YES!
Satan wants to do away with ALL of the bible, because it reveals who he is and what is dastardly plans are. It shows him for the lying, murdering, thief that he truly is. John 8:44 He doesn’t want the world to know that. Satan tries to do away with the Old and New Testaments with counterfeit false religions and the unscientific lie of evolution.
Psalm 119:160 The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.
Notice this scripture states the entirety of your word is truth.
We must follow ALL of God’s word, not just the parts we like.
John 14:5-6 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 1:1-4 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
John 1:14 4And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
John 1:1717The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
Traditional Christians totally miss that last part don’t they? They say Grace alone, don’t they? Grace AND Truth came through Jesus. I already showed you that God’s laws and God’s commandments are truth and that ALL of scripture is truth. Then why doesn’t the world believe these truths?
John 18:37 37Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”
Does the world hear and head the voice of Jesus? Traditional Christians claim to, but when Jesus proclaims he is Lord of the Sabbath, do they hear him? When Jesus says that the soul can be destroyed, do they hear him? When Jesus tells his brothers to go keep the feast days and keeps them himself and tells us to follow his example, do they hear him? When Jesus says that we should pay our taxes and not leave tithing undone, do the hear him? When he says that he will be in the grave 3 days and 3 nights as a sign, do they hear him? When he states he did NOT come to do away with the Law and prophets, do the hear him?
No brethren, they do not hear and they do not believe and Jesus told us why. Why don’t they hear and understand the words of Jesus the Messiah?
John 8:43-47 43Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. 44You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. 45But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. 46Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? 47He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.”
Brethren, do WE believe the Messiah? He states that if someone does not believe his words, they are NOT of God! They don't believe the Messiah because they are NOT of God!
John 4:23-24 23But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
We must worship God in Truth, and he SEEKS such worship.
John 16:12-13 12“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
John 17:19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.
We are sanctified by the truth
I Cor 5:8 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth
What was the Apostle Paul referring to? What Feast do we keep with Unleavened Bread? Ask a traditional Christian that question and watch the blank look come on their face. They don't know, they are so FAR from the truth. I mean you gave them the answer in the question. What Feast Day do we eat Unleavened Bread? The Feast or Days of Unleavened Bread. Where do we find the command to keep this day? Leviticus 23:1-11
The Apostle Paul stated, "Let us keep the feast with truth." He didn’t say let us trash the Feast and replace it with Pagan Easter and a bunch of lies about bunnies laying eggs. He did not say replace it with the lie that Christ died on Friday and rose Sunday morning. He did NOT say the Holy Day that is clearly documented in scripture in Leviticus 23 should be replaced with a pagan sunrise service on Sunday morning. That’s NOT what the Apostle Paul said, he said
I Cor 5:8 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth
The world doesn’t believe or follow the Apostle Paul, do they? Traditional Christian’s claim to follow the New Testament, don’t’ they? Why then, don’t they follow the Apostle Paul and what he clearly taught by this scripture? And why do WE keep it brethren? Quite simply, because we LOVE the truth. God has given us the precious truth of the Holy Days and we love them and we try to keep them.
I Cor 13:4-6 4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
Do you know what the word iniquity means? It means lawlessness, that’s what it means. True LOVE does not rejoice in doing away or breaking of the law, but instead rejoices in the truth. I have already shown with scripture, that God’s law IS truth. God’s word is truth. Jesus the Messiah is truth.
Eph 4:14 – 15 14that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—16from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.
Sometimes, growing up in the truth can be difficult. About 7 years ago, we were given a new truth about reading the law at the Feast every 7th year. Deuteronomy 31:9-13 It wasn’t the easiest thing to keep. Mark Carr believed this meant we should read the entirety of the first 5 books of the bible. At first I thought maybe it just meant the 10 commandments Law or maybe even just the book of Deuteronomy. I didn't even know if it were possible to get the entire Torah reading in during the Feast of Tabernacle, since I had never been to a Feast where this had been done before. There were many people who fought it. Some thought teen classes were more important, some thought music was more important, some thought time on the beach was more important. I saw examples at our feast site where people put some of these things ahead of this precious truth God had given us. Even I was resistant initially, I wanted to be sure we didn't commit to something we were not able to keep. However, once Mark Carr showed me the schedule and I knew it was possible, I was supportive from then on. Further research in the matter shows Mark Carr was correct that all 5 books of the Law that Moses wrote should be read, not just parts of it. Joshua 8:30-35 How much of the writings of Moses, which was referred to as the Law, did Joshua read? Every single WORD. Moses wrote the first 5 books of the bible. Is it even possible to read the entire Torah at the Feast of Tabernacles? Nehemiah 8:16-18 It is possible, we know it. We know it, because we have done it and we intend to do it again this year. We are setting the example for others to follow.
You know, when God gave me the truth about the New Moon Calendar, it took me two YEARS to finally come the knowledge and start keeping it. And I'm still learning about the Calendar. It takes time. Do we give people time to come to truth? Sometimes, we need to be patient with our brothers and sisters of the faith and give them time to see new truth. We need to be loving patient examples of following the truth God gives us. Let them SEE the truth in our examples!
Eph 6:13-14 13Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,
Don’t be caught with your pants down, gird your waist with TRUTH!
2 Tim 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
I’ve witnessed this first hand. Known people who have had the wonderful truths about the Sabbath and Holy Days who traded them for the fairy tales and deceptions of Christmas and Easter and Sunday worship. It is such a sad thing to see and I find myself asking, How could it have happened?
2 Thes 2:9-12 9The coming of the lawless one is apparent in the working of Satan, who uses all power, signs, lying wonders, 10and every kind of wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion, leading them to believe what is false, 12so that all who have not believed the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness will be condemned.
How did it happen? They just didn’t love the truth did they? They loved the world and wanted so badly to be a part of the world. Well, they got their wish. Now, once again, they are part of the World. And they will be CONDEMNED with the World. That’s what this scripture says, doesn’t it?
Guess what? This is a New Testament scripture! And it’s not the only one either.
Rom 1:18 18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
Have you ever known people to suppress the truth?
Rom 1:25 25who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Have you seen people exchange the truth of God for a lie?
What’s Christmas and Easter all about anyway? What’s the lie of the trinity all about? What’s the lie of having an immortal soul? What’s the lie of doing away with the law?
Romans 2:5-9 5 But by your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 For he will render to every man according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are factious and do not obey the truth, but obey wickedness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek,
Those who do not obey the truth will be punished. They think they are getting away with it, but they are wrong. Deceived and very wrong and these New Testament scriptures say they WILL face the wrath and fury and tribulation of God Almighty!
2 Thes 2:13 13But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
How important is loving the truth? Your being chosen as a First Fruit, hinged on the fact of your belief in the truth.
As a First Fruit, my dear brothers and sisters of the faith,
Our very salvation depends upon our love of the truth!
Conclusion:
I ask again, as I asked at the beginning of this message:
Brethren, do you love the truth?