Truth on the Inside

If Satan is engrossed in spewing out deception as a means of subverting God's plan and destroying His elect, God is engaged in transforming His people from the inside out with truth. The Incarnation is the Truth of God becoming a human being and living in complete integrity, even though it cost Him His life. A Christian is a person whose eyes have been opened through revelation to understanding that Jesus is God's Truth, who believes this in his heart and confesses it with his mouth, and submits to the lifelong process of inner transformation by the Holy Spirit. Being a disciple means being committed to living according to truth.

We are born into this world, just as Jacob was, as little deceivers and sinners. Deception is so deeply ingrained in the human race that it takes an act of God to change us. We must be reborn in the spirit and transformed in our thinking through repentance so so that our lives can become conformed to truth.

God chose give Jacob a name that exposed his lack of integrity. Imagine being named, "Liar" or "Dishonest". We would think poorly of any parents who gave their child such a moniker, but God is not afraid of telling it like it is. But along the way, through God's dealings, Jacob was forced to take a long hard look at his own deceptiveness. Our sin will certainly be exposed by God. Our sin will eventually paint us into a corner from which there is no way out except by engaging in a wrestling match with Truth. Jacob wrestled with the angel at the river Jabok, and Truth prevailed in his life. The result is that Jacob became a prince with God and a great man in God's kingdom. The only way we can properly relate to God is through the avenue of repentance, which is the process by which we reject the Lie and embrace the Truth. To repent means "to change the mind" in Greek. It is when a person admits she is wrong and God is right. It is when we reject deception and become honest with God, ourselves and one another. It is the opposite of hypocrisy, which is when we pretend to be something we are not in order to look good to others and hide from the consequences of our sin.

One of the scariest things any person can do is become honest. That is why people become so angry when their sin is exposed. People usually go into cover-up mode to keep damage to a minimum. Friendships can be lost by being honest. That is why King David's response to the prophet was so refreshing. When Nathan declared, "You are the man!", David said, "I have sinned!" How rare is that? How many times have you seen a top ruler openly admit a transgression? Deception is so rampant in society that honesty is a rare commodity; but, in the church it is supposed to be the norm. Politics survives and thrives on lies. Hollywood is built on the product it presents, not on reality at all. Some of the biggest blockbuster movies depend on special effects to transport the viewer into a surreal world where God does not exist and sin often has no consequences. But life is not like that at all. Life brings us face to face with God's truth. We will either surrender to it or be destroyed by it. There is no escaping a confrontation with the God of truth.

A life of deception will always lead us into a dead-end alley from which there no escape except by confronting our sin and accepting truth. Jacob was forced into a confrontation with his older brother Esau, something he had avoided for years. He was deathly afraid of what Esau would do to him because he had tricked his brother years before and taken his blessing and birthright. God forced him to confront his fears, and by so doing, to confront his own deceptiveness. The result was that Jacob was overcame his fears and gained a new status with his brother and God. He no longer had to skulk about in fear, but could walk in complete boldness.

When we make the choice to live in truth, we will have to confront the fears we have about being honest with God, ourselves and others. But the result will be that we will be transformed from the inside out. That is what God wants. That is what he is doing in your life. Let 2010 be your coming out year. Let the world see who you really are - a sinner saved by grace, not a hypocrite trying hard to look good. In a world that is so full of darkness because most are hiding what they are really thinking and doing, what would happen if God's people started shining brightly by being honest and upright people?

Let us accept God's refining process by which he delivers us from inner deception. Satan accused Job of merely serving God because he was so blessed. If we look deep inside, could that be true of us? Are we mere fair weather friends of God who will scurry away when the blessings dry up? Are we willing for God to strip us, if need be, of the trappings of outward success in order to refine our motives for serving Him? Is there anything deep down inside you that might become angry with God if He allowed you to suffer greatly? Are we people of inner truth who do not care what comes our way as long as we can be faithful to our Savior? God desires truth in the inward parts.

Paul knew how to abound and be in want. It did not matter to him. Over the centuries, believers have had to endure terrible persecutions and even martyrdom for the sake of their testimony. Their blessings were sometimes hidden underneath a terrible disguise of suffering. But when truth reigns on the inside of us, it makes us able to penetrate through the fog and smoke of outward appearances and suffering and see the face of God smiling on His people. Like Paul, we can come to realize that suffering is a gateway to glory, rather than something to be avoided at all costs.

Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him, and we must endure and overcome by faith whatever may come our way, if we want to experience the joy of walking in truth before God. The Holy Spirit will never forsake us. The Truth will never depart from us. The Father will always love us. How can we not embrace this God of Truth with all our hearts, regardless of the consequences? It is time for the church to become resolute in its determination to be people of truth, honestly walking in integrity and repentance. It is time for us to confront our fears in order to see God's smile. We must make a choice between God's blessing and the world's approval, which is really no approval at all and certainly has no lasting reward. If you are honest, you realize that the choice has already been made for you. When you surrendered your life to Christ, you agreed to become a person of truth.