The Voice of Truth

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Today, after having a nice conversation with a friend. I was researching  a topic and came across an article about a well- known (to some) preacher who’s health is failing.  The article was old, but filled mostly with accounts of this man’s false witness and questioning of his character.  I honestly was a little surprised because I had no idea that so many people felt this way about him, mainly because I haven’t kept up with him, or bothered to question what other’s thought of him.  It reminded me that there is plenty I don’t know, plenty I am unsure of and that no man or woman has a monopoly on the truth – but there is One who IS the Truth and who will lead me into all Truth.   

John 16:13 “However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth.  For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come.” 

I think discerning the truth about a matter is critical especially this day and age and especially when it comes to the things of God. 

Mankind has been distracted, deceived, swayed and swung left and right by every wind of doctrine.  This is even more evident and prevalent thanks to social media, hybrid pseudo religious movements, theologies and modern day “prophets”.  (I say that with some sarcasm).  

We should learn to discern the difference between the gospel and gossip, propaganda and purity, truth from tall tales.  But yet, few want to know it, few search for it, few long for it, few realize they are bound by lies and deception and find comfort in what is familiar, what is tradition, what others have taught them regardless of the manmade credentials that follow their name – generation after generation have been taught lies and many defend these lies with their lives, as truth.  Today’s truth for many, come by way of a cute meme, or some saying posted and reposted, exponentially multiplied across the world wide web making lifelong slaves of ignorant people to deception, so much so I believe it has become part of the mass DNA.  Websters defines ignorant:  destitute of knowledge or education; lacking knowledge or comprehension of the thing specified.  Resulting from or showing a lack of knowledge of intelligence.  It comes from the root word “Ignore”… i.e. in this case, to ignore the Truth. So if you are ignorant of a matter, you have purposefully ignored to know the truth of it.  Ignorance is not an excuse, it’s a confession. 

John 10:27-28 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand”.

What is the “voice”… of God?  When we think of voice we typically think of sound, dialect, accent, language.  But we know the “voice” of God is the voice of “truth” which can be found in His Holy Word and we also know that the “Spirit of Truth” comes to live within us when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.   The Spirit of Truth will attest to the Truth i.e. bear witness, when we hear it and receive it. 

So how then are we to discern fact from fiction if we don’t know the voice of the One who is the Truth, the Spirit of Truth?  We can’t.  The voice is the essence, regardless of its dialect or language.  When you hear the truth, if the Spirit of Truth lives within you, and you pray and ask for discernment  - you will know it, His spirit within will bear witness and it will literally be written upon your heart. 

The voice can be found in His Word.  It is alive, His Word is His voice.  If we are strangers to His Word, then His voice will not be discernable among the multitude of voices spewing false testimony and doctrines of demons no matter how pretty, how handsome, how educated, how well appointed and liked they may be.  No matter how long the story has been told, the tradition upheld or the fierce determination with which it is delivered and disseminated.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.  And no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.  Their end will correspond to their actions…”

If what we are hearing, giving an ear to, does not correspond with His Word/His Voice, then its another gospel, another god, another deceiving spirit. 

1 John 4:1 Beloved do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.  For many false prophets have gone out in the world. 

Jeremiah 23:16  This is what the Lord of Hosts says:  “Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.  They are filling you with false hopes.  They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord”.

How do you hear the Voice of God – read and study His Word.  There is no other way, there is no compromise, there is no substitute.  In the multitude of voices we hear, which ones are speaking the Truth?  What is your source of Truth, what is the golden standard of Truth for you? 

John 14:5-7 “Lord”, said Thomas, “we do not know where You are going, so how can we know the way?”  Jesus answered, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me.  If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well.  From now on you do know Him and have seen Him.”