Valiant for the Truth!

Jeremiah {9:3} 'And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.'

Not valiant for the truth.

valiant (vàl´yent) adjective
1. Possessing valor; brave.
2. Marked by or done with valor.

valor (vàl´er) noun
Courage and boldness, as in battle; bravery.

'They are NOT valiant for the truth'

They are not brave for the truth. They don't stand up for the truth. They don't have courage for the truth.

The go from evil to evil and don't know the Lord.

If they knew the Lord they'd know truth, but they don't.

They'd rather believe lies.

How can we be valiant for the truth? Perhaps in every circumstance of our lives we are not ashamed to be witnesses for Christ? Knowing the Lord is knowing love, knowing love is being loving, being loving is revealing the great plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. Wanting the truth more than we want lies is a very important thing. Lies are soothing to our ears.

Isaiah {30:9} 'That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD:
{30:10} Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits'

People saying prophesy NOT unto us right things, speak unto us SMOOTH things.

2 Timothy {4:3} 'For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
{4:4} And they shall turn away [their] ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.'

Not endure sound doctrine. Turning away their ears from truth. Listening to fables. Why do we like to listen to fables and stories rather than sound doctrine? The later bores you? Or is it more because to hear sound doctrine means being convicted of right over wrong and we don't want to be told right from wrong when we are caught up in wrong and want to continue in the wrong. We'd rather hear stories any day over sound doctrine when one convicts the conscience and the other leaves our conscience alone allowing us to feel good about our lives.

They'll heap to themselves teaches having itching ears- this after they will not endure sound doctrine. People want to listen to those who will tell them things they want to ear, not things they don't want to hear and if sound doctrine is too bothersome they'll find someone who is willing to teach lies so they can be soothed in their world of deceit.

Wouldn't we all much rather have compliments than criticism? We bask under the glow of accolades whether it's in a simple well cooked meal, a knitted shawl, a house well kept, a heart that gives. That last doesn't seem like it should be there does it? But it's true. If any one actions stem from wanting praise heaped upon them what's that saying? The glory is going towards them and not God. We can't allow our actions to stem from selfish expectations. If we fill joyful and pleased only when we receive praise we're not going to be open to the chastising of God. We're not going to want to hear the plain truth. We'll want to listen only to those willing to pat us on the back and tell us what a good job we're doing. Hearing the truth in all things isn't easy. The truth will cause convictions, it won't smooth over our wrongdoings just so we 'like' what we're hearing. The truth doesn't change. People try and change the truth and when they do, they turn it into a lie yet they believe they still have the truth.

'Will not endure sound doctrine...turn from the truth...turned unto fables'

1 Timothy {4:1} Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
{4:2} Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
{4:3} Forbidding to marry, [and commanding] to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
{4:4} For every creature of God [is] good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:
{4:5} For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.
{4:6} If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained.
{4:7} But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness.
{4:8} For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is
to come.
{4:9} This [is] a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.
{4:10} For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

Departing from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.

Remember from above- 'Will not endure sound doctrine'.

There are those who heap laws and restrictions upon walking in the way of Christ that God never intended. They worry over food, drink, whether or not a people should marry, making sure that they are worldly right rather than Godly right.

God has His laws, His commandments and Jesus didn't do away with them. Jesus showed how the Pharisees took God's laws dealing with rituals and behavior and perverted them. The Pharisees believed they were the authority of God on earth to men, and men listened to them and followed all their rules and regulations, all their strictures and confining requirements. They were taught that the more pious and such they were the closer to God they were. They were taught that by their actions they could be saved, not through the love of God, but by their own works. Jesus told them where they'd gone wrong with things, they took the love of God out of things and placed righteousness in their own hands.

Jesus taught that those who follow Him, trust in Him, accept Him, those who go and live a life in Him are those that are saved. A life of love, and loving, of fearing God rather than man, loving and thinking of others more than focusing on self, this is what Jesus taught, this is the truth.

People get so caught up in rituals and such they forget the truth.

'Some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, speaking lies and hypocrisy...'

'But refuse profane and old wives fables...'

'For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is
to come.'

Does this mean we shouldn't exercise our bodies? No. It means we should focus on God first. When we focus on ourselves first there is nothing to gain. Godliness is trusting in God and our Savior, having faith and believing in Jesus, being willing to live life as He did putting God first in all things.

Jeremiah {9:3} 'And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.'

We want to be valiant for the truth don't we?

We don't want to get all caught up in lies, in seducing spirits, in fables, in smooth words easy on the ears, easy on the conscience. We want the truth!

We need the TRUTH!

How many can just hear Jack Nicoholson shouting from the witness stand in that courtroom from the scene in the movie, 'A Few Good Men.'?

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!"

We CAN! We have to! We have to seek the truth, we have to be valiant for the truth in God, if we're not we are lost, totally and utterly lost, giving over to the evil we want to hear rather than the truth that saves to the uttermost.

Hebrews {7:25} 'Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.'

Let us come to God through Jesus Christ, let us walk in the truth, walk in Jesus. Let us seek out the truth rather than things that will ease our conscience and kill us all the while we cling to the feeling of self-right-ness. Self-right-ness, feeling happy and content, at ease with everything around us, excusing the sin, pacifying ourselves in our sins. We don't need, and should shun that feeling, rather seek out the truth and not be afraid of the chastising of the Lord, not be afraid to root out the sin that separates us from God and plead for forgiveness clinging to the only source of salvation, Jesus Christ and determining to hold fast to the truth in Him to save and to guide us from day to day into the fullness of that salvation.

All praise and glory to God!

Give us the truth! We can handle the truth! We need the truth in Jesus, our Lord and Savior now and forever!

Amen.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”- Romans 12:2