November 25, 2022 -- Proverbs 12:17 -- Living honestly in Jesus' grace

People loved by the Father, in the Spirit's power: Sh'ma ~ hear and obey Jesus!

Whoever speaks the truth gives honest evidence, but a false witness utters deceit.
Proverbs 12:17 ESV

Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
Ephesians 4:28 ESV

Honesty versus deceit. The one who is deceitful first must lie to himself, imagining himself hidden from the eyes of the LORD. The deceitful one having broken out against the clear evidence the God of all wisdom and power sees everything, then continues in his wayward practice of altering facts to make himself look better. The lines between reality and fantasy become blurred until he himself is so caught up in his lies that he cannot distinguish what is true and what is false.

The one who is honest has been confronted with the wisdom and power of the Living God. The one who has encountered Jesus Christ has met Him Who is Truth and Life and all the lies of his life and his guilt are exposed to him. Jesus’ work at the cross disarms the lies of the enemy, the lies of the world and the lies of one’s own inner self. As those set free from dishonesty and deceit, the Christian then lives in the power of the Spirit, striving to be honest, even when it hurts. The Christian is Spirit empowered to make amends, restoring what was stolen.

It is tempting to think the quotation from Proverbs is only suitable for courtrooms. One forgets all of life is lived before the Face of God. He sees all that His people do. It speaks volumes to God, all that believers leave undone. The Christian’s honest living is meant to bear witness to the people around him, and show the world, the Truth of Jesus. The Christian's honest living is meant to give glory to God and please His Father-heart.

O LORD, we acknowledge Thy dominion over us; our life, our death, our soul and body, all belong to Thee. Oh, grant that we may willingly consecrate them all to Thee, and use them in Thy service. Let us walk before Thee in childlike simplicity, steadfast in prayer; looking ever unto Thee, that whatsoever we do or abstain from we may in all things follow the least indications of Thy will. Become Lord of our hearts and spirit; that the whole inner man may be brought under Thy rule, and that Thy life of love and righteousness may pervade all our thoughts and energies and the very ground of our souls; that we may be wholly filled with it. Come, O Lord and King, enter into our hearts, and live and reign there for ever and ever. O faithful Lord, teach us to trust Thee for life and death, and to take Thee for our All in All. Amen.
Gerhard Tersteegen, 1731

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