Did He Really Say?

In order for the word of someone to have a positive effect, there is need for complete trust in their integrity. As soon as anything they’ve said can be brought into question, confidence is lost in everything else they present. For the witness, the teacher, or leader, the integrity of their word precedes any effect they might make. In court, the main strategy of cross-examination is to bring into question the character, stability and honesty of a witness. (Even though there may be no truth to the question) If they can be shown to be fallible in one area, it undermines their ability to support any case that is presented. Where the resources of the instructor’s lesson are questionable, learning anything from them is very difficult. And, the ability of a leader to influence followers to take up a cause is very much dependent on established trust in their word. For any of these, then, no matter how legitimate, impeccable and pure they may actually be, for their word to effectively persuade, it must be shown to be trustworthy.

Though God is the very definition of truth, for some reason there can still be difficulty in living according to what He has said. Driven by a desire for something that is in direct opposition His will, questions are posed as to the validity of His directive. Rather than appropriately responding to His expressed will, questioning ends up in direct rebellion to it. This is what occurred in the garden, as consideration of satan’s challenge to God’s directive was the beginning of the end for their life in paradise. It’s interesting that the only thing God had told Adam and Eve to abstain from was partaking of the ability to decide for themselves what was right or wrong. As soon as this was ingested, trust in God and His provision was no longer an option.

This question of what God actually said is the greatest challenge to both living free from the consequences of sin and entering into rest in His promises. As soon as desire for an action or fear of an outcome opens the heart to disregarding God’s Word, there is separation from His protection and provision. It sealed the fate of those who surely heard Noah’s warnings. All except for the two who failed to embrace questioning of God’s promise, the whole nation of Israel exchanged abundant provision and protection for death in the wilderness.

In a world that has chosen to completely disregard God’s directives with regard to life, equality, justice, provision and security, there is a great opportunity to shine. Rather than succumbing to overwhelming pressures, we can remain true to our Redeemer and the great price that has been paid for our loyalty to His way. Instead of joining the world in opening up to the constant barrage of fear and insecurity, we have a place provided for us right at His side where His words of life can not only replace the nonsense, but also become our uncompromised choice of adherence. Rather than ingesting the world’s claim to what is right or wrong, we can simply yield to what God has already declared to be so. Our ability to remain in the Secret Place and lead others to its protection is totally contingent upon our rejection of His Word’s questioning and living in uncompromised compliance.

Notes

Did He Really Say That?

Genesis 3:1-7 (NLT) 1 The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the LORD God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”

Begins with consideration of what is allowed.

2 “Of course we may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,” the woman replied. 3 “It’s only the fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God said, ‘You must not eat it or even touch it; if you do, you will die.’” Questioning of what is really meant. 4 “You won’t die!” the serpent replied to the woman. 5 “God knows that your eyes will be opened as soon as you eat it, and you will be like God, knowing both good and evil.”

Taking ownership of what is good and evil is awakening to a life apart from God’s truth.

6 The woman was convinced. She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious, and she wanted the wisdom it would give her. So she took some of the fruit and ate it. Then she gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it, too. 7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

The Road of Seems has a destination of death.

Proverbs 16:25 (TLB) 25 Before every man there lies a wide and pleasant road he thinks is right, but it ends in death.

Noah found grace

Genesis 6:5-8 5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7 So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

The deception of man does not negate the truth of God’s Word

2 Peter 2:4-10 4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly;

Jesus – will be like then.

Luke 17:26-36 26 And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: 27 They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; 29 but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

God’s Directives vs His Promises

God really said these things. Simple outline of godliness.

Exodus 20:1-17
1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain. 8 "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 13 "You shall not murder. 14 "You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.”

God’s definition of life that represents Him wasn’t done away with Christ, only enabled.

Matthew 5:20 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Romans 3:31 31 Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

God’s promise.

Exodus 23:23-27 23 For My Angel will go before you and bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off. 24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars. 25 "So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 26 No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days. 27 "I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.

After the report of the 10 spies caused them to turn back from the promise. Rejection of His Word – rejection of Him.

Numbers 14:11 11 Then the LORD said to Moses: "How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?

Numbers 14:30-31 30 Except for Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun, you shall by no means enter the land which I swore I would make you dwell in. 31 But your little ones, whom you said would be victims, I will bring in, and they shall know the land which you have despised.

In Christ – every promise guaranteed.

2 Corinthians 1:20-22 20 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 21 Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, 22 who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

There is promise of a rest from the fear and anxiety of the world’s frustrations.

Hebrews 3:14-15 14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, 15 while it is said: “TODAY, IF YOU WILL HEAR HIS VOICE, DO NOT HARDEN YOUR HEARTS AS IN THE REBELLION.”

Ceasing from works – letting go of any questioning of God’s Word.

Hebrews 4:9-13 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. 11 Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. 12 For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 13 And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.

A fixation on the beauty and counsel of the Lord is the life of those kept by Him, without question. When desires of the world bring into question the reality of God’s intent, steps begin to waver.

Psalms 27:4 4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.

To arrive at the truth and its intended destination, must look away from the world and any requirement of its passions.

Hebrews 12:2 (TPT) 2 We look away from the natural realm and we fasten our gaze onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

Overview:

• Trust in someone’s word is essential to following their word.

• Entertaining what seems right over what God declares to be right is a step towards His personal rejection/rebellion.

• Both the directives and the promises of God’s Word are provided for our salvation, protection, provision and eternal destination.

• To remain faithful to the truth in God’s Word – must look away from the world’s passions and find uncompromised trust in His presence.

Prayer:

“As I have come to know Your love and mercy towards me, this grace has drawn me into a relationship that is so much more valuable than anything I could ever know in the world. Help me to awaken ever more to Your truth as my passion for Your presence and counsel disables any deceptive notions from the world around me. Take me to a life fulfilled in uncompromised adherence to Your every Word.”

Action:

1. Consider areas of the heart where passions may be inhibited by what God has declared.
2. Take them to the throne of grace with a willingness to obtain help in resting from their control.
3. Allow the Spirit to reveal the truth from God’s Word in a way that rises above any other influence.
4. Declare by faith: “The Spirit of Truth abides in me and guides me into all truth.(Jn 16:13) As the Word has brought peace and joy in salvation, it is the standard that rises above any other consideration in my life. What God has said will be the meditation, correction, direction and comfort of my life.”