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Combating the Lie
How Much Truth do You Want?

“But an hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers. Elohim is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Yochanan (John) 4:23-24

If we are not worshipping the Father in truth, are we, in fact, worshipping the Father?  Many know how to worship in the spirit, but do they know how to worship the Father in the spirit and in truth?  Yeshua taught that both are required, not one or the other.  If we make the mistake of only seeking to do one to the exclusion of the other, then what we will end up worshipping is something of our own making, rather than our heavenly Father.

There is a difference between not knowing the truth and willful ignorance.  When a seeker of truth reaches a plateau, he is often tempted to become satisfied with how much truth he knows, and he may actually shut the door to any further revelation of the truth coming to him personally from YHWH.  This may even happen to one unknowingly if he is not aware of these plateaus.  This can cause one to stagnate, and if left unchecked and not repented of, then death can and most likely will ensue. 

One cause of the stopping of seeking truth may be due in part to having a pet doctrine and being unwilling to allow the truth of Scripture to measure this doctrine in order to have one’s doctrine conform to Scripture.  This can be caused by being taught by someone who is respected, and so what that teacher says is not quite so thoroughly checked against Scripture.  It could also be a result of early indoctrination into that particular doctrine.  It can even be caused by being a part of a group in which the doctrine is generally accepted; and it is expected that anyone belonging to that group accepts that doctrine.  As a result, that person puts himself into a very precarious position, and unless that person repents, he will cease to worship the Father in truth.  Thus, what happens is that he begins worshipping an image made according to his own likeness.  Scripture calls that idolatry and it is soundly condemned by YHWH. 

When that happens or something like it, then truth has fled and the lie takes root.  But the question is: what is the lie?  Understanding what the lie is, is essential to being able to discard it so one may walk in all of His truth.  The lie is so prevalent today, even in Christianity, that it will be difficult for some to grasp it and throw it out of his life.

The Lie

From where does the lie come?  What is the lie?  How does the lie affect me in my walk?

Romiyah (Romans) 1:25
For they exchanged the truth of Elohim for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, Who is blessed forever, Amein.

There are four places in the Brit Chadasha that the phrase “the lie” occurs as found in the original languages.  It is not always properly translated into English by many translators.  We will examine each passage where this phrase occurs.  The one above indicates that when a person gives up the truth of YHWH it is exchanged for "the lie."  What this indicates to us is that each person must have one or the other.  Each person must either have the truth of YHWH or else he will have the lie.  Be warned, it is much easier to have the lie than to have His truth.

Part and parcel of the lie is wrong worship.  Instead of worshipping YHWH the Creator, the person who takes up the lie is choosing to worship the creature (self) who has exchanged the truth for the lie.

The information that we can glean from this passage is that one will either be moving towards the lie (which is moving away from YHWH) or he will be moving towards the truth of our Creator YHWH, which is moving away from the lie.

Yochanan (John) 8:44
You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father.  He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him.  Whenever he speaks the lie, he speaks from his own nature; for he is a liar, and the father of the lie.

Yeshua gives us several bits of vital information here in this passage.  First, take notice, that in the devil, Satan, there is no truth.  Also, it is this creature, the devil, who is the originator of “the lie.”  Furthermore, the lie comes forth from the very nature of Satan.  What we can infer from this is that one who accepts and follows the lie, will accept it into his own nature as well.  I cannot imagine any way in which having a nature akin to the devil is something that is good!  Can you?

It is important to note that in each of these four passages the definite article (“the”) precedes the word “lie.”  It is not “a lie” that is being referenced in these passages, but rather it is “the lie” that is being spoken of, and we dearly need to understand just exactly what this lie is, in order to properly guard against it.  For here is the truth in this matter:  for one willfully not to choose the truth, one by acquiescence chooses the lie.  Following the lie is the default choice.

Ephsiyah (Ephesians) 4:25-27
Therefore, laying aside the lie, speak truth, each one with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.  Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.

What we say to and about another is of vital importance.  Being members of the same body, when one member rails against another member of His body, he is really railing against himself.  For when one member hurts, all members hurt and suffer with that member.

Here we are commanded to put away the lie; i.e., we are commanded not to speak the lie, nor teach or present the lie as truth.  Rather, we are to speak the truth to one another; i.e., tell and teach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  It should go without saying that speaking the truth cannot truly be done unless it is done in and with love for YHWH and for His people.

How is the devil given opportunities in our lives?  Certainly one of the main ways is when we speak the lie rather than speaking the truth.  When a person propagates the lie, it opens the door to Satan to be able to further the works of the flesh in people’s lives.

Here a very subtle, yet important distinction needs to be brought forth.  Notice we are commanded to speak the truth to one another; we are not commanded to speak facts to one another.
 
But what is the difference between truth and the facts, you ask?
 
Simply put - truth is eternal; facts change.

Truth is Eternal; Facts Change

Yochanan (John) 14:6 
Yeshua says to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by Me.”

Yeshua said that He was the truth.  Since Yeshua is eternal, that makes truth eternal.  Of course, truth is also Torah, which is also eternal, as Yeshua is the Torah made flesh.  Yeshua, truth, and Torah are intimately linked to one another.

Facts are another matter altogether.  Consider the fact that right now you are presently reading this article.  Later on you will not be reading this article.  That is also a fact.  Nor will you be reading this article for all eternity, because the fact that you are now reading this article will change.  That is a fact!

Facts are contrasted with truth because facts, even true facts, are ever changing.  What is a fact today may not be a fact tomorrow.  And the facts of tomorrow may not be facts in eternity.  Truth, on the other hand, does not change.  Truth is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  While facts can and should be true, this does not make them unchanging.

Ephesians 5:19 
Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to YHWH.

Shaul expounds on what it means to speak the truth; i.e., psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.  These things are truth; they originate in Scripture, which is His written Word.  However, when a person spends all his time speaking of sports and sporting facts, or movies, or some other such trivia (which all can be factual), where is the eternal value in that?  Just how is the hearer admonished to live a set-apart life?

But when we speak the truth, Scripture teaches us that it will not return to the heavenly Father without bearing fruit.

Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 11:1
Cast your bread upon the waters; for you shall find it after many days.

Let us all freely give His bread, the bread of life, to all men!  His bread is truth.

Yochanan (John) 16:8 
“And He, when He is come, will convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.”

In addition to this, when we speak truth, this action gives opportunity for the Set-apart Spirit to work in the life of the hearer.  However, if we do not speak words that have eternal value in them, how can those who hear us speak be edified and admonished? 

Tesloniqyah Bet (2nd Thessalonians) 2:11
And with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.  And for this reason YHWH will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe the lie, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

It is not within the scope of this article to define what the "deluding influence" is.  Please take careful note as to the source of this deluding influence.  It is YHWH Himself.  If that does not make us sit up and take notice, then one is spiritually dead, and already under the influence of this deluding force.  What does this deluding influence do?  It causes those who have not received the love of the truth to accept the lie and to be judged accordingly.

How can one be sure that he has received the love of the truth?  After all, according to the above passage this seems to be something on which we dare not miss the boat!

Ma’aseh (Acts) 17:10-11
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Shaul and Silas by night to Berea; who when they had arrived there went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.

When a person has received the love of the truth, there are several characteristics that stand out about that person.  First, he will have the mindset of a Berean.  He will take no one’s word for it, but rather check it out for himself and use Scripture as his rule of measure.

2nd Timothy 2:15 
Give diligence to present yourself approved to Elohim, a workman that needs not be ashamed, handling rightly the word of truth.

The second characteristic of a person who has received a love of the truth, is that he is consistently studying Scripture to show himself approved.  He also handles the Written Word of YHWH rightly and with care.   

Yochanan (John) 13:17 
“If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”

The third characteristic of a person who has received a love of the truth, is that when a new truth has been revealed to him and he has done the work of proving it to be truth, he immediately will restructure his life to the new truth, and he will reorder his thinking and his living to this new understanding.

A person who has not received this love of the truth is not saved, nor will he restructure his life to any new truth learned.  Oftentimes one who has not received a love of His truth will make comments such as: “Well, I just don’t believe that.”  Or something like: “That’s not what we believe where I attend.”  You see, many people who have not received the love of His truth are very religious.  Religious people generally have not received a love of His truth because they generally are following man or man-made religion rather than following YHWH.  The truth is that each person is personally accountable for the truth that YHWH reveals to him.  He cannot and should not try to shift the responsibility to someone else.

So Just what is the Lie?

B’reshit 3:5
"For Elohim knows that in the day you eat from it (i.e., the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like Elohim, knowing good and evil."

These are the recorded words of Satan to Chavah (Eve).  Notice that Satan is telling Chavah that if she were to eat of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, she would then become like Elohim.  She would change from what she was, into a being just like what her Creator is.

There are two things to consider concerning this false claim by the enemy of the Kingdom.  First, the false idea of evolution is present; i.e., "you will be" or "become" something better than you were before by doing evil.  The idea of doing evil to become righteous is a false idea, but very present in our world today.  It often rears its ugly head in the form of “the end justifies the means,” which is simply not true.

Second, since you will be like Elohim, you will not need to worship Him, because you will be able to worship yourself.  This is idolatry.  These two points are the basis of all evolutionistic teachings, in that, all such teachings have as a basis that man is getting better and better and that he rules himself and no one greater than man exists.  Therefore, man can and should only worship himself.

One of the essential problems with the lie from Satan is that man was created in the image of Elohim.  Man was already like Elohim being created in His image!  Doing evil (sin) made him like Satan and made him less like Elohim, not more like Elohim.  One of the tasks of Mashiach Yeshua was to put in place a means to restore the image of man’s Creator in man.

YeshaYahu (Isaiah) 14:12-14
“How you have fallen from heaven, Heylel, son of the dawn.  You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations!  But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of Elohim, and I will sit on the mount of the assembly in the recesses of the north.  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ ”

It is generally believed that this passage is speaking of Satan and his fall from grace. Notice that five times he declares his own will, with the fifth "I will" being a very prideful boast.  This is self exaltation at its worst.  This is the lie being acted out.  This is the lie bearing its evil fruit.  In this case, Satan himself bought into his own lie and he believed the lie and was damned as a result.

Yechezkel (Ezekiel) 28:2, 9
“Son of man, say to the prince of Tyre, ‘Thus says YHWH Elohim, "Because your heart is lifted up and you have said, ‘I am Elohim, I sit in the seat of Elohim, in the heart of the seas’; yet you are a man and not Elohim, although you make your heart like the heart of Elohim.
Will you still say, ‘I am Elohim’ in the presence of your slayer, although you are a man and not Elohim, in the hands of those who wound you?” ’ ”

Here Satan is claiming equality with YHWH.  Yet YHWH states that he is only a man; i.e., he is created.  Here we see the true nature of the one who opposes Elohim.  It is from this created being that the lie has come forth.  The lie is the essence of darkness; this type of darkness being the complete absence of truth or spiritual light and life.

When we give glory and honor to YHWH we speak truth.  The reverse is also true.  When we speak truth we give glory and honor to YHWH.  When we speak to flatter, or to build up falsely, or to rob YHWH of what is due Him, we speak the lie.  We are commanded to put these things away from us.  These things should not be seen among His people as being right and proper.

We have one of two choices before us.  We can choose to speak His truth.  Or, we can choose to speak the lie.  But make no mistake about it, everyone will be speaking one or the other, as there is no neutral ground.

Seek First His Kingdom

Matithyah (Matthew) 6:33
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you."

One aspect of loving and seeking His truth is its priority in one’s life.  Is knowing and doing (shema) the truth the highest priority in one’s life?  Or, is it just when it is convenient to do so?  It is our choice; no one will force us to seek His Kingdom above all else.  This is something that each and every one of us chooses to do or not to do every single day of our lives.

Yochanan (John) 7:17
"If any man is willing to do His will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of Elohim, or whether I speak from Myself."

These recorded words of Yeshua are so very important in making true progress in one’s spiritual life.  They are very much in the Hebrew mindset.  True understanding comes when a person is willing to do YHWH’s will before the understanding comes.  It does not matter to that person what His will is.  When one receives a commandment from Him, that person just does it.  This is the love of the truth being acted upon.

Also, the mindset of doing His commandments protects a person from being misled by anyone.  Notice that Yeshua teaches us here, that when a person is willing to do His will (that means one actually does it), then that person will know the true source of the teaching he is hearing or reading.  And if that was true about Yeshua, then certainly it must be true about anyone else who would teach Scripture to us.     

Tehillim (Psalms) 42:1-2
As the deer pants for the water brooks,
So my soul pants for Thee Elohim.  
My soul thirsts for Elohim, for the Living El;
When shall I come and appear before Elohim?

Can you imagine a deer on a hot summer day during the driest part of the year?  Water is scarce.  The deer is always on the lookout for water.  Without it the deer will die.  Does your soul seek after YHWH in this fashion, knowing that if you do not find Him you will die?  For, He is the living water.

Matithyah (Matthew) 16:24-26
24 Then Yeshua said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  
25 For whoever desires to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it.
26 For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

How much truth one wants can be measured by how much one is willing to give up in order to get that truth.  If one truly wants to know His truth then he will be prepared to deny himself.  That is what it is going to take.  Anything less will get us something other than the truth.  You see, it really is all or nothing.  So which do we want:  the truth, or the lie?

Luqa (Luke) 9:62
But Yeshua said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of Elohim."

When plowing, one must keep his eyes forward to be able to plow straight furrows.  And since we are supposed to walk the straight and narrow, it behooves us to keep our eyes forward, looking to the Author and Perfecter of our faith, so we do not veer off the path and fall into sin.

Consider Lot’s wife; she went forth to be saved.  Yet she had in her heart, a longing for what she was leaving behind.  As a result of this longing she looked back, in direct violation of the command not to look back.  Here Yeshua is teaching us the same principle.  Once we begin pursuing the Kingdom, all the things of this present world should be behind us and we should not look back and long for those things.  If we do, we are not going to be a part of His Kingdom for very long.  What is more important to us, His truth and Kingdom, or the things of this world?

Ivrim (Hebrews) 12:1-2
1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
2 fixing our eyes on Yeshua, the Author and Perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim.

Notice that this passage is written to the believers and passed down to us today, to all believers in every age.  So just what is "the sin" that entangles everyone, everywhere, in all ages?  Previously we have looked at Scripture in which we are commanded to deny ourselves.  Consider that the one thing that is common to all of mankind is that all of mankind has an ego, a self.  And that self is sinful.  And what entangles a person more than one’s self raising its sinful head and trying to assert authority and sovereignty in one’s life? 

If one truly desires to walk in all the truth available, then the sinful self will have to be placed under the authority of Yeshua, forgiven and cleansed of all unrighteousness.  And even then that sinful self will, at the least expected times, attempt to raise its ugly head, again and again.  As this happens, one needs to be on the alert at all times to guard against this and not allow this to happen, lest one end up walking in the flesh rather than in the spirit.

Qorintyah Aleph (First Corinthians) 15:31
I die daily

If Shaul needed to die daily to his self-will, should we do any less?  Can we do less and still walk in the fullness of the Kingdom?  Can we do less and have a love of His truth?

Luqa 8:18
"Therefore take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him shall more be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him."

Here again is another allusion to the all-or-nothing concept of the Kingdom.  If we hope to keep what we have already been given then we had better be seeking to get more of the Kingdom; i.e., knowing and obeying more truth.  If we don’t, then the little that we think that we possess will be taken away from us.  We only think we have it, because if we truly did possess it, we would deny our selfish ambitions and desires and work to build His Kingdom in our lives and in the lives of others.

Ivrim (Hebrews) 3:12-19
12 Take care, brethren, lest there should be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart, in falling away from the Living Elohim.
13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is called "Today," lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we have become partakers of Mashiach, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end;
15 while it is said, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as when they provoked me."
16 For who provoked when they had heard? Indeed, did not all those who came out of Mitzrayim by Mosheh?
17 And with whom was He angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom did He swear that they should not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient?
19 And we see that they were not able to enter because of unbelief.

Today YHWH is speaking to each and every one of us.  Are we listening?  If not, why not?  Surely we do not desire to provoke Him.  If one is listening, then how can he not obey Him?

Let us advance just a few more verses to:

Ivrim (Hebrews) 4:6
Since therefore it remains for some to enter it (YHWH’s rest), and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience.

Notice the close similarity between 3:19 and 4:6.  One states that they did not enter because of unbelief and the other states that they did not enter because of disobedience.  It is important to note that the unbelief is listed before the disobedience.

The Scriptural principle is this:  unbelief begets disobedience, which in turn begets further unbelief.  This is the cycle of the hardening of the heart in the life of a person.  The only remedy for this cycle, the only way that this cycle can be broken, is by repentance and having the Blood of Mashiach applied to the heart and then walking in obedience to His commandments.

Today is the only day available not to harden our hearts.  Today is the only day of salvation.

Qorintyah Bet (Second Corinthians) 6:1-2
And working together, we also urge you not to receive the grace of Elohim in vain -- for He says,
"At the acceptable time I listened to you,
and on the day of Salvation I helped you;
behold, now is the acceptable time,
behold, now is the day of Salvation."

In the economy of YHWH’s Kingdom, today is the day of salvation.  There are no guarantees there will be a tomorrow for us in this physical life.   We do not want to harden our hearts against Him or against His truth.  We need to seek to know Him today with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength.

How much truth do you want?

Is keeping Shabbat enough truth?

How about the festivals; is that enough?

What about keeping Rosh Chodesh; is that enough?

What about keeping the Scriptural food Laws; is that enough?

What about keeping family purity Torah (the Laws of Niddah)?

Is keeping the two greatest commandments enough for you?

Or, is maybe keeping the ten words (commandments) enough for you?

Is keeping all 613 commandments (by rabbinical count) enough for you?

What about the rest of the Tanak (“Old” Covenant) and the Brit?

What about His daily leadings and direction; i.e., hearing and obeying His Voice?

Where will you draw the line in knowing and obeying the truth?

Qorintyah Aleph (1st Corinthians) 9:24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.

Won’t you listen to the Set-apart Spirit today, as the Teacher of all truth, and obey with your whole heart?  May the Set-apart Spirit guide you into all truth to the glory and honor of YHWH!

Amein & Amein

Zerubbabel ben Emunah
www.onetorahforall.com
zerubbabel@onetorahforall.com

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