Let God be True

In Romans 3:4, the apostle Paul makes a profound statement about the prominence and preeminence of the Word and will of God when he writes, “Let God be true and every man a liar.” This passage reminds us that an integral part to esteeming God as the Sovereign Lord is to adamantly refuse to bow to any other word or way of thinking that contradicts the clear teaching of Scripture – regardless of its appeal. 

This principle is revealed throughout Scripture but recently stood out to me as I was reading 1 Kings 13. God sent his prophet on a mission to speak truth to King Jeroboam, who was defying the name and word of God by promoting idol worship among the people of Israel and allowing unauthorized priests to offer “strange fire” before the Lord. The prophet faithfully delivered God’s word of judgment, along with the sign from the Lord of the altar breaking in two. He interceded for the king, according to the word and will of God, and God miraculously healed the king’s hand -- which he had previously shriveled in judgment. In gratitude, the king invited the prophet to come to his home for a meal and a gift. And once again, the prophet honored the word of God and refused to take anything from the king.

All seemed well for this man of God as he left to return home on a different route, just as he was instructed. On his way home, he encountered an older prophet, who also invited him to his house for a meal. Once again, the prophet remembered the word of God and declined -- until he heard another word that had greater appeal: “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (1 Kings 13:18). The older prophet was lying, but the younger prophet chose to believe him over God’s word and went home with him. This seeming incidental change of plans did not go well for him. At dinner, he was rebuked by the Lord for defying his word and not keeping his commandments and was given a promise of judgment. On his way home he was mauled by a lion and left dead on the side of the road.

On the surface, this seems like a harsh judgment – after all the lying prophet did claim to hear from an angel of the Lord, and it’s likely the other prophet was exhausted and hungry. Yet, it’s clear that his choice was a monumental one. He was compelled by the desires of the flesh to reject the direct command of the Lord and follow a word that was more appealing. He chose to listen to, trust and follow the word of man over the word of God, which is forbidden by God, who warns that if an “angel from heaven” gives instructions against the word he is to be considered accursed (Galatians 1:8-9). 

While we do not have the behind-the-scenes details, we can discern that the Lord was testing his heart to determine if he would remain faithful to the word of God in the face of seemingly better options. Since God required righteousness and justice among King Jeroboam and Israel and judged them accordingly, the same standard was applied to his prophet -- and even more so as 1 Peter 4:17 warns, “Judgment begins with the household of God.” 

Though we do not receive new, direct revelation from God like the prophet, we experience many similar temptations to follow the word of other people instead of closely following the Lord’s word from the Word. One area of God’s Word that has been cast aside by many in the church in America, and sadly in my own life at times, is God’s final instruction to fulfill the Great Commission by going and making disciples of the nations. Like the prophet of 1 Kings, many teachers and leaders stand at the crossroads and assure believers that we can turn and go in the other direction of God’s command. 

I have personally experienced this throughout my Christian life but most intensely after I gave my life to Christ 35 years ago. From my earliest days as a follower of Christ, the Spirit etched Matthew 28 on my heart, along with his command to take up my cross and follow him. As I communicated this conviction with others, some sought to convince me that I had not heard the Word correctly, and that these passages were not actually calling for me to follow him wherever he said to go in a life altering, sacrificial way. Looking back, I believe God placed them on my path, much like he did the older prophet, to test my heart and see if I would remain faithful to his Word. There have been seasons, and some longer than others, when I have followed their counsel, sat at their table and sought to make peace with these two opposing words. During these times, I have experienced deep angst in my soul and conviction that I, like the younger prophet, was rejecting  the very Word of God by my actions. 

Thankfully, the Lord keeps bringing me back to his unchanging Word, along with the reminder that I have been rescued from the empty way of life handed down to me by my forefathers and given new life in Christ (1Peter 1:18). As his beloved daughter, my only commitment is to trusting and obeying his Word. This lifestyle, he promises, is one of sacrifice and self-denial, but is shielded by his love. It involves living in an upside-down Kingdom that is counter cultural with the world. Yet, he promises that it is the good life where true happiness, joy and peace can be found and where real purpose rises from seeking first his Kingdom and righteousness.

He’s reminding me again of the serious ramifications of choosing to exchange his Word for other words. While I may not face a sudden, tragic death like the prophet, he assures me that I will grieve his Father heart and forfeit grace that could be mine by clinging to worthless idols (Jonah 2:8). With open hands, I’m giving up my right again to receive any other word that appeals to my flesh and choosing by faith to stand firmly on the Word of God. “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Romans 3:4). 

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20).

When Manners and Mission Collide

“Nancy, won’t you have some butter?” I looked up, surprised that Granny was interested in whether or not I was going to have butter and casually gave her one of my favorite responses, “No thank you.” I had already smothered two rolls in it and planned to have some more -- just not at the moment. Unmoved by my reply, she spoke a little louder in a more serious tone that told me a lesson was coming, “Well then, why don’t you pass it so that someone else might have some?” I finally got it! She wasn’t asking me if I enjoyed the butter or even if I wanted more. She was instructing me, in a way that only a seasoned Southerner could understand, to send it to her end of the table so she could have some.

Thanks to my genteel Granny, I was given some life-saving skills to survive in my Southern habitat. I started acquiring these necessary skills at an early age by instruction, observation, repetition and, of course, my Granny’s correction. Just before graduation, I received the official guide to keep me informed on everything from phone conversations to gift giving. It was Miss Manners’ Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior, and it was my etiquette bible – one I couldn’t live without.

My childhood training not to offend began to pay off in college, where I was given even more tips from our housemother Mrs. B. Her arched brows and tilted head let us know that we were on the verge of being called out – and nobody, I mean nobody, wanted that! Thankfully by then I knew what to do when I got to the table, and I could scout out with ease the less informed – those with piled up bowls and condiments right in front of them while the rest of us sat with empty or half-filled plates. Not only that, I could peruse the most challenging dinner conversations with a gracious smile and lots of kindness. Life seemed more easily containable with manners as my guide for achieving the peace and acceptance I always dreamed of.

The problem began to emerge in my early 20’s when I started reading the Gospels and studying the life of Jesus. I began to notice two characteristics about His personality that seemed to be diametrically opposed to the world system. Worse yet, they broke the rules I’d learned most of my life and left me perplexed. While He was kind, gracious and always willing to show consideration for those who were in need, at the same time He seemed more concerned for truth and God’s honor than anything else – often saying hard words and doing things that made others uncomfortable and even angry.

As I followed Him on dusty trips from town to town, I saw Him eating with His hands and even allowing a woman to wipe perfume on His feet with her dirty hair. To top that off, He corrected the host family, instead of the woman, rather bluntly for not showing Him kindness. He didn’t just break my family’s table manners, He made comments in public that were inconceivable to my Southern mind. In Matthew 12:34, He called the religious leaders who rejected His Lordship a “brood of vipers” and “whitewashed tombs,” and in Matthew 23:24 He referred to them as “blind guides”.  

He showed extraordinary kindness to the poor and sick and even welcomed them, regardless of their background or education, to be His followers. But to those who rejected His person and work, including His own family and disciples, Jesus gave stern rebukes (Matthew 12:47-50; 16:23). He preached with such great power and wisdom that the people were in awe (Lk 4:32). But their adulation didn’t keep Him from turning over the tables in the temple on one occasion and throwing out the ones who were doing business there instead of allowing the Gentiles to worship the Lord (Matthew 21:12-13).

I tried applying principles of contextualization, assuming His behavior must have been admissible in His culture – just not mine. However, as I continued reading through other books in the New Testament, I realized there was a common thread linking the messages of all the authors. Some came from uneducated backgrounds, while others were more cultured. Regardless of their family ties or social standing, as Christ followers they declared Christ, His Word and His honor supreme over anyone and everything. This gave them courage as well as conviction to proclaim with boldness those truths that were essential, even when they were not popular.

It wasn’t that they were superhuman and enjoyed rejection. Instead, it was a decision of the will to live for Christ. In regard to speaking up and proclaiming the truth even when it meant rejection Paul said, "If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10). Peter faced similar challenges, though he gave way to fear on a couple of significant occasions. When asked if he was a follower of Christ after Jesus’ arrest, he denied it for the sake of self-protection. Later, in Galatians, Peter was still struggling with people pleasing and trying to blend in at dinner without causing any problems with the more conservative Jews. His failure to stand up for the Truth didn’t go unnoticed though, and Paul publicly rebuked him for double-mindedness (Galatians 2:11-14).

While my commitment to showing kindness to others through nice manners is as strong as ever, I have experienced a major paradigm shift when it comes to choosing pleasing people over pleasing God. After all, He is God! He makes it clear that people-pleasing is the opposite of fearing God, and we cannot be committed to both (Exodus 20:3-5). Choosing to fear and even worship people instead of God “is a snare," while those who trust in the Lord are promised they will be kept safe (Proverbs 29:25).

Jesus never excuses rudeness or cruelty but wants us to love and treat others like we want to be treated (Mark 12:31). He calls for us to speak the truth, and to do it with hearts of love (Ephesians 4:15). But instead of allowing others’ opinions to dictate what we say and do, we are to live for God’s approval, doing what we know is pleasing to Him. This decision means we will often burst out of the mold of cultural norms. We will repeatedly be faced with the choice of blending in with the crowd or living out God’s truth. At times we will need to speak out on crucial issues that guarantee we will not win everyone’s acceptance. The commitment to place God’s Word and His approval above everything else is not a diversion from loving our neighbor as ourselves. Instead, it's the only way to express authentic love and Christ-like kindness.

"On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts"(1 Thessalonians 2:4).

A Righteousness that is by Faith

Jesus had many words to say regarding the attitudes and actions of the Scribes and Pharisees, who he said, “considered themselves righteous but held others in contempt” (Luke 18:9). Through generations of life under the weight of the Law, these religious leaders had devised a man-made way to gain righteousness. Instead of expressly trying to diminish the teaching of the 613 Laws God had given them, they created additional laws to provide loopholes for themselves. These laws, which added intricate instructions for how to carry out God’s commands with additional regulations, were their way of managing sin through external transformation and setting themselves above others. While they appeared righteous on the outside with such strict conformity to rules and regulations, Jesus showed that this was exactly the opposite of their true condition (Luke 23:27-28). Through his teaching he sought to point them to their need for forgiveness, healing and mercy so that they could receive his gift of true righteousness that comes by faith.

The need for forgiveness

Their external adherence to a code of righteousness had fooled them into believing that their works were pleasing to God. Jesus came among them to show the way out of this trap and to help them see their need for forgiveness. Through the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector he painted a picture of two men who were spiritual polar opposites by zooming in on their prayers as they came before God in the temple (Luke 18:9-14). One felt confident that he was set apart from the sinners of the world through his perfect adherence to the Law, while the other was so woefully aware of his sins he could not even look up to heaven but beat his breast and pleaded for God’s mercy (Luke 18:13). Shockingly, Jesus revealed that it was not the first man but the second who “went home justified before God” (Luke 18:14). His acknowledgement of his sin and need for grace and mercy revealed a heart of humility, contrasted with the pride and arrogance of the Pharisee who “flattered himself too much to detect or hate his sin” (Psalm 36:1).

The need for spiritual healing

The Pharisees and religious leaders were deceived into thinking that their external obedience to the Law and separation from the sinner was their source of spiritual health, which was the reason they had such great contempt for others. When Jesus was at Levi’s house, enjoying dinner with his friends, they were offended by his willingness to associate with those who were considered unrighteous and unclean (Luke 5:27-31). They had, on the contrary, worked hard to establish their own set-apart system to prevent this kind of contamination and could not understand how Jesus could be considered righteous while not adhering to the same strict separation. Their accusation opened the door for more instruction as Christ assured them that it was not the healthy who needed a doctor but the sick, and that he had come to call sinners, not the righteous, to salvation (Luke 5:32). Their self-righteousness was the very thing that prevented them from receiving the Great Physician’s healing balm of forgiveness and acceptance. 

The need to receive mercy

While Jesus was pointing sinners to salvation through humble reliance on the righteousness of God, whose yoke was easy and burden light, the Pharisees and religious leaders were instructing them on self-reliance -- giving them “cumbersome loads” to carry (Matthew 23:4).  They made converts of sinners to their religious system but weighed them down with regulations so that Jesus said their converts became worse off than they were (Matthew 23:15). Instead of allowing the Word of God to point them to Christ so that they could receive much-needed mercy and grace, they used it as an instrument to measure their own righteousness and condemn others. 

Only one way forward

Thankfully, Jesus showed them and us the way forward out of the trap of self-righteousness and spiritual self-deception and into the righteousness of Christ. We, like the tax collector, can humble ourselves before God and acknowledge our utter sinfulness in the flesh and our complete inability in our own strength to do anything to fix ourselves and make ourselves righteous before a perfect and holy God. Christ assures us that if we’ve even hated someone in our heart, we’ve committed murder, or looked at another person with lustful desire, we’ve committed adultery, so that “there is no one righteous; not even one” (Romans 3:10-12; Matthew 5:21-45). 

We can ask the Lord to reveal those areas of man-made rules and regulations where we have established a covering of self-righteousness and developed contempt for others. When he shows us these areas of sin, we can repent and turn back to the Gospel, which declares that “No one will be justified by trying to keep the Law” But that “the just will live by faith” (Galatians 2:16; Romans 1:17). 

We can also ask the Lord to show us the board in our own eye and repent for trying to remove the speck from others’ eyes (Matthew 7:3-5). When we sit in the seat of the big sinner who is saved by grace alone, we will be able to first receive mercy and then to show mercy and grace to other sinners in need of the same grace. The Lord’s passion for seeking and saving the lost will become our passion. And instead of making the Gospel and Christianity an elite group that few can enter, it will become the place where sinners are beckoned to come – where they too can feast on the goodness and faithfulness of the Father and receive his gift of true righteousness through the gift of repentant faith in his Son, Jesus Christ!

“God, have mercy on me, a sinner” (Luke 18:13).