The Whole Armour Of God: The Belt Of Truth
The "belt of
truth" is the first piece of the "whole
armour of God" listed in Ephesians Chapter 6. Likewise, "faith" is the first word of "faith, hope and love", (1
Corinthians 13:13, Colossians 1:5, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, 1 Thessalonians 5:8),
which is a Bible phrase known to most of the world and another core element of
what it is that God brings to humankind, to His children, His disciples and
friends.
I see the two, "truth"
and "faith", as inextricably
linked; what we know to be true is
the rock we cling to when everything else feels like quicksand and our inner
self cries out to be able to stand firm. Truth is the foundation of whatever
faith we may have. This is like the ancient Roman soldier's belt; it was the
foundation for his armour, it held his tunic firm and was the securing point
for his sword and his breastplate .. without his belt all his specialised
soldier equipment would be out of reach or flop about when he ran!
Presently in Australia
Where is our rock in these days? Where can we stand?
Certainty has become (even more) elusive. But as my lovely Theology professor
often insisted: "the answer is always Jesus".
But if Jesus is just an idea to me .. just some proposition
that I can assent to or agree with to make me feel better .. if this were so
then I would have only the strength of my thoughts to sustain me. I know that I
have changed my mind many times, for all kinds of thinking. Can we find
something, a rock, that we can stand firm on? Is there a truth that will
withstand any shaking, even when our mind is filled with questions, doubts, and
even fear. We will need something bigger than our self ..
We will need something we know to be truth, truth as a really
solid and un-moving anchor for our soul, for our life .. This will bring
assurance, faith and hope, and these together will give us the ability to love
.. Where can we find such as this?
Jesus has become "the
way and the truth and the life" (John 14:6) to more than a billion
people. My testimony is that Jesus' truth is now part of my life, my very being
.. He is now my "rock" and
my "way" the core of my "truth" and the fabric of my "life" ..
What Is Truth?
What is truth? Is this even a valid question? Can I say:
"well this is my truth, your truth may be different"? I was brought
up to believe that there is an absolute truth and an absolute of right and
wrong, and that to steal or tell a lie was really bad. Was this just from my
upbringing or something for all humanity?
Some say that everyone has their own understanding of
reality, of how the world is, of truth, and that this comes from their family
and upbringing, their culture and education, and from the "big
stories" they have been hearing since birth. This all appears to make
sense until one asks the questions: "What about the certain knowledge that
'I exist' and 'I have consciousness' and that 'I can hug you and know that you
are there'? What about all the things that almost every people-group have as
core values, as cultural and family truths, no matter how disparate the group
or at what time in history?"
Let us consider beliefs like:
All people need love .. ("love" includes
compassion, empathy, charity, honor, fairness, freedom, unity, tolerance, and
taking responsibility)
All people want to be treated with dignity and respect ..
All people want to be asked rather than told to do something
..
All people want to be given options rather than threats ..
All people want a second chance ..
And more, perhaps: the sanctity of human life? Or equality?
Or loyalty? Or respecting others' property and not stealing? Or not misleading
others with lies? What about valuing marriage as being primarily for the
protection and upbringing of children, and also as a stabilizing foundation of
society? What about us all being social and enjoying the company of others, and
hospitality and sharing meals, and taking joy in sunsets and flowers, music and
beauty?
After researching widely around the world Sissela Bok found:
"love", "truth", "respect for life",
"fidelity", "equality", "integrity", and
"justice" to be common and precious human values.
David Brooks discovered that: "the heart yearns for
fusion with another, and the soul yearns for righteousness", and that "there
are depths to the soul, and only spiritual and relational food will fill these
gaps" ..
Ideas like "I think therefore I am" do not help
me. Such words just muddy the waters. I do not exist because I think, I think
because I exist and am human. I am uniquely me and I have my thoughts.
Humans are the only creature with a spirit, we are
"spirit, soul and body" (1 Thessalonians 5:23). (Angels too have a spirit, they are spirit and live in the spiritual realm). Certainly we may see
a soul, or personality, in our dog or our horse. But humans have more, we have
a spirit (Matthew 10:20, 22:43, Mark 12:36, 1 Corinthians 12:3, Ephesians
5:19), and this spirit enables us to connect to the spiritual world, and in
particular, to God Himself by His Holy Spirit.
For me it follows that the notion that I am made in the
image and likeness of my Designer and Creator God makes sense to me in a whole
and complete way.
Logical Views And
Explanations
Perhaps the most important truths we seek are the Four Big
Questions asked by almost every person who ever lived:
1. Who am I?
2. Where did I come
from?
3. Why am I here?
4. What will happen to me when I die?
Or, where am I going?
(You may wonder why I have not included the question:
"Is there a God or gods?" Well, huge numbers of people deliberately
do not ask this question because there is no room in their worldview for a
"Yes" answer, because that would cancel out what they believe about
the supremacy of humankind and our inevitable progress towards perfection .. so
long as we prioritise their priorities and follow their plan).
Most scientists, modernists, post-modernists, humanists,
utilitarianists, liberals, and feminists have made it impossible for themselves
to discover answers to these four questions; they limit what they include in
their research to just what is physically observable. I cannot measure the
weight of this thought by putting it on a scale, or see its depth by looking at
it through a microscope, yet the thought is real! It came from me. Also, I love
my wife and my children, and my whole extended family. So do (mostly) all these
people love their families. I know these things to be true! There is so much of
life beyond the physical.
Only some widely held faiths, or religions, give satisfying
answers to the four big questions; neither science nor psychology have any
logically complete or believable answer for any of them.
Our Universe exists with laws of physics, chemistry,
thermodynamics, logic and more. Scientists have calculated that the
probability of these laws existing by random chance are so remotely tiny that
it would be statistically impossible for the Universe to exist at all! That
leaves the reasonable certainty that the laws, and the Universe, were
established by an intelligent, sentient, (and benign), being. Even Albert
Einstein believed this.
(Definition: synchronicity - "the simultaneous
occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible
causal connection" (Oxford Dictionary), or, the complete interdependence
of bees and flowers; gut bacteria and mammals).
I believe too that the Bible explains the existence of
consciousness, family and our need for community, fairness and loyalty, and of
"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).
Beyond that, I also feel safe in believing as true that our
wonderful God has revealed Himself to us, and that His purpose in the Creation
was to have a people with whom He can bond and communicate forever. The most
visible and profound expression of this revelation is in His Son Jesus Christ,
who, whilst always being fully God, came to Earth as a human being, in the same
image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) as you and me, and dwelt among us to
demonstrate the Kingdom of God in His very presence (Mark 1:15, Mark 4:11, Acts
1:3).
There is massively more evidence about Jesus' existence,
life, crucifixion unto death, and resurrection back to life, His subsequent
time on the Earth, and His ascension to Heaven, than there is about any other
ancient historical figure or series of events. Massively more. And because my
Spirit knows this Jesus as Saviour, Comforter and friend, I can know the Bible
to be true.
These observations or evidences are not mine alone, they
simply confirm what was recorded by people who knew Jesus the man, and were
among the more than 500 who saw Him crucified, (a terrible form of punishment
that no person could ever survive), and then later as the resurrected Christ.
They knew that Jesus was infinitely more than a man, that He was "Lord and God" (John
20:19-31). In John's gospel account it reads as though the Disciple Thomas fully expected his doubts to be confirmed then
was amazed, delighted and awe struck when he learned the truth.
Truth is available to us. It is reasonable, not some mad
scheme which we have to tie ourselves in knots to understand.
It has taken me many years to become so sure about truth and
who I am in Jesus, and a lot of effort too. I have come to understand that we
cannot become Christian just through our experiences or just by learning
Christian history and rules. No, Jesus will touch us in some way, give us an
experience and a testimony of our own, or let us see another's miraculous
testimony. Then we begin to know that something enormous is happening .. we
begin to learn about God and His Kingdom from Christians and the Bible and a
cohesive picture begins to form, somehow the whole world begins to make more
sense .. For me it was after this point that I actually came into relationship
with Jesus and fell in love with Him .. and I continued to grow and grow.
Every Christian has their own story of how Jesus found them,
brought truth and clarity into their life and transformed their whole existence
.. most will share that they had great hardships along the way, but also that
it was worth every step of the journey. Having Jesus as "truth" (John
1:14, John 8:32), as the "rock" and the anchor of our life is greater
than we could have guessed at the beginning (Philippians 4:7), but we know that
it is real, it is truth.
Thank you Jesus.
Favourite
"Truth" Bible Verses
• God leads us in His
truth (Psalm 25:5)
• God delights in
truth (Psalm 51:6)
• Jesus is grace and
truth (John 1:14)
• Jesus is truth
(John 8:32)
• Truth will set us
free (John 8:32) (free from Satan's lies and his tyranny over our lives)
• God's Word is truth
(John 17:17)
• Everyone who is of
the truth listens to Jesus' voice (John 18:37-38)
• Guard the Word of
truth (2 Timothy 2:15)
• Walk in the truth
(2 John 4).
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my
path" (Psalm 119:105)
"Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant
wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save
your souls. But be doers of the word,
and not hearers only .." (James 1:21-25).
"For all of you who were baptized into Christ have
clothed yourselves with Christ" (Galatians 3:27 NIV).
The Full Armour of God: From Ephesians 6:10-20
• The belt of truth - Truth is Jesus - John 1:14
• The breastplate of righteousness - Jesus is our
righteousness - 2 Corinthians 5:21
• Our feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the
gospel of peace - Jesus is the Gospel, this was a mystery until He gave us the
Church - Ephesians 1:9
• The shield of faith - Jesus is our shield - 1 Peter 1:5
• The helmet of salvation - Jesus protects our mind - 2
Timothy 1:7 KJV and Amplified
• The sword of the Spirit - Jesus is our only weapon, the
Word of God, invincible in spiritual battles - John 1:1 and 2 Corinthians
10:3-5
• And pray in the Spirit - continually, without ceasing -
Romans 8:26 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17
So lovely. So complete.
Amen.
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Amen.
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