Can I Be Honest With You?
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14 Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands far away;
for truth has stumbled in the public squares,
and uprightness cannot enter.
Central Idea:
Honesty is behavior, in action and words, aiming to convey truth. This quality is essential to God's nature and purposes and is His people's standard.
Introduction:
Can I be honest with you in my behaviour and speech.
Far too many of us are not being honest about who we are as the children of God.
Our behaviour and our speech betray us.
Christians in far too great numbers, look like agnostics and atheists to the world.
Perhaps we should spend more time encouraging one another
first to be honest with yourselves (Cary talked about that in his lesson last Sunday)
second to be honest to each other then
third to be honest with our neighbor
It is not the Gospel’s fault because the Gospel is honest...
The Gospel is Honest
The Gospel is Honest
The Lord and our creator is honest with us
His word gives us good and bad; hard and easy teaching that we might be saved
He has been honest with us
about who He is
and about who we are
Many are not saved because they refuse to be honest with themselves
Humility is necessary in order to be saved
Sinners can have a hard time convicting themselves of many a Biblical truth
We merely choose to believe what we want from the scriptures
that is not being honest and truthful about what God teaches and commands
God is honest
God is honest
David speaks to the honesty of God
28 And now, O Lord God, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant.
David’s throne has lasted as promised
See also Ps 19:7; Ps 33:4; Ps 111:7; Ps 119:142; Ps 119:151; Is 45:19; Je 10:10; Jn 7:28; Ro 3:4; 1 Th 1:9; 1 Jn 5:20; Re 3:7; Re 15:2–3; Re 19:9
19 I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I the Lord speak the truth;
I declare what is right.
The Lord is honest and does not hide his truth
The Son of God is no different
20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
The Holy Spirit is honest
17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
If our God is honest, then His people must also be honest
Believers must be honest
Believers must be honest
To dwell with the Lord is to take on His ways, such as being honest in your behaviour
Ps 15:1–2; 2 Co 4:2
1 O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent?
Who shall dwell on your holy hill?
2 He who walks blamelessly and does what is right
and speaks truth in his heart;
2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
Open honesty commends us to men and God
See also Ex 18:21
Dishonest dealing forbidden by God:
Dishonest dealing forbidden by God:
Le 19:35–36; Dt 25:13–16
35 “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.
1 Ki 9:4–5; Pr 11:1; Eze 45:10; Zec 8:16–17; Jn 4:23–24; Ro 1:18; 1 Co 5:8
23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Paul commends truthful speech:
Paul commends truthful speech:
Honest thoughts and actions are the beginning of righteousness
Eph 4:15; Eph 4:25
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
This characteristic should be found in those who would lead
Honesty essential in church leadership:
Honesty essential in church leadership:
Leaders in the church must be honest
1 Ti 3:8; Tt 1:7
7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.
Honesty by leaders puts opponents to shame
The cost of honesty
The cost of honesty
The world is paying a terrible price for not dealing honestly in the public square
The weeping Prophet was threatened with death for his honesty
He warns the cost of that action
15 Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and its inhabitants, for in truth the Lord sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.”
See also Pr 17:26; Pr 29:10; Pr 29:27; Is 59:14–15; Am 5:10; Jn 8:45–46; Jn 18:23; Ga 4:16 Conclusion:
If we could only be honest with
ourselves
each other
and the world
We could create an atmosphere for repentance and salvation
an atmosphere of love and forgiveness
an atmosphere of truth and growth for generations
an atmosphere of patience and self-control
an atmosphere of goodwill and philao (brotherly love)
We have learned today that the God is honest and so is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit who have worked in perfect union to bring us the Gospel
Scripture has pointed out for us today that Believers must be honest
Dishonesty is forbidden
Paul commended truthful speech
Church leaders must be honest
lastly we learned the cost of Honesty
Sin has consequences and the shedding of innocent blood will not go unpunished
Can I be honest with you about what the Bible says about becoming one of His own???
Invitation: