Continuing in our study of the mandate to keep on standing firm freedom that is found in Christ Jesus that goes along with the mandate not to be subject again to the yoke of slavery. Gal 5:1;
We have seen that truth, the Greek word "Aletheia" and defined in the TDNT as "the reality of God " that enables the believer to keep on standing firm in freedom and prevents them from being resubjected to a yoke of slavery.
We saw that TLJC is truth and that grace and truth function together in God's plan for mankind and they while all believers are known by God, not all believers know God through their PMA of Bible Doctrine.
We saw that Apollos needed to be "instructed in the way of God more accurately" Acts 18:26;
The most important thing the believer does after they enter the plan of God by Faith alone in TLJC alone is to learn the truths contained in Bible Doctrine.
God's Word is to be glorified and it is glorified as it is implemented in the believer's life.
In the PPOG where this implementation occurs, everything is provided by God's grace policy. Everything in the spiritual life depends upon who and what God is. Col 2:6;
Believers have received TLJC by " grace through faith." Eph 2:8-9; and that is how the believer is to conduct their lives experientially after salvation.
The degree to which believers live in truth is directly proportional to the freedom they live in. Psa 119:45;" I will walk at liberty for I seek your precepts". John 8:32; "You will know the truth and the truth will make you free"
In Volume 1 pages 244-245 of the TDNT we have the following regarding the Greek word "aletheia that is translated truth.
Aletheia can also be used for "true teaching." The Christian faith can be called "obedience to the truth"] as in 1Peter 1:22. The preaching of the Gospel can be called (logos aletheias: "the word of truth") as in 2Cor 6:7; Col 1:5; and Eph 1:13.
In 2Thes 2:10-12; aletheia is the Christian revelation as opposed to the revelation of Antichrist, which is called (pseudos (the lie) and adikia (unrighteousness).
Aletheia and pseudos are understood as alternative possibilities of human existence.
The issue in the Angelic Conflict is not that truth is reality and the lie is an illusion.
Both are real, both function and operate within a system. Thus, the challenge for the human soul is not the choice of reality over unreality but the choice of one system over another.
The believer must make a choice to function within the reality of God's system called "the truth" or within the reality of Satan's system that is called "the lie".
The systems are mutually exclusive, the soul will accept either system but not both simultaneously.
Ephesians 4 reveals that everyone is born into Satan's system but through the assets imputed at salvation believers have been transferred into God's system and are given the power to reside and function in God's system:
Eph 4:22; With reference to your former manner of life, rid yourselves of the old man (reversion into the kosmic system under OSN control of the soul), who is being corrupted according to the lusts from the source of deceit,
v23 and that you be restored again by the Holy Spirit by means of your mind (thinking)
v24 for the purpose that you clothe yourself with the new man (the believer functioning in the divine power system ), which according to the standard of God has been created in God's image in the sphere of righteousness and integrity that comes from truth.
v25 Therefore, having stripped off the lie, each one of you keep communicating the truth to those near to you ( fellow believers ), for we are members of one another ( The church, the body of TLJC, the royal family of God).
The Christian way of life cannot function without truth so truth is the "sine qua non" of the Christian way of life. Truth refers to the content of all biblical standards.
These standards of truth are unalterable, unchangeable, and undeniable.
God did not discover truth and then adopt it as His righteous standard. God is truth, and thus truth finds its source in the perfection of God.
Man in his imperfection is not qualified to establish the content of truth.
Man, in grace, is privileged to discover truth as it is revealed by God and then subscribe to its standards.
God in His justice uses truth as the lone criterion in determining whether mankind is to be blessed or disciplined.
Man may adjust to the justice of God by adopting truth or suffer the consequences for maladjustment.
God alone defines what truth is, and man has the option of believing it or not. Man is not permitted to decide what truth is and what it is not.
In order to provide the human race with accessibility to truth, God has reduced to writing that portion of it He wishes man to know at this time, and has faithfully preserved its revelation in his Word.
Since the Bible is the only source of truth then its instruction becomes our guide in the identification of perfect standards whereby we may determine right from wrong.
Consequently, truth is permanently linked to divine righteousness.
Since God is truth, His Word is truth and the standards which emerge from His truth become identified with God's perfect immutable essence.
The development of an honor code from Bible Doctrine in the soul results in a system of integrity based on Bible Doctrine. It is designed to enable the believer to relate to both, believers and unbelievers from the source of personal integrity.
Integrity means unbending loyalty to the absolute principles of the Word of God. One must be convinced that these principles are unchanging and unalterable and represent the expression of divine truth.
One of the objectives of the plan of God is freedom for mankind. This results from the application of truth that makes the believer independent of all life's problems and uncertainties because they love and are totally dependent upon immutable God and his promises.
This dependence upon God is what gives power and direction in one's relationship with others and results in the believer's function in the honor code of the Royal Family of God.
So when the believer adjusts to the justice of God through their function in the truth that is revealed in scripture and taught by God the Holy Spirit they have freedom.
Micah 6:8 - What does the Lord require of you? Do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God.
The word "justice" is the Hebrew noun "mishpat" which refers to the administration of established ordinances that are recognized as right standards.
The justice of God is required to execute and administer whatever the righteousness of God demands.
Righteousness demands compliance with divine standards. Justice carries out the functions of either blessing and rewarding compliance or cursing and punishing noncompliance.
The mandate to "do justice" implies that believers are capable of doing so because they have knowledge of the righteousness standards of God circulating in their stream of consciousness.
One cannot act justly unless one thinks righteously. Prov 23:7a;
The word translated "kindness" is the Hebrew word "chesed" which refers to one's orientation to the principles of God's grace policy.
God wanted Israel to obey Him because they desired to, not because of false motivation such as fear, or attempts to impress Him by some system of self righteousness.
In order to love God's grace policy the believer must have an inner desire and motivation to adhere to those standards in their spiritual walk.
The mental attitude which sustains such a motivation is humility and we have learned that humility is the intersection of grace orientation, doctrinal orientation and authority orientation.
To "do justice" and "love God's grace policy" the believer must actively pursue the plan of God.
To "walk humbly with God" is a total trust in His Word where the believer demonstrates consideration and partiality for His authority by their conformance to the Word. 1John3:21-24;
To "do justice" refers to submission to the imperative moods found in the word of God.
This love refers to enduring devotion to those principles under pressure that results in a humility which expresses itself by respect, deference and admiration for the truths contained in the word of God.
Psalm 119:41 May your loving kindness also come to me, O Lord; Your salvation ( or more accurately, deliverance Net note 64) according to your promise,
v 42 so that I shall have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I have confidence in Your Word.
v 43 Do not take the Word of truth out of my mouth, for I confidently wait with patience for Your justice.
v 44 Through extraordinary diligence I will consistently observe the Torah.
Psa 119:45; And I will walk (execute the spiritual life of my dispensation ) at liberty …
The word translated "liberty" in verse 45 in the NASB is the Hebrew word "rachab" -An adjective that is used to describe walking about in a broad or wide place.
The NIV translates it as "freedom", the YLT translates it as "a broad place"
The writer has demonstrated in these four verses his devotion and loyalty to the truth and he intends to be diligent in continually observing its mandates.
With this knowledge he proclaims that he will execute the spiritual life of his dispensation which is the execution of the three stages of the faith-rest drill plus submission to the principles of Leviticus 19:18.
This modus operandi has become his way of life and involves his developing facilitated behavior patterns and character traits that are based on the wheel-tracks of righteousness that comes from diligent study and inculcation of the word of God.
His advanced knowledge of the Torah plus the facilitation of its content into behavior patterns of righteousness through +V enable him to walk in a broad, wide, and large place that is referred to as "liberty or freedom" that is provided by God through his grace.
That broad place is the execution of the spiritual life or PPOG of his dispensation.
The more you know about the plan of God the more flexibility, versatility, and capacity you have in resolving problems in life or in other words, the more freedom you have.
Good decisions made from a position of strength provide the believer with the freedom for making additional choices in life from an even greater position of strength.
The spiritual life of the Church Age believer consists of the Four Spiritual Mechanics.