40 Days of Truth - 24
Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 Days of TRUTH
Day 24 | PRACTICING THE TRUTH
40 Days of TRUTH
Day 24 | PRACTICING THE TRUTH
PRACTICING THE TRUTH
Exodus 20:16
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (ESV)
Have you considered how the Ten Commandments are KEY to our legal system? This verse is the 9th Commandment. People may not realize the source pf these commandments, but the laws of civilized societies around the globe have their basis there. America is founded on them as well.
Though this command has to do with the legal process, in an extended sense we break it through slander, tale-bearing, giving a false impression, questioning someone’s motives, sometimes by our silence, and even by unearned flattery.
Colossians 3:9 puts it like this: “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.”
In today’s America, we see this command being broken en masse.
For example:
Redpath goes on to say, “How very strange that we have ever come to think that Christian maturity is shown by the ability to speak our minds, whereas it is really expressed in controlling our tongues. What a startling revelation it would be if a tape recording could be played of all that every church member has said about his fellow members in one week!”
Prayer: Lord, help me to get better at using my mouth, my tongue, my words ONLY in ways that are true, honest, edifying, uplifting, and pleasing in YOUR sight. Oh, and by the way Lord, thank You for those brilliant Ten Commandments which are still very relevant today. Amen.
Exodus 20:16
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (ESV)
Have you considered how the Ten Commandments are KEY to our legal system? This verse is the 9th Commandment. People may not realize the source pf these commandments, but the laws of civilized societies around the globe have their basis there. America is founded on them as well.
Though this command has to do with the legal process, in an extended sense we break it through slander, tale-bearing, giving a false impression, questioning someone’s motives, sometimes by our silence, and even by unearned flattery.
Colossians 3:9 puts it like this: “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.”
In today’s America, we see this command being broken en masse.
For example:
- “SLANDER” – is an invented lie designed to cause harm to someone. In our political and politically-correct climate, with “fake news” so rampant, getting to the “truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth” – especially in the “court of popular opinion” – is becoming nearly impossible. It’s not easy to discern the true from the false from the “slanted with political spin” when watching the news.
- “TALE BEARING” – is repeating a story about someone without first having determined the truthfulness of the story. This happens to me often as well-meaning people send me stories about this or that hoping I’ll forward it along (which I almost never do) so as to influence others in some way. If on a rare occasion I do forward something, I try diligently to research the FACTS and ensure that everything I’m sending – with MY name attached (via email) is true.
- “SILENCE” – Inappropriate silence may also break this command. “When someone utters a falsity about another and a third person is present who knows that statement to be untrue but, for reasons of fear or being disliked, remains quiet, that third person is as guilty of breaking this law as if he had told a lie.” -Redpath Bible Commentary
Redpath goes on to say, “How very strange that we have ever come to think that Christian maturity is shown by the ability to speak our minds, whereas it is really expressed in controlling our tongues. What a startling revelation it would be if a tape recording could be played of all that every church member has said about his fellow members in one week!”
- “FALSE WITNESS” – in some ways, we might say that that is what sent Jesus to the cross.
Prayer: Lord, help me to get better at using my mouth, my tongue, my words ONLY in ways that are true, honest, edifying, uplifting, and pleasing in YOUR sight. Oh, and by the way Lord, thank You for those brilliant Ten Commandments which are still very relevant today. Amen.
Recent
Categories
Archive
2026
February
40 Days with Jesus - 0140 Days with Jesus - 0240 Days with Jesus - 0340 Days with Jesus - 0440 Days with Jesus - 0540 Days with Jesus - 0640 Days with Jesus - 0740 Days with Jesus - 0840 Days with Jesus - 0940 Days with Jesus - 1040 Days with Jesus - 1140 Days with Jesus - 1240 Days with Jesus - 1340 Days with Jesus - 1440 Days with Jesus - 1540 Days with Jesus - 1640 Days with Jesus - 1740 Days with Jesus - 1840 Days with Jesus - 1940 Days with Jesus - 20
March
40 Days with Jesus - 2140 Days with Jesus - 2240 Days with Jesus - 2340 Days with Jesus - 2440 Days with Jesus - 2540 Days with Jesus - 2640 Days with Jesus - 2740 Days with Jesus - 2840 Days with Jesus - 2940 Days with Jesus - 3040 Days with Jesus - 3140 Days with Jesus - 3240 Days with Jesus - 3340 Days with Jesus - 3440 Days with Jesus - 3540 Days with Jesus - 3640 Days with Jesus - 3740 Days with Jesus - 3840 Days with Jesus - 3940 Days with Jesus - 4040 Days in the Book of John - 0140 Days in the Book of John - 02
April
40 Days in the Book of John - 0340 Days in the Book of John - 0440 Days in the Book of John - 0540 Days in the Book of John - 0640 Days in the Book of John - 0740 Days in the Book of John - 0840 Days in the Book of John - 0940 Days in the Book of John - 1040 Days in the Book of John - 1140 Days in the Book of John - 1340 Days in the Book of John - 1240 Days in the Book of John - 1440 Days in the Book of John - 1540 Days in the Book of John - 1640 Days in the Book of John - 1740 Days in the Book of John - 1840 Days in the Book of John - 1940 Days in the Book of John - 2040 Days in the Book of John - 2140 Days in the Book of John - 2240 Days in the Book of John - 2340 Days in the Book of John - 24
May
40 Days in the Book of John - 2540 Days in the Book of John - 2640 Days in the Book of John - 2740 Days in the Book of John - 2840 Days in the Book of John - 2940 Days in the Book of John - 3040 Days in the Book of John - 3140 Days in the Book of John - 3240 Days in the Book of John - 3340 Days in the Book of John - 3440 Days in the Book of John - 3540 Days in the Book of John - 3640 Days in the Book of John - 3740 Days in the Book of John - 3840 Days in the Book of John - 3940 Days in the Book of John - 4040 Days Pondering Heaven - 0140 Days Pondering Heaven - 02
2025
January
40 DAYS OF NEW - 0340 DAYS OF NEW - 0440 DAYS OF NEW - 0540 DAYS OF NEW - 0640 DAYS OF NEW - 0740 DAYS OF NEW - 0840 DAYS OF NEW - 0940 DAYS OF NEW - 1040 DAYS OF NEW - 1140 DAYS OF NEW - 1240 DAYS OF NEW - 1340 DAYS OF NEW - 1440 DAYS OF NEW - 1540 DAYS OF NEW - 1640 DAYS OF NEW - 1740 DAYS OF NEW - 1840 DAYS OF NEW - 1940 DAYS OF NEW - 20