“You can’t handle the truth!” I’m sure you recognize this famous line from the movie, A Few Good Men. Do you know somebody like this? It’s not that they don’t want to hear the truth, it’s that they can’t handle it. By handling the truth they might be saying, “My whole world will change if what I’ve believed up to this point has been a lie! Or, if what you say is true, then I’ve been deceived all these years.” There are probably 100 reasons why people don’t want to hear the truth, let alone embrace truth. This blog is not about trying to poke holes into someone’s belief system, but to share this one fact: Everything God says is truth.
This is not just some general statement about God but a statement that is and has been verified. Verified, and not just because it is expressed in scripture, i.e. John 17:17; “Sanctify them in the truth, Thy Word is Truth” but also verified in millions of lives every single day. But we don’t even need to just except these two testimonies. We can check this statement out for ourselves by reading God’s story, the Bible. Beginning in Genesis chapter 1 we find nine verses that reference something God says. Genesis 1:3; 6; 9; 11; 14; 20; 24; and 29 records the phrase “God said.” As a result of His words these nine times, something happened that He said would happen. He said let there be light, and there was light! As we read on, an expanse in the mist of the waters happened. Waters gathered into one place, and the dry land appeared. The earth then sprouted vegetation because God said to let it happen and it was so. Let there be light, He said, and there was light and there they were. And these particular lights, the sun, moon, and stars, separated the day from the night. God also said let them have another function. They will also be for signs, seasons, and for days and years! At the end of this verse there is this very important phrase, ”and it was so,” it happened, and it is still happening! If we are still not convinced that everything God says is true, in this chapter alone there are three more times God says for something to take place, and as a result of what God said without any help from anything or anyone, it happened! I know this is redundant, but I must ask again, did God tell us the truth? Did everything God said to take place or shape happen? Absolutely! With me personally, I don’t just have to read about these first creations by God as He spoke them into being, and just rely on what I read to be true, I experience these these things each day I live on this planet earth. Every year I have lived there has been stars in the sky, a sun to give me light during the day and a moon that shines at night. There have always been four seasons each year, clouds to produce rain, and vegetation that grows. All because when God spoke and said ‘let there be, it was so.’
In these nine action packed verses, the repeated phrase ‘and it was good’ is something I want to explore, is that statement true? It is important that we see the big picture. When God created there was no evil to oppose Him, Genesis chapter 1:2; The earth was formless and void’….. There was no evil being we now know as Satan to oppose, corrupt, and pervert so yes, all that He created was good.
Isaiah 14:12-15 (NASB) How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, you who have weakened the nations! But you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north 'I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.' Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.
Remember the devil, Satan, who opposes everything God wants to accomplish is a liar and the father of lies. Once Satan began his deceitful activity, corruption, and perversions then death entered the story. The scripture above out of Isaiah points out his profile and his ambition. He starts his first mission of stealing, killing, and destroying as soon as Adam and Eve begin to embrace God’s good and great creation.
Before Satan could start his evil work, God gave man an important attribute. “Adam”, He says, “I have provided you with this beautiful garden. It has everything you need, trees that are pleasing to your eyes, and trees that are good for food. Adam, let Me point out one really important thing to you about the two trees. While both of them have fruit that can be eaten, one of the trees, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, it’s fruit, if eaten will bring death. The other tree, the tree of Life, if you CHOOSE to eat of its fruit the result will be life.” What important attribute did God give Adam that was going to come into play as Adam listened to what God was saying? The right to CHOOSE. I will get back to that important attribute since it comes into play not only at the beginning of man’s story but impacts every human being that has ever been born. I am going to assume that you know the rest of the story about the two trees. With that in mind, did everything God told Adam about the two trees come true? Absolutely. You might argue that Adam and Eve did not physically die that day. That is true, but did they die eventually? Yes, but on that day when they chose to trust in the lying and deceitful words of Satan instead of the true word of God they died to God! The consequences were disastrous for not believing that everything God said to them was true! They are no less disastrous for us as well, maybe not in the immediate here and now, but trust me in the long run the answer is a resounding yes!
I think it is really important for us to address this attribute God has given us called choice. To begin with God gives a tremendous amount of blame when tragedy comes our way. Adam started the ball rolling when he was confronted by God about eating from the wrong tree. What was his reply? The woman you gave me deceived me and I ate! Not, Lord I made a bad choice I did not trust that everything you had told me was true. No it’s your fault Lord for this tragedy!
We hear the same thing today when tragedy strikes. For instance let’s just say a tragic auto accident happens where lives were lost. Do we ever stop to think, the people who lost their lives made choices to drive on that road at that time. Maybe one of those drivers made a choice to text while they were driving. Maybe another one made a choice to drink and drive. No matter what the drivers were involved in or where they were headed no one can rule out that this whole tragic scenario started with one single attribute that they were born with, the right to CHOOSE. So that day just like any other day tragic or not, CHOICE trumps every explanation and blame. The Lord says it over and over again that choices have consequences. Some are good and acceptable but some end up in tragedy. Can we handle this truth? Obviously, Adam couldn’t, he starts immediately with the blame game, and as we saw it was God’s fault, not his. Wow, how arrogant of him. But not only Adam, he set the precedent, but centuries later when things don’t go our way, we still have the bent to blame the one who told us ahead of time whatever we sow we will reap. And we fail to acknowledge just like Adam, everything he tells us is true. Whatever God says is true, verified by Scripture, testified to by Jesus, and experienced by those who will listen to His voice above the noise of their emotions, situations and yes even the devil who will try hard to convince us otherwise.