In today’s world, the word truth is tossed around lightly. People frequently purport or state they are speaking the truth yet in realty it is a distortion of the truth, which is a lie. Or they promise to do something and do not follow through with their promise, which is also a lie. They may leave out key pieces of the facts that change the meaning entirely, which also is a lie. We know that Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth in him (Jn. 8:44).

Let us now look at the concepts of truth from the positive point of view as to how Eloah sees and explains what truth is.

Firstly, we will look at what qualities are clearly part of Eloah and His Law as we begin this study on truth.

The Five Centralities of Eloah and His Law

We have learned from previous lessons that God and His Law share five things in common.

God and His Law are:

Righteous: Ezra 9:15; Psalm 119:172;

Perfect: Matthew 5:48; Psalm 19:7;

Holy: Leviticus 19:2; Romans 7:12;

Good: Psalm 34:8; Romans 7:12;

Truth: Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 119:142.

God and His Law have always existed. It is through being baptised, receiving the Holy Spirit, and keeping the Commandments and the Lord’s Supper that we become like God. For more details on this subject see The Creation of the Family of God (No. CB4).

We are also to become like God and take on his nature.

Ephesians 4:

24 You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness-righteous, holy, and true. (NLT)

We are to be partaking of the divine nature of Eloah (2Pet. 2:4), which means we are to be developing the same traits He has always possessed; we are to be like Him.

Here we have seen that two features of the armour of Eloah – righteousness and truth – are also linked to Eloah and His Law. It becomes very clear why God tells us to have truth tightly synched or tightened upon the central core of our being. Truth is the central undergarment to the armour of Eloah. Many items and concepts are tied to truth.

Let us now look in more detail as to what truth really is.

What is Truth?

Upon meeting Christ, Pilate also wanted to know what truth was. In John 17:38, Pilate said to Christ: "What is truth?" (Jn. 17:38).

Truth is the centre of God and His Law. It is honest, pure, sincere, upright and factual; can be relied on and is correct. It implies justice, because by truth things can be determined correctly and fixed in place. Satan operates on the opposite system of perfect truth; he focuses on lies, which only come to no good.

God is the God of Truth (Deut. 32:4; Ps. 31:15; Isa. 65:16). We know the Word of God is truth (Dan. 10:21, Jn. 17:17). Both John the Baptist and Jesus Christ came to bear witness to the truth (Jn. 5:19-46).

Christ is truth (Jn. 14:6; 7:18) and full of truth (Jn.1:14). Messiah spoke the truth (Jn. 8:45). Truth came by Christ (Jn. 1:17) and he bears witness to the truth (Jn. 18:37). The truth is in Christ (Rom 9:1; 1Tim. 2:7).

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth (Jn. 14:17); it guides us all into the truth (Jn. 16:13). God looks for truth (Jer. 5:3).

Truth is according to obeying God’s Law (Tts. 1:1); truth sanctifies, or sets us apart (Jn. 17:17,19).

The entire reason for Jesus Christ’s birth, ministry and death was to show us the truth. First the elect, then the entire world would come into the truth of God (Jn. 18:37).

John 18:37 “you say correctly that I am a king, For this I have been born, and of this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth, Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

The love of the truth is a mark of the elect (Jn. 14:17; 15:26). People know us because we know the truth.

The elect love truth and each other, and seek to strengthen and encourage each other in the truth (Lk. 22:31,32). We can only work for the truth (2Cor. 13:5-8).

The whole truth of the Bible requires us to live God’s way – to obey Him and worship Him on the correct days. By committing our ways to the Lord, He then establishes our thoughts (Prov. 16:3).

John 14:6 tells us:

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Once we are given to Christ, we proceed in that way which is the way of truth. The Spirit then guides us in way of the truth (Jn. 16:5-15).

The truth comes from the Father by the Holy Spirit and must be upheld in righteousness (Rom. 1:18). Here again we see righteousness and truth tied together just as we saw this concept demonstrated on the High Priest’s robes and The Breastplate of Righteousness (No. CB125).

Anyone who knows the truth and continues in error, and teaches false doctrines, is in danger of the wrath of God. God clearly condemned and punished the priesthood for not teaching the truth (Mal. 2:1-12). Our job is to defend and protect the truth (Rom. 15:1-6).

The truth sets us free (Jn. 8:32); the truth of God’s Plan must be made available to all nations so they can repent and turn back to God and His Truth (Isa. 6:10; Mat. 13:15; Mk. 4:12; Ps. 19:7). That is why it is so important for us all to work diligently while we can still do the work of the Living God.

The knowledge of the One True God and Jesus Christ His son is eternal life (Jn. 17:3). Anyone teaching otherwise and believing those lies will not be in the First Resurrection. Christ tells us in Matthew that there will be many lies to try to lead people away from Him.

Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (RSV)

People that have believed the lies and false doctrines will awake to find themselves in the Second Resurrection for correction and education in truth (1Cor. 5:4,5). God is very merciful; He will give everyone a chance to know His Perfect Truth when the time is right for that individual to succeed.

The idea of repentance is based on how we react to the truth of the word of God when we compare the truth to our own behaviour and actions. For true repentance to occur, we acknowledge our sins and change our ways to do the Godly things versus the ways of Satan.

The end result of the Plan of God is that all Israel will be redeemed and reconciled to God, and eventually the whole world will be converted to the Truth of Eloah (Isa. 1:27). For more information on when this will occur see the paper God's Plan of Salvation (No. CB30).

The Church of God is based on truth; it is the pillar and ground of truth (1Tim. 3:15). Messiah tells us the truth will set us free (Jn. 8:32). Messiah had a lot to say about truth and the Spirit of Truth, and especially in the Gospel of John. We are to worship the Father in Spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23-24). The Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (Jn. 1:17). For a brief overview of truth please see the Sabbath message of 8/8/26/120 at www.ccg.org/_domain/ccg.org/Sabbath/2003/S_11_01_03.htm

See also the papers Truth (No. 168) and Conversion and Truth (No. 72).

What does it mean to have one’s loins gird with truth?

Gird (SGD 4024) means 1) to fasten garments with a girdle or belt, 2) to gird one's self, 3) metaph. with truth as a girdle, a) to equip one's self with knowledge of the truth.

Here we see the truth should be held tightly around our waist and serve to stabilize our core being just as the muscles around our waist serve to stabilize and balance our entire body.

Your core is where all movement in your body originates. The core muscles of your body are your center of gravity. Strong core muscles - abdominal, back and pelvis - provide support to your spine for everything from walking, lifting and standing to sitting.

Core training is essential to sports performance and injury prevention. The body's core muscles are the foundation for all other movement. The muscles of the torso stabilize the spine and provide a solid foundation for movement in the extremities.

http://www.mastermoves.com/core-exercises.html

Just as our core muscles help to move and stabilize us, the truth of God should govern or control our every thought, word and action.

As we read through this lesson and hear the different concepts brought out about truth, we should try to think of it as that band or belt of stability around our waist of truth that helps control our very being.

The following scriptures tell us to gird our loins.

Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and [your] lights burning;

Ephesians 6:14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

Job 40:16 Lo now, his strength [is] in his loins, and his force [is] in the navel of his belly.

Job 40:7 Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.

Job 38:3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me.

The International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia makes the following comments on loins:

As the seat of strength (compare LEG; THIGH), the loins are girded with belts of leather (2Ki 1:8; Mt 3:4), or cloth, often beautifully embroidered (Ex 28:39), or of costly material (Ex 39:29; Jer 13:1 f). Girded loins are a sign of readiness for service or endeavor (Ex 12:11; 1Ki 18:46; 2Ki 4:29; Job 38:3; Pr 31:17; Lu 12:35; 1Pe 1:13). Of God it is said that "he looseth the bond of kings, and bindeth their loins with a girdle," i.e. strengthens them (Job 12:18). On the loins the sword is worn (2Sa 20:8). It is a sign of mourning to gird the loins with sackcloth (1Ki 20:32; Isa 32:11; Jer 48:37; Am 8:10; see also the First Papyrus of Elephantine, l. 20). A man whose strength is in his attachment to truth, in other words is faithful, is spoken of as having his loins girt about with truth (Eph 6:14). Thus, the Messiah is described: "Righteousness shall be the girdle of his waist, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins" (Isa 11:5). One of the most primitive modes of clothing consisted of a fleece tied around the loins (Job 31:20).

Let us now look back to the garments of the High Priest and see if there was any item that the High Priest wore that is also linked to the truth of Eloah.

Truth and its ties to the garments of the High Priest

In the series The Garments of the High Priest (No. CB61), we also saw something tied or synched about the priest’s and High Priest’s loins.

Exodus 28:42-43 “and you shall make for them linen breeches to cover their bare flesh, they shall reach from the loins even to the thighs. And they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they enter the tent of meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they do not incur guilt and die. It shall be a statute forever to him and to his descendants after him.”

Linen breeches were for modesty. The priest’s garments were for glory and beauty (Ex. 28:2,40). Part of this beauty was the priest demonstrating modesty. So too should it be with us. In Ephesians 6:14, we see that our loins are to be girded with the truth. Truth is central to the Faith. We must always remain loyal to God’s truth and keep His Law.

Another garment that went about the waist or loins of the High Priest and priests was the sash or girdle.

Exodus 39:29: “The sash was of finely twisted linen and blue and purple and scarlet material, the work of the weaver, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.”

Let us briefly review the concepts associated with the colour of the High Priest’s sash that he wore every day he officiated except for Atonement.

Blue: represents the Law of God.

Red: represents the blood of Jesus Christ as our Passover sacrifice.

Purple: combines both blue and red, points us to the Royal Priesthood which combines both the salvation given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and our love of God shown through our obedience to the Law.

White: represents our clean garments as we prepare ourselves as the Bride of Christ and the perfection of Jesus Christ.

Gold: was one of the metals used in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, on the High Priest’s garments and in the Temple Solomon built. In the Tabernacle in the Wilderness we see that the Ark of the Covenant located in the Holy of Holies was also covered in gold. God’s presence was in the Ark and it was also the receptacle of the Holy Spirit. The gold represents the indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit in us. Just as the gold was interwoven amongst all the other strands of materials, so too the Holy Spirit ties all the members of the Body of Christ together.

For a more detailed look at the High Priest’s garments see Lesson: Ephod, Curious Girdle and Breastpiece of Judgment (No. CB65).

Remember, from the lesson on the breastplate of righteousness, the breastplate and the sash were linked or tied together with blue ribbons. This shows us how intertwined righteousness and truth are to God and His Law. Just as God and His Law have five things in common, the blue ribbons tie righteousness and truth together.

Let us now look at some of the key concepts of why it is important for us to keep truth tightly wrapped about us.

Truth is …

The Holy Spirit leads us to all truth (Jn. 16:13). The first fruit of the Holy Spirit is the guardianship or protecting of the truth (2Tim. 6:13). The Holy Spirit is of power and love and self-control. One of the responsibilities of the elect is the protection of the truth as the first step of righteousness. Here again we see righteousness and truth tied together.

The elect worship the Father in Spirit and in truth (Jn. 4:23-24). Truth is the main focus to the worship of God. We cannot worship God unless we worship Him in the Holy Spirit in truth. The Holy Spirit is the means by which we guard the truth. The testimony of the Spirit and of the prophets and thereby the elect is true (Jn. 5:33). The keeping of the Commandments is necessary to the keeping of the truth (1Jn. 2:4-5). We all have a duty to identify what is of the Spirit of truth and work for and support that truth.

Satan fell because he did not keep the truth (Jn. 8:44). See Fruit of the Holy Spirit (No. 146) for more information. Let us never lose site of the truth and fall as Satan did.

The importance of having Truth daily and continually bound about us

The elect or saints should worship God in truth (Jn. 4:24; Ps. 145:18); serve Him in truth (Josh. 24:14; 1Sam. 12:24); walk before God in truth (1Kgs. 2:4; 2Kgs. 20:3); keep God’s Feasts in truth (1Cor. 5:8); rejoice in truth (1Cor. 13:6); speak, to one another in truth (Zech. 8:16; Eph. 4:25); meditate or think upon truth (Phil. 4:8); and finally, have truth written upon the tables of their heart (Pro. 3:3; Ps. 51:6).

The truth sanctifies us (Jn. 17:17,19) and is purifying, or it cleanses us (1Pet. 1:22).

Truth is revealed or shown abundantly to the saints (Jer. 33:6) and abides continually with the saints as long as they remain obedient to Eloah and His Laws (2Jn. 1:2).

The truth should be acknowledged (2Tim. 2:25); believed (2Thes 2:12,13; 1Tim. 4:3); obeyed and manifested or shown in us (2Cor. 4:2).

Ministers should of course do all of the abovementioned things yet in addition they should speak in truth (2Cor. 12:6; Gal. 4:16); teach the truth (1Tim. 2:7) and show themselves approved by the truth (2Cor. 4:2; 6:7,8; 7:14).

Magistrates or rulers should be men of truth (Ex. 18:21). Kings are preserved by truth (Prov. 20:28).

People who speak the truth show forth righteousness (Prov. 12:17) and will be established (Prov. 12:19). They are the delight of God (Prov. 12:22).

In closing …

We should always try to keep the Commandments of Eloah engraved/etched in our hearts and try to keep our robes spotless, white and clean as we all strive/try to become like Eloah and His Law: Holy, Righteous, Goodness, Perfect and Truth, with the belt of Truth always tightly synched about us to help strengthen and guide our every action.

Always remember:

Ephesians 4:20-24 But that isn't what you were taught about Jesus Christ. He is the truth, and you heard about him and learned about him. 22 You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. 23 Let the Spirit change your way of thinking 24 and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy. (CEV)

Ephesians 4:22-24. … that, in reference to your former manner of life you lay aside the old self which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self which in the likeness of God had been created in righteousness and holiness of truth. (NASV)

Let us all be faithful soldiers in the army of God and take Eloah’s truth to the world.

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The Five Centralities of Eloah and His Law

What is Truth?

Truth is …

In closing …