“The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (Psalm 119:160).
David affirmed that the entirety of God’s word – the sum, not just some – is truth. This is what we should expect since the word is from God (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; 2 Timothy 3:16) and “it is impossible for God to lie” (Hebrews 6:18; cf. Titus 1:2).
While it is important that we understand that the word of God is truth (John 17:17), it is also important that we appreciate various characteristics of truth. Certainly there are those who do not accept the Bible as truth; but of those who do (or claim that they do), many simply do not understand the nature of this truth. It is not whatever we want it to be. Truth is from the mind of God whose ways are infinitely higher than our own (Isaiah 55:8-9; 1 Corinthians 1:25). So let us consider some of the characteristics of truth.
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The Scriptures tell us that “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the trust in God as the “rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). Faith is the determination to obey the Lord (Romans 1:5; 16:26). Faith does not come by God miraculously giving it to us through some direct, divine action. Rather, “faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Romans 10:17).
Often when people make New Year’s resolutions, they begin with the words start, stop, or improve (or synonyms of these words) – start exercising, stop smoking, improve spending habits, etc. As we grow and mature, it is good to improve in all areas of our lives; but it is particularly important to improve our spiritual lives. So as we begin a new year, I want to suggest some resolutions for all of us to consider as we seek to please the Lord.
