From Only Lies—To Only Truth

“Only emptiness are the children of men, only delusion (a lie) are the sons of men; in the balances they go up; they are altogether empty.” Psalm 62:9 (Norwegian). A profound truth. In both cases the word “only” is used. Not a “great deal” of emptiness and “a lot of” delusion—“only” emptiness, “only” delusion—are the sons of men. There is another scripture that says, “You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting . . . .” Dan. 5:27. That’s how thoroughly corrupted we are because of sin, emptiness and delusion. Just imagine a human being thinking and saying, “I think this,” It seems to me,” and “I don’t think so”—how ironic. The majority of people continue to do this, even after they have been in the church for many years. There are lots of things that they have opinions and feelings about. They think about things, and then they talk. Think if they had believed all of this was only emptiness and only delusion. I remember the way I replied one time when I was asked, “What do you think about hat?” Then I took the liberty of answering in the following way: “Wait a bit, I’ll look and see.” Where was I going to look? Here in the Bible. Think to really understand that there is no good thing in us as human beings—in our flesh, which is the same thing. Everything is wrong. It isn’t just that there’s a lot that is wrong—everything is wrong. The only thing that is true is written here. Many have not understood even this much, even though they have been among us for many, many years. The only reliable thing is God’s Word. When it concerns life and salvation and happiness, there is nothing else to be found that is true. It’s written in Romans 8 that those who live according to the flesh, cannot please God. That’s reasonable. God is the very truth itself. All that is emptiness and delusion cannot please Him.

There is a term used in the world for people who talk a lot; they are referred to as chatterboxes. We have a lot of these chatterboxes in the church. They babble and carry on, and they babble so fast that they don’t have a chance to think about whether what they are saying is true, or if it is God’s Word they are speaking, or if it’s all just their own opinions. We read here that, “the sons of men are only emptiness”—and the daughters aren’t one whit better; they are, rather, worse. Simply stated, this means that all human beings are liars. It’s not just that they lie occasionally; no, they are always liars. The same thing is written in Romans 3 verse 4—which are Paul’s words. There is an art in letting God’s Word stand just as it is. It doesn’t help just to understand and nod your head in agreement that this is right and good. I have to keep the Word consciously before me. I have to stick to God’s Word—strictly. And here it is quite clear what we need to stick to: That God is true, and every man is a liar. “As it is written, ‘That thou mayest be justified in thy words . . . .’” Then my words must be God’s Words. This is the only thing that is true and righteous. “And prevail when you bring your case” (Norwegian). That is to win when you bring your case. Our case (business) is to be thoroughly saved. Here it can succeed if we let this truth stand like the rock of Gibraltar—immovable and unshakable. That is that God is true. God’s Word is exactly true in everything, and every human being is a liar. Everything that human beings think—all their opinions, everything they feel—is utterly wrong. When a man gets converted, it is precisely this type of person—empty and given to lying—who receives peace with God.

In John 14:6 there are three different things that are written about, but we will take the one that is in line with our theme—“I am the truth.” As human beings, we are nothing but lies, and He is only truth. Think what a tremendously great and glorious salvation and transformation it represents for us to become like Him, and it is written that we are to be like Him. And He is only truth. We who are only lies and deceit are to be transformed completely and entirely to be only truth. If we believed this, it would bring an end to all chatter. This would give us something to think about that is deadly serious and at the same time glorious—transformed from just lies and deceit to the pure truth. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” We’re not just talking about the usual lie or tall story. That’s what most people think about when one talks about lying. Such brash, premeditated lying is, of course, the exact opposite of the truth. In the beginning, one’s light about the truth doesn’t reach any further than this. In other words, such a person is in very great darkness. When two women talk together (it can be this way with men also, but it is especially true of women), it’s like a drum-roll—non-stop, with not the slightest thought about the fact that what they are saying should be divinely true, and what is more, profitable. In such a case, it’s not just that what they re saying isn’t true—even though that is bad enough. The worst thing is that it isn’t even intended to be true. The truth is of no interest to them. They talk just like other people do; they have grown accustomed to it since they were babes. Unfortunately, most everyone knows that the others are like that also, so they are content with their condition. They are no worse off than other people, or the majority of other people. But “the others” aren’t to be our standard of measurement. We are to be conformed to the image of Christ, become like Him, become only the truth.

There are many different ways of lying. We have talked about one of the main areas, but this is just a part of the whole matter of lying. It consists of many departments, or whatever you might call it. Let’s look in Luke 12:1. There is a scripture here that many, many years ago sank deeply into my heart, and it abides there day and night. It’s supposed to be like that with all of God’s Word. There isn’t any other way for us to be saved, other than to take the Scriptures to heart and live according to them. Is hypocrisy an amazing phenomenon that was limited to the time when Jesus lived and hasn’t been seen since? What is hypocrisy, anyway? It is 100% deceit. You can accomplish it with or without words. You can even manage it by the expression on your face. For example, you can have a “pasted-on smile” as we have been taught to have and as we have been exhorted to do. You must “keep smiling!” we read in the newspaper. But that isn’t the truth. That amounts to an exhortation to always be hypocritical. Smiling is such a nice thing to do; women are particularly sentimental; they think it’s so nice to try and outsmile the others. They look like angels. No doubt, many a man has proposed to such a sweet looking thing. Think that he was so gullible as to believe that she was a sweet-tempered as she appeared to be. When the truth of the matter could be that she was just really clever at playing the hypocrite; she was pretending to be sweet. It wasn’t true. When the trials came in daily life, she was sour and bitter, even offended. I have many times defined what hypocrisy is. The very best, most easily understood and reliable definition—I’m sure many of you here remember it—is to pretend that you are something that you are not. That’s plain language, isn’t it? To pretend. There isn’t anything innocent about that. It’s 100% deceit. We have another word for the same thing. That is to “perform.” A third word is “acting.” Professional actors and actresses aren’t the only ones around that have talent for acting. All of us have considerable acting ability, and many have a lot of practice in using that ability. Many are very capable actors and actresses. Big hypocrites. Big liars. They are, for the most part, just like they were when they got converted.

I have a simple example that I have used different times. You look out the window and see someone coming to visit you. A person that you simply can’t stand. The person comes up to the door and rings the doorbell. You open the door. “OHHHhhh, how nice!” You could just as well be on stage at the local theater. You pretend that you are so sweet and good and that the person is as welcome as can be, while deep down inside, you wish with all your heart that the person were in Timbuktu. This is no laughing matter; it’s not a trivial thing. We have many words to describe this stuff. It’s the same as being phony. There isn’t anything artificial in God’s kingdom. When we are true through and through, then we enter into God’s kingdom. Then God has been able to do His work, and we will have reached the goal.

I have one more word, and that is the word “guile.” That’s the same as being a fake, being a phony, or being a pretender—just like lying. Something that has really amazed me—I have mentioned it a few times in the course of the years—is that in Peter’s letter he writes very briefly about some of Jesus’ characteristics, just a very few of them. I think there were three; I don’t remember for sure. One of them is that there was no guile found in His mouth. In other words, that is something very great. What does all of this indirectly but clearly say about the way things usually are? Let’s have an answer. It tells us that the usual thing is that people are full of guile, they are hypocrites, pretenders, actors, and liars. All of these terms are summed up in this passage. This is a tremendous thing. Think about the extent of God’s love for us. It’s absolutely staggering. We ought to think long and hard about it—for the rest of our lives. Think that He loves us so much that He wants to give us such a glorious, divine, and perfect salvation, while we are here in the days of our flesh, now during the time of grace, during our time of exile, so that we can be true, through and through—true in word and in conduct.

The normal thing is to do whatever you can to hide your faults, to hide your sin, to hide your true condition. To acknowledge your true condition is the worst thing you can imagine. You reason that if you acknowledge things before the others, their estimation of you will sink. And that’s the last thing you want. You want the exact opposite. You want to be great in the eyes of the others. The more interest you have in being highly esteemed by the others, the more terrible is the thought of sinking in their estimation. But in whose eyes do you sink when you are honest and upright? In the eyes of foolish people. In the eyes of those who have so little of the light of life and who have such a backward understanding of life that they mistake white for black. So you sink in the eyes of all foolish people. What does that matter? There is no advantage in being highly esteemed by them—quite the opposite. Just as certainly as you will be less esteemed by such people, you will, quite rightly, be more highly esteemed by God. Is there anyone here who believes that this pays? Such people grow in God’s esteem. We can even go so far as to say that God is wildly enthusiastic about people who, to such a degree, love the truth, are honest and upright, are without guile, and are without hypocrisy and pretense. Of course we can’t hide the truth from God, but we can hide it from people.

We can truthfully say that, even among us, it isn’t fashionable to ask for forgiveness. It’s almost never done. But what is done, is that people transgress against others at every turn by talking about them.

I already mentioned this, but there are even more words for the same thing—insincerity and dishonesty. It’s incredible how many aspects lying has. It certainly isn’t honest to hide your poor state and pretend that you are better than you are. Can you say that this is honest? In God’s eyes, that is? Honesty in the world’s eyes means not embezzling or stealing. But it is God with whom we have to do. Can we call pretending that you are better than you are, honest—I ask you? Then can it be called dishonesty? Absolutely. I imagine that if there is one thing that the majority of the brothers and sisters are certain about, it’s that that they are honest. But when you get right down to it, and we try the matter in God’s light, according to God’s Word, it isn’t true. Dishonesty clings closely in many forms. This is no laughing matter, far from it.

If we look in the concordance under uprightness (the beginning is especially good), the first entry is found in Numbers 23:10. There’s a really wonderful expression here. “Let me die the death of the upright . . . .” That’s the same as the death of one who is truthful. Die like one who has become only truth. No matter what it concerns, no matter what you are dealing with, both in earthly and in spiritual things, true in the very depths of your heart—the very depths of your being. Then truth will come out of your mouth, too. This will bring forth a life and conduct that is true. “My words are honest and upright . . . .” Job 33:3. Honesty and uprightness are one and the same thing. “My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.” Psalms 7:10—that’s clear. He’s not able to save anyone else. People haven’t received a great enough love of the truth. They are not motivated to pursue the truth with all their might and lay hold of it in every area and in every detail of their lives. “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” Psalms 32:11. Shouldn’t we all shout for joy? Shall we see who is the best at rejoicing and praising God? That’s what they do out in the harlot world. There they compete in “praise and worship,” and, practically speaking, everyone and everything is a lie. But, if they can manage to say things in an impressive way, so it really sounds good, and creates the right atmosphere, then they have “ministered” in a tremendous way. What have they actually done? They have staged a tremendous performance—what hypocrisy! It is really significant that the Holy Spirit has another name: the Spirit of truth. And it isn’t holy if it isn’t true. But if it is true, then it is holy. Think how phony, so incredibly hypocritical, to work the atmosphere up to fever pitch, and all on a false foundation. Praise is fitting for the upright. That is clear. We are to sing praises to God for what He does. But when it isn’t genuine and true, how can it please God, who is the Spirit of truth. Spiritually speaking, if not humanly speaking, this is insane.

Songs of praise are fitting for the upright. That means it isn’t fitting for anyone else. It’s very important to praise God—in truth, with true lips. We had a remarkable case down in Southern Germany one time. We have gone to conferences there for twenty some years. It all started when one man got the idea to invite everyone from all church groups that believed in the atonement to a conference. First there was a regular conference where there were a lot of people, and then there was a brother’s conference where there were fewer. One of the leading brothers there prayed to God and said, “And when we come before Your face, O God, we tremble.” He didn’t say, “I,” but “we.” What was that? It was an out-and-out lie. Then I asked the assembly, “Is it true?” “No!” they shouted. He took it very well. Very praiseworthy! Even though he was the one leading the meeting, he went down and sat at the back of the hall. “No,” I said, “you don’t need to go down and sit at the back, but you must stop lying.” Then he embraced me and wept. “No one has ever spoken to me like that,” he said. “Aslaksen is my apostle.” That was the second time he had lied at the meeting. He lied also in his testimony. This is actually quite common. People compete in lying, compete in hypocrisy. Why did he say such a thing? Because he knew that it sounded impressive. There was no thought about whether it was true or not. It’s just like I mentioned before. The worst thing isn’t the fact that they lie, that is bad enough, but the worst thing is that it wasn’t intended to be true. What was the intention? That it should appear impressive, that it should sound good—100% hypocrisy, 100% theatrics.

There is a lot written here in the concordance. Please meditate on all that is written about uprightness! Make a good start at following my indescribably good advice [to use the concordance]. Do it today or tomorrow, and keep it up. Not just for the sake of reading it through, but so that it can sink down into the depths of your heart, and you can hold onto it. Hold onto the fact that God is true and every man a liar. One of the things that made the biggest impression on me when I read it for the first time, and subsequently also, is Psalms 64:10. Look it up! Here is a picture that can give, practically speaking, everyone opportunity to judge themselves. When our lives aren’t in exact accordance with the Word, then there is something wrong with us. Quite a bit wrong. “Let the upright in heart glory!” [Rejoice with exceeding joy—Norwegian]. This is characteristic of all upright people. This needs an explanation. When we read, take time, and are very interested, then God has the opportunity to give us light and revelation in His Word. Otherwise, He hardly has a chance. It says we are to take heed to ourselves and to the doctrine. What does that mean? We are to compare ourselves to the doctrine and see if our lives are in harmony with it. If they are not, then it isn’t because there is something wrong with the Word, but it’s because there is something wrong with us. Surely you understand that by now. So the distinguishing characteristic of upright people is that they rejoice with all their hearts. We have the explanation; are you interested in hearing it? I would imagine that initially the majority won’t understand it. God is so in love with the upright of heart that He hastens to save them—utterly, powerfully, completely. Then you become so ecstatic and joyful that you rejoice with all your heart. Such people are always very happy people—so happy that it cannot be hidden. Most people haven’t come to such a life. I have lived long enough to be able to speak reliably about the matter. For many people, there is an enormous lack in this area. In fact, many people are quite the opposite of happy. What they look like can vary, but they’re not ecstatic. And the unmistakable characteristic of the upright is that they are ecstatic. And how can they be otherwise when God utterly and completely saves them? Then things go amazingly well. When we are full of joy and have heaven on earth dwelling inside of us. This is something quite different from pretending.

I just remembered an expression from one of the Psalms. “I desire truth in the inward being.” Psalms 51:6. So when we give a testimony, it must be true according to God’s standards. In other words, things are just exactly like I say they are. I’m really like this on the inside. In order to strengthen others in faith, I have given some pretty bold personal testimonies, all of them true. I could have chosen not to, but I decided to do it, nonetheless, so that it might have the effect of strengthening each individual in faith. If it is possible for me, a one-time incorrigible wretch, then it is possible for others also. Isn’t that a simple calculation? I hope that to some extent it has had the desired effect. I have told exactly and truthfully how it was with me in the beginning, right after I was radically converted. I wept until my pillow was wet because of sorrow over my sin. I couldn’t stand living that way. I would rather die with faith in the forgiveness of sins than go on living and continue to sin. And as it is written, blessed are those who mourn—not about others but about themselves. They will be comforted. I experienced the fulfillment of this scripture. The only thing that could comfort me was victory over sin. God sent me in an amazing and wonderful way, at full speed, right to old Brother J.O. Smith. There I heard the truth. And later there was victory—complete victory, stupendous victory, more than victory. Blessed are the poor in spirit. I was so poor that I couldn’t manage to go on living that way. Blessed are those that hunger and thirst after righteousness—not that the others should treat me in a righteous way—that’s what most people are like—but that I should do righteousness and be absolutely righteous in every area. They shall be filled. This is the truth. This isn’t just some religious fairy tale. God stands behind what He says. They shall be filled. They will receive all that they hunger and thirst for. It’s no wonder they become ecstatic.

We are not to be drunk with wine but be filled with the Holy Spirit. What kind of Spirit is that? The Spirit of Truth. We are to be motivated and led by that Spirit. He leads us to speak the truth. He doesn’t lead us to practice hypocrisy. He leads us to be honest and upright. Even in the world, ungodly people understand that much, but to live according to that understanding is another matter. However, it’s that way with many of the friends also. They have a lot of light and a lot of knowledge about different things (not nearly enough, though), but what good is it if I don’t live according to the light that I have? The judgment is just that much more severe. To have knowledge but not live according to it is a terrible thing. He who humbles himself will be exalted. God will see to that. What does it mean to humble yourself? It is to accept that I am not as great as I am reputed to be. Everything is to be true, and therefore I have no other choice than to humble myself. I wonder how many are occupied with this? How many are involved in humbling themselves? God really wants to exalt us, not inappropriately, but according to the truth. When we fulfill the condition by humbling ourselves, then we will be exalted. God can’t manage to do anything else but exalt us. He is so in love with the truth. Usually people are entirely too high-minded. But it is possible to humble yourself to such an extent, and to go down to such a degree that you become rooted in lowliness. Then nobody, neither person, nor devil, nor spirit can get you to exalt yourself. You stay there for good—even if you are praised and honored in the strongest way. You can be so rooted down there in the truth that there is no power, nor might, nor spirit that can get you to exalt yourself in the slightest degree.

It is written that we are to outdo one another in showing honor. And on special occasions in one’s life, like birthdays or anniversaries, one can be especially honored. For me, it has been like this; it’s just like I am sitting in a vault—nothing can penetrate through to me. That has been my experience. It doesn’t bother me in the least. It isn’t difficult to be me. I also have it in writing [i.e., something that is written praising me], and I could, of course, take it out and re-read it and enjoy and savor it. Not a chance. I don’t have any interest in it. I hear what they say, and what is true, is true. But let’s put it like this: Satan tries to get me to exalt myself but he has given me up as a hopeless case. He is to some extent wise. He doesn’t waste his time on people when there is no hope of success. That’s because they have kept that scripture about resisting him firm in the faith so that he will flee from them. He comes diligently back to many people because they listen to him. So it’s not strange that he should come back. His work is succeeding. From only lies to only truth, that is our heavenly calling. Even every facial expression is to be true. So that if you look quite serious, then you are quite serious. If you look quite grieved, then you are quite grieved. (And there is a lot to grieve over. There is a lack of grieving.) And when you rejoice, your joy has the right and true foundation.

I wish you well. Work with this for the rest of your lives—all of you. Right at the moment I see it like this: There isn’t anything better to do. Love is very important, as important as it can possibly be, but it is also written about unfeigned love and feigned, or false, artificial love. That’s what there is the most of. Many act and talk like they are so loving, and yet it doesn’t correspond to the truth. It doesn’t matter what theme we take—truth, righteousness, love. It doesn’t matter; it can be genuine or false, pure or impure, sincere or insincere. It is written about a sincere love. I wish the best for each and every one of you. Oh, that everyone would become really desperate about getting hold of this! It’s wise to speak to yourself, and I have a suggestion for a theme. Speak to yourself about the truth. Speak about the fact that everything is to be true, through and through. It is often much better to talk to yourself about something that is profitable, than to talk to other people. There is often a lot of empty talk.

I wish the very best for each and every one of you! For several years I have used the expression, “a glorious meeting,” “a good meeting.” But what is a good meeting? What is the most glorious thing about it all? That is that it’s true, and if it isn’t, then it’s deceit, hypocrisy, humbug, lies, play-acting, falsehood, and artificiality. I have given a lot of good advice, and blessed is everyone who can manage to follow it with joy. You are supposed to follow advice. Moreover, there’s nothing else that God wants; it’s only a question of what you want.