By Jeremy Bell
This is Psalm 19 with my notes on Personal Truth. Faith, Hope, and Love, discovered in truth in the writings of a people God has preserved for thousands of years. The Nature of Joy is not defined by failing humans. It is experienced through a perfect God who restores relationship to any who would respond.
I am going to highlight theocentric perspective using Psalm 19 as well as the connection to it from Romans 1: 16 – 25 and Hebrews 10: 1-10. All scripture is God breathed, written through His uniquely made people. People use it to learn to be people of God. Scripture is NOT people breathed to uniquely create God. Theocentric perspective is simply believing that God reveals, and people understand. It rejects that people understand and reveal to themselves, God.
Become Your Truth
Caroline Myss is quoted as saying, “Self-examination is the process of accountability to your soul… It is far better to ‘become’ your truth than to speak your truth. Self-examination is the practice of becoming your truth.”
Personal truth is further supported in postmodern thinking. In an essay titled ‘Identity and Postmodernism ‘ from UKEssays in November of 2018, the self is addressed through postmodern beliefs. Here are a few critical statements from the essay.
“Postmodernists maintain that the project of modernity has failed, and that no single source or body of knowledge can legitimize itself as a universal measure of value or identity.” “From a postmodern perspective identity is fluid and is dependent upon where the self is historically and culturally situated.” “Once the very identity of the self comes under threat, then so does the possibility of any coherency in social theorizing. A postmodern society is one in which the identities of the social actors are undergoing constant transformation. Identity then becomes open to contestation as there is no longer any ultimate referent (truth, science, God etc.) to provide universal legitimation.”
Careless Thinking
It may be that little thought is given to actual philosophical terms or reasoning when living ones’ life out. However, teaching is affected by it in every aspect and is received by a body of learners. Maybe you are living your personal truth through serious consideration and acceptance of the philosophy of the day. It could also be that you have never thought about it, but you have found open doors when living your personal truth. You get tired of talking about it, and just become everything you personally believe. There are many short-term benefits to this system. I apologize; non-system.
I personally fully recognize the advancements made in technology and exploration. Science has advanced well, and I am gratefully using the benefits of better medicine, doctors, and architects. At the same time, I was shocked to witness racism explode into violence and separate a nation. I see war escalating, sexuality become a fight, and a distribution of wealth that comic books were made for.
I could go on, but it would miss my point. At some point, one must wonder if this self-examination and glorification is wise. Accountability to the self is not proving to be of value. I have sad news for some of you. This non-system of living your personal truth is not new. The Bible has recorded this way of existing for thousands of years. It even directly links self-actualization to depravity, foolishness, evil, and dark. You may not view yourself this way, but there is no denying that people in general display an increasing measure of these qualities the longer we revel in this philosophy.
A More Perfect Judge Than ‘Self’
What if there is an ultimate referent, God, to provide universal legitimation? What if self-examination was replaced by self-denial? What if accountability is no longer to the soul, but to a perfect judge? What if it is better to ‘become’ God’s truth and to speak it instead of the continuing evolution of personal truth to suit our personal desires?
It does not mean that those who do have never been depraved, foolishness, evil, or dark. It means they have, and they know that death is waiting for them for practicing and demonstrating these things. They respond to the ultimate referent, God. They ask for and receive His mercy for making them legitimate, knowing they have no just reason or history to do that for themselves. They realize they are dark, and He is light. The only way is for the light to wash away the darkness, but the darkness has no power to wash.
Some want proofs. There is a lot of Christian history that points to the light. It is not perfect, but that is not the Christian story. While there are many proofs, some of the biggest proofs have existed before the creation of humans. Psalm 19 is a meditation written considering such proofs. In my motif analysis, I describe Psalm 19 as Verse form. A verse is one idea that still has a breakdown of pattern, but those patterns are contained in one idea. I have this visually represented in my book, Psalms in Motif Visualization. You can find it here!
[ Psalm 19 ]
The heavens declare the glory of God.
The expanse shows his handiwork.
Day after day they pour out speech,
and night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech nor language,
where their voice is not heard.
Their voice has gone out through all the earth,
their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for the sun,
which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room,
like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.
His going out is from the end of the heavens,
his circuit to its ends.
There is nothing hidden from its heat.
Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul.
Yahweh’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple.
Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart.
Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes.
The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever.
Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.
They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold,
sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb.
Moreover your servant is warned by them.
In keeping them there is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
Forgive me from hidden errors.
Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins.
Let them not have dominion over me.
Then I will be upright.
I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be acceptable in your sight,
Yahweh, my rock, and my redeemer.
Romans 1: 16 – 25
I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek. For in it is revealed God’s righteousness from faith to faith. As it is written, “But the righteous shall live by faith.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known of God is revealed in them, for God revealed it to them.
For the invisible things of him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity, that they may be without excuse. Because knowing God, they didn’t glorify him as God, and didn’t give thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to uncleanness, that their bodies should be dishonored among themselves; who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
Hebrews 10: 1-10
For the law, having a shadow of the good to come, not the very image of the things, can never with the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near. Or else wouldn’t they have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having been once cleansed, would have had no more consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a yearly reminder of sins. For it is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. Therefore when he comes into the world, he says,
“You didn’t desire sacrifice and offering,
but you prepared a body for me.
You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.
Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)
to do your will, O God.’”
Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law), then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Actual Answers from the Source
The law of the Lord is perfect, the statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, the precepts of the Lord are right, the commands of the Lord are radiant, the fear of the Lord is pure, the decrees of the Lord are firm. Jesus is the savior God sent for failures. Jesus is the perfect fulfillment of the law and all commands. Jesus is the perfect fountain that produces statutes, precepts, and decrees. Jesus perfectly demonstrates the fear of the Lord. In Jesus, failures are made perfect and become radiant. Failures find refuge in God the Father who is trustworthy, right, and firm. Failures (personal truth practitioners) learn the fear of the Lord (truth in essence).
There are only two pathways’ people exist in the philosophy of living. Those whom God has called through Jesus His son, whom He has filled with light and clothed in robes of His sons’ righteousness. The others are in darkness, exchanging His glory with created things, growing deeper and deeper in the void of darkness. Yes, many philosophies have been devised and many religions have been created to self-justify to satisfy personal truth. But they are all systems that create deceptive answers for the convicted mind. A convicted mind reveals justice, doom, and failure.
God Created All Things
God created all laws including moral ones. No one can make God do anything and everyone is subject to His judgement irrespective of their cultural and historical moments of life; irrespective of their personal beliefs. The day is coming when that judgement will be a terrible thing for those opposed to Him. But that day is not yet for the living. This is the day of salvation. Salvation is only for the personal truth deniers who turn to the essence of truth.
God sent His savior to save failures from His wrath. He sent His Messiah, His Christ, His son, who we now know is Jesus. We know because Jesus lived, died, and rose from His grave to never die again. He lives with the Father. He owns death. If anyone believes in Him, they will have eternal life. The self is bombarded by conflicting natures. Take a hard look at where self-examination and accountability lead and be skeptical about this dangerous nature. Consider the nature of God, as described in the Bible, and demonstrated by Christ Jesus. Choosing the robe of nature Jesus freely gives is being clothed in the Nature of Joy.
Resources and Notes
All scripture in this article is from the WORLD ENGLISH BIBLE (WEB). The World English Bible (WEB) is a Public Domain (no copyright) Modern English translation of the Holy Bible. The World English Bible is based on the American Standard Version of the Holy Bible first published in 1901, the Biblia Hebraica Stutgartensa Old Testament, and the Greek Majority Text New Testament.
For more related to this blog, check out my post on Practical Life Strategy Steps Created in Root Cause Abundance.
This is a reliable translation, but it is always good to read other translations as well. Biblegateway.com has a multitude of translations to read from. It is a great resource.
Another great resource is Biblehub.com. There are multiple translations, commentaries, and so much more. Great research can be done on this platform.
One more I use regularly is Gotquestions.org. This is a great site to answer questions and find threads of related questions.
There are many resources. The key is that God wants relationship directly with you, the individual. His primary source for revealing who He is and growing in intimacy is His word, the scriptures. Don’t just read for instruction. Analyze and read for understanding. Explore, ask questions, and be transformed in Jesus every moment you possibly can. There is no dispute this is a key desire of God. People are brough to the Father, in the Son, by the power of the Holy Spirit. This… This is the Nature of Joy.
Jeremy is an author, musician, and business intelligence manager. His mission is to equip and encourage those in Christ, to equip and encourage others in Christ. Jesus, Christ, is the Nature of Joy and melody of the heart. Jeremy unites business analytics (business intelligence), songs, and Scripture for Christian living in the power of the Holy Spirit.