A LIFE WITHOUT GUILE!

Thursday, October 17, 2019

A LIFE WITHOUT GUILE!

John 1:47

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

           The word “guile” can be found eleven times in the Authorized Version. Four times in the Old Testament where it is translated from some form of the Hebrew word mirmah which indicated “deceit, falsehood, and treachery.”

           Each of the seven times it is used in the New Testament it is from the Greek word dolos which literally means “a decoy.” In speech it is often seen as smooth talk which hides a hidden and damaging agenda. We can clearly see this in the following verse:

Ps 55:21

21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

           Nathanael attracted the Lord’s admiration for his simplicity and directness. With Nathanael “what you see is what you get.” Even when his opinion was harsh and even cynical it was honest. There was no hidden agenda or attempt to deceive. Jesus did not have to carve His way through lies to get to Nathanael’s heart.

Col 4:6

6 Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

           What would happen if today we lovingly told the truth?

Dear Lord, let me be gentle in my honesty and honest in my gentleness. AMEN