A Parent's Joy

       What do I want for my children that would bring me great joy?  First and foremost I want them to be saved, be passionate for and have an awesome relationship with the Lord Jesus, the Father and the Spirit.  After that I would like for them to be honest, hardworking people of integrity full of the fruit of the Spirit and most of all love toward man.  Success, health, joy, married to good spouses, grandchildren...  not so important because I know that if they have the first thing, they have everything they need and their desires will be fulfilled in the Lord; and they should become the people they ought to be.

 

I have no greater joy than these things, to hear that my children walk in the truth. 3Jh. 1:4
Teach me Your way, O Jehovah; I will walk in Your truth... Ps. 86:11

       John found joy in knowing that his spiritual children (those he taught and became saved because of it) were walking in the truth.  So what exactly is walking in the truth, and should we be doing it?

 

walk- peripateo- (lit.) walk, tread all around. (fig.) To live, deport oneself, follow, go be occupied with.

 

       Obviously we can't literally walk in a thing called the truth.  That leaves the figurative meaning for walk which is to live, behave oneself, follow and be occupied with the truth.  Our behaviour should be based on the truth.  We should follow after the truth.  We should engage or employ the mind, energy, and attention to the truth.  None of these definitions mean 'sitting back on our laurels' and only thinking about the truth.  It is active: walking, follow after, to be busy, active with...

 

truth- aletheia- what is true in a matter, of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly, esp. In things pertaining to God, the duties of man, moral and religious truth; and basically, the Gospel

 

Sanctify them through Your truth. Your Word is truth. Jh. 17:17
...hearing the Word of Truth, the gospel of our salvation... Ep. 1:13
The sum of your word is truth...  Ps. 119:160 ISV
...O Jehovah, the God of truth.  Ps. 31:5
For the Law came through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Jh. 1:17
...truth is in Jesus. Ep. 4:21
However, when He, the Spirit of Truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth... Jh. 16:13
The truth of Christ is in me... 2Cr. 11:10
Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life... Jh. 14:6

 

       So the truth is the sum (entirety) of God's Word, the gospel of salvation, from God, Jesus and the Spirit of truth, which was brought to us through Christ Jesus when He came down as mortal man to show us the way.  Because of what He's done, we now have the Truth of Christ!  And because we have the Truth (Word) to read, the Truth (Father, Son, Spirit) to communicate with, the Truth of who God is and salvation He provided, we can now choose to walk in the truth, and that truth shall make us free! (Jh. 8:32)  Thus together with the psalmist we can pray:

Lead me in Your truth, and teach me;
for You are the God of my salvation;
on You I wait all the day long.

Ps. 25:5