Q 125: What does the Lord promise in the ninth commandment?

A 125: In exchange for obedience to the ninth commandment the Lord promises to dwell in the midst of His people, restrain evil among them, and grant them to know the full measure of His covenant blessings. (Num. 35.30-34; Deut. 19.15-21; Deut. 6.16-19)

Truth is a powerful tool for restraining the progress of evil. But this functions at all levels of life, in every arena of life, and through all our words and deeds. Christians can make a difference in the temper of the times by simply refusing to participate in lies. Solzhenitsyn’s advice to the artists of Russia, in considering how to respond to the lies of Soviet duplicitous and oppression, should be adopted by every believer for all of life: “Let that come, if it must come, only not by me!” God will provide for our needs, keep us in His sovereign care, and advance His reign of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Spirit – Whose words are truth and life (Jn. 6.63) – when we make standing for and speaking the truth hallmarks of our everyday experience.

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