The Lord Is Nigh

"The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." (Psalm 145:17-18)

God is righteous and holy, in other words, perfect. Anything without sin is pure, perfect, without defect or fault. That is God. Because God is perfect (to be perfect), therefore He can only do (manifest) perfect. All of His ways and works are perfect.

“Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” (Matthew 7:17-18)

“Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” (James 3:11-12).

Sin and unrighteousness are impossible from our perfect God

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God is close to all, but then the Psalmist clarifies and defines who “all” really are. God is close to not just anyone and everyone, but rather He is close to those who 1. call Him 2. “in truth”. This truth is a condition, a state of being.  Just like God is perfect (state of being), He will be nigh to those who are in truth (state of being).

This truth is a double-edged sword. One edge of the sword of truth deals with no falsity, hypocrisy, or deception. It is reality in the pure and righteous.

The other side of the side of truth is stability, firmness, sureness, and exacting. Like an arrow is true to its mark, so is a child of God true to our Lord.

But here’s an interesting quandary. How can man be this double-edged sword of truth when we are forever tainted by original sin? Remember, this true is a state of being, a condition. We are to be “in truth”. This is only made possible when we are in Christ, when Jesus is in us and we in Him. Jesus Christ and the blood covering of the cross is how we are able to be in truth. It is the only way we are made presentable to God.

God will be nigh to all those who call upon Him in Jesus, the truth, the way, and the life.

Bill Hitchcock