The True Witness
THE NINTH COMMANDMENT
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor (Exodus 20:16).
First, the obvious meaning is very important although it is only the beginning—do not tell lies about people
We have to apply this principle of not bearing false witness right throughout our lives. It is very important to practice because whatever you say about another person will happen to you, yourself. If you lie about another person—that is an unpleasant word but I am using it because is the right word—someone will lie about you. Jesus says so in the seventh chapter of Matthew, verses one and two:
Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
However, the fundamental meaning of this commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness,” Is that you always express what you are. You cannot be one thing and express another. Emerson says, “What you are shouts so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” We are always witnessing to what we are. So again, “Thou shalt not” really means “You cannot”—you cannot permanently bear false witness.
The true witness is the full expression of God’s man. You will be bearing true witness to your neighbor when you are regenerated in soul. What does regeneration mean? It means the building of a new soul, not correcting the old one. When you change the soul, automatically the flesh changes, the skin changes, the blood vessels and the nerves and the bones change. But regeneration must begin with a change in the soul, not with anything in the outer world.
When we really know these things, we shall be bearing true witness.
On this, the first day of Lent, it serves us well to reflect on this message. This is the time that Christians set aside to change our soul and regenerate ourselves into that person that God would have us be. It is a time for self denial, self reflection and spiritual resurrection. It is a time to repent and to do penance through self sacrifice and giving to others.
This is a season to strip away our lies and rationalizations about ourselves. It is a time to prepare ourselves for renewal and for the rebirth of the Holy Spirit within us. It is a time to bury the old sinful self and for God to raise a new and regenerated spiritual self.
Then, just as when Jesus died for our sins and was then resurrected to change and save the world, we will change, and the world around us will reflect the change within us. Then we will bear true witness to God above and here below. Then we can live our days in the garden that awaits us bearing true witness to the resurrected and living power of Christ.
In reflection and repentance,
Z gardener
Good Morning Garden 
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