THE POWER OF THE TRUTH
TRUTH AND ERROR
The truth of God can readily be exchanged for a lie if people
reject the evidence of God before them, as did the Gentiles:
However, to follow faithfully on an ongoing basis the truth we
acknowledge is more that just conforming to a pattern of behaviour.
The world is full of people who know better but who do not act
upon their knowledge. For instance, is not a marriage in which
those wholesome principles which make a relationship work are
embraced wholeheartedly, in the realization that these are living
laws, going to be more successful than one where these same principles
are only casually subscribed to, or than one where they are not
upheld at all? Yet in all three cases, the knowledge of those
timeless principles can be present.
GIRDED WITH TRUTH
DELIGHTING IN TRUTH
To love God's truth is to delight in God's law and in all His
ways. This is the mind of the godly man or woman:
If we do indeed delight in the truth of God then we will stand
up for it, fight to preserve it, always be a true and faithful
witness to it in the same way that Christ was to His Father (Rev
3:14), the true God, or the God of Truth (Isa 65:16).
The truth of God, of which we are possessors, and in which we
are hopefully all continuing to grow, is powerful indeed, in so
many ways. For instance:
Jn 17:17,19 "Sanctify them by the truth; your word
is truth.
The Word of God and, as Ps 119:142 tells us, the Law of God, is
truth, the revelation of God's eternal values, which can keep
us, though in the world, unstained from it, and set apart for
holy service to God.
19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may
be sanctified by the truth."
1Pe 1:22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying
the truth so that you have sincere love for your brethren,
love one another deeply, from the heart.
On-going obedience to the truth that has been entrusted to us
propels us toward true, deep, sincere godly love for those in
the household of God, which is described in 1Ti 3:15 as the pillar
and foundation-or the bulwark-of the truth.
1Jn 3:19 And by this [by deeds done in truth - v. 18]
we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts
before Him.
Our hearts and our consciences tell us that we belong to God if
we act in accordance with His truth.
Jn 8:32 "And you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free."
One of these great freedoms, brethren, is the freedom from
the error of deception.
The apostle Paul provides us with a summation of the reasons for
the great deception-a massive torrent of error-that is to come
upon the world in these last days:
2Th 2:9-12 The coming of the lawless one is according
to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish,
because they did not receive the love of the truth [NIV:
"they refused to love the truth"], that they might be
saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion,
that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned
who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
Paul is here telling us that it is not just the truth of and by
itself, but also a love for the truth of God willingly
received which opens the path to salvation, whereas a refusal
to both desire and to love the truth leads to error and deception,
which results ultimately in God's judgement. Because people intentionally
choose to reject truth, God allows them to be deceived by the
Devil, so lies, as opposed to the truth of God, will be followed.
Moreover, Paul adds that not to believe the truth is to delight
in wickedness. This is so because the truth alone is the foundation
of true godliness:
Tit 1:1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus
Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth
that leads to godliness.
If the truth leads to godliness, its absence, therefore, equates
with ungodliness, hence Paul's comments about delighting in wickedness,
instead of delighting in the truth.
Anything foreign to the truth is a lie, and the truth of God cannot
co-exist with lies:
1Jn 2:21 I have not written to you because you do not
know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of
the truth.
So it is not only a lack of belief in the truth but also
a lack of love for it that will bring about this great
deception. And, brethren, an unwillingness to love the truth
can likewise lead to a decision on the part of those of us who
have truth to turn our backs on it.
Ro 1:20-21 For since the creation of the world His invisible
attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that
are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are
without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did
not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in
their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
They were not thankful to God for the truths made available to
them as revealed in creation nor did they glorify Him as God on
the basis of what they understood, and so they lost even what
they had:
Ro 1:25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and
[as a result] worshiped and served the creature rather than the
Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Paul then goes on to say in this chapter of his epistle to the
Thessalonians that our calling as God's elect was through God's
foreknowledge that we would respond to, accept and believe His
truth. Our salvation is therefore predicated upon this willingness
on our part to continue to follow this truth:
2Th 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks to God always
for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning
chose you for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and
belief in the truth.
God's elect were chosen not just to believe in the truth but also
because of their preparedness to believe in it.
Similarly, possessing the precious truth of God and having a love
for it are not automatically synonymous. Anyone can outwardly
imitate the patterns of behaviour followed by a peer group. Belief
in and practice of the eternal truth of God-truth that we too
will be upholding for eternity- requires a genuine love for it.
We can have the truth and yet at some stage end up denying it-or
lying against it-by our actions. If we so do we do not really
love the truth as we ought to:
Jas 3:14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in
your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
If such fruits of the flesh regularly prevail in our lives, how
can we say we are walking in accordance with the truth we purport
to believe, and how can we claim to delight in this truth?
Jas 3:14 (NIV) But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish
ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the
truth.
So we must ensure that we walk in the truth which we
possess:
3Jn 1:3-4 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and
testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the
truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
walk in truth.
The Greek word "walk" used in these verses gives the
sense of a daily habit from which we do not deviate, a total preoccupation,
an consistent code of conduct.
Indeed, we must be blameless before God in our walk in this truth:
Ps 15:1-2 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may
live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and
who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart.
What can we therefore do to ensure that this precious truth is
never lost nor exchanged for error? How can we continue to maintain
this walk in the truth?
All our actions as Christians must embrace the truth:
1Jn 3:18 My little children, let us not love in word or
in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Jn 4:24 "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship in spirit and truth."
Our life and actions as Christians should always be a testimony
to the truth. This was the apostle Paul's mindset:
2Co 13:8 For we cannot do anything against the truth,
but only for the truth.
None of Paul's actions during his life in the service of Jesus
Christ ever brought the truth of God into disrepute, ever clouded
it or allowed it to be enshrouded in ambiguity or kept in the
background. In the same manner, our very existence as Christians
should validate the truth of God. If we love the truth we should
oppose anything that attempts to obscure it or to substitute for
it. God lamented the failure of Israel to do just this, so that
error and evil resulted, and the truths of God and the knowledge
of God were ultimately lost:
Jer 9:3 "And like their bow they have bent their
tongues for lies. They are not valiant for the truth on
the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not
know Me," says the LORD.
We all too often find our efforts very non-valiantly expended
on a host of material things in this end-time Babylon, on the
deceitfulness of riches, for instance. Yet how valiant are we,
armed with a love for the precious truth God has entrusted to
us, when it comes to a readiness to fight to preserve it and to
stand up for it in the face of a foe who is subtle and relentless
and whose sole purpose is to see us exchange this truth for error?
Eph 6:13-14 (NIV) Therefore put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your
ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand
firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with
the breastplate of righteousness in place.
Notice that the very first item in the outfit of the Christian
warrior is the belt of truth. When a man prepared for vigorous
action, he tied up his loose, flowing garments with a belt so
he was unimpeded in his task. Similarly, we cannot even begin
the fight of faith unless we are first girded with, supported
by and strengthened by the truth. Without this, any subsequent
fighting would be futile, even if we were to physically prevail.
The saints of God must not only witness to, but also love and
delight in the truth of the gospel of salvation, in the ways of
God and in the law of God.
We are told to rejoice in the truth:
1Co 13:6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in
the truth.
The New International Bible translates this verse as:
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth,
which is its literal translation. Christian love is always united
in truth. Brethren, do we rejoice in the truth of God? How is
this evidenced in our lives?
Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and
in His law he meditates day and night.
And this was the experience of all the great men and women of
the Bible.
Ps 40:8 I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your
law is within my heart."
Ps 119:47 And I will delight myself in Your commandments,
which I love.
Ro 7:22 For I delight in the law of God according to the
inward man.
Can we say truthfully in our hearts what David was able to say
to God?
Ps 139:17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O
God! How great is the sum of them!
These words are the expression of a man who truly delighted in
God!
We too, if we are to learn to delight in the law and the ways
of God, must meditate on these. Notice what the apostle Paul
tells us in regard to this:
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are
pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good
report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy;
meditate on these things.
The more we meditate upon, ponder, think about, the good things
of God and His truth, the more we will come to delight in them.
And the list begins with those things that are true-God's truth,
upon which all godliness is based!
The actions of King Jehoshaphat of Judah in fighting to preserve
truth when error abounded were the result of his delight in the
law and ways of God:
2Chr 17:3-6 Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because
he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek
the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father, and walked in
His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. 5 Therefore
the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah gave
presents to Jehoshaphat, and he had riches and honor in abundance.
6 And his heart took delight in the ways of the LORD; moreover
he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.
CONCLUSION
If we have the truth and walk in it and retain a love of the truth
we will not succumb to error. Toward that end, let us resolve
to make David's prayer to God our own prayer as well:
Ps 86:11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in
your truth; give me an undivided heart [Heb: "unite
my heart" - the "new" heart
of Eze 11:19, a heart single-mindedly devoted to God, to
His way and to a love of His truth] that I may fear your name.