Special Expanded Issue: TRUTH
Establishing Truth
The angry mob came into the garden and led the King of Kings away. They delivered Him over to Pilate citing their reason to be that they were not permitted to put a man to death. Pilate then continued to question the Lord and quickly found Him to be innocent. At this scene the Bible records Pilate asking a thought provoking question which everyone today who would follow our Lord must ask, “What is truth?” (John. 18:38)
When John opens his gospel record, he introduces Jesus by saying, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). He went on to say, “For the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). God sent His Son for the purpose of revealing to all the truth found throughout His Word.
Through all of the events that God allowed, He had one desire: to reconcile His creation with Him. In order to accomplish this, His creation needed to learn a lot about who their Creator was and the love that He had for mankind. Jesus’ coming and offering at Calvary made all of this possible. He taught, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Jesus desired that all of His disciple would be set apart as beacons of light in a dark world. He prayed to the Father, “Sanctify them in truth, your word is truth. As you sent Me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask for these only but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in Me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (John 17:17-21).
How do people come to know this truth today? How do people gain freedom from the shackles of sin? They must read and study the Word. Jesus spoke to a group of His disciples and said, “If you abide in My word, you are truly My disciple, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31-32). Paul reminded a young Timothy that God has given us everything we need in order to come to know the truth. He said, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
In order to be the people of God, you must listen to the Word! Jesus spoke to Pilate and said, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice” (John 18:37). The Word of the Lord teaches all men everywhere to listen to the truth found only in the Word of God. In this men can have the confidence which will lead to reconciliation with the Father and eternity in Heaven. –David Deason deasonjd@bellsouth.net
Editorial: The Function of Truth
Jesus said, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32). How can learning the truth make us free? One might answer, “The truth tells us about Jesus and how to avail ourselves of His sacrifice.” True, but that is hardly a sufficient explanation of the function of truth in salvation. If the saving power of truth merely consisted of accepting Jesus’ death, why is the reception of truth described in such violent terms? “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ (Acts 2:37)” Cut to the heart because they learned that Jesus loved them and had died to save them? Not hardly. They were cut to the heart because they realized their personal responsibility in bringing about that death (Ac. 2:36).
At the end of 1st Corinthians 13, Paul anticipates the completed, written revelation of God’s word in the pages of the New Testament. (That this is the theme of 1Corinthians 13:8-13 is evident from the context and structure of Paul’s argument.) He says that when God’s revelation is perfected: “I shall know just as I also am known” (1Co. 13:12). God’s word, the truth (Jn. 17:17), enables us to see ourselves as God sees us. The function of truth is to reveal reality, to expose what is false by illuminating the true. Notice how the Hebrew writer associates the word of God with God’s perfect insight into man:
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (4:12-13)
The word of God cuts us; it pierces even to the division of soul and spirit; it discerns our inner thoughts and motives. The truth teaches us about ourselves, and what we learn is not pleasant. We are wicked, wretched, miserable creatures, “hateful and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). We all are guilty of sin and continue to “fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The truth forces us to confront who and what we really are, not what we imagine ourselves to be. We are not good, moral people. We are sinners who have rebelled against God and corrupted the purpose for which He gave us life (cf. Genesis 1:26). That is the truth.
Thankfully, the truth reveals more about reality than just our cursed state. It reveals that the holy, just God is also full of love and compassion. He came in human form to offer Himself as a sacrifice for sin. His grace can take away our sin, a blessing reserved for those who appropriate its benefits by faith (Ephesians 2:8-9; Mark 16:16).
Truth hurts. It must. Until it does, it cannot save. No sinner can be truly converted until they have first mourned and repented of their sin (2Corinthians 7:10; James 4:9). The apostles did not appeal to the unsaved first with messages of God’s love and grace. They first indicted their audience as condemned sinners, then extended to them the reviving hope that is available in Jesus (cf. Ac. 3:12-26). Truth is hard to hear; that is why it is so rarely seen in the religious world today. The word of God must cut us in order to save us, and that is why we must speak the truth, in love (Eph. 4:15). –The Editors
The Demands of Truth
When one is exposed to the truth that is God’s word (John 17:17), what does it demand? Is there a divine expectation? Does the New Testament record any response to the proclamation of truth that clearly meets with God’s pleasure?
Having been largely rejected in Thessalonica for their preaching of the Gospel, Paul and Silas fled that city for their own safety and came to Berea proclaiming the same message of salvation in Jesus Christ (Acts 17:1-10). On that occasion, what response was elicited by the presentation of God’s truth? “Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, along with a number of prominent Greek women and men.” (Acts 17:11-12)
The inspired word records for us the commendable character of those in Berea who heard the Gospel. Clearly their reaction to the preaching of Paul and Silas met with God’s approval. What warranted such praise? What can we learn about the appropriate response to truth?
Truth demands our Attention. The Bereans “received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). This audience seized upon the opportunity to hear God’s word, having the inclination and zeal to pursue its depths. Their interest was to know truth, and their hunger manifested itself in their focus and study (2 Timothy 2:15). Truth demands the same of us, for it is the well-spring of spiritual liberty (John 8:32; Romans 1:16).
Truth demands our Acceptance. Having examined God’s word seeking confirmation of the message presented before them, and having found the Gospel proclaimed by Paul and Silas to be truth, “Therefore many of them believed” (Acts 17:12). Such is the only natural response of any honest heart. The salvation of one’s soul demands that he “in humility receive the word implanted” (James 1:21). In other words, truth demands a place within the very fiber of our being, grafted into our hearts that they might be shaped by God’s will.
Truth demands our Action. Having exhorted his audience to meekly receive the truth, James continued by saying, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves… An effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:22,25). To fully believe the truth (Acts 17:12) is to implement what it demands for our lives (Acts 16:30-34; James 2:14-26). Attention to and acceptance of truth without its application is much akin to receiving a physician’s diagnosis without taking the prescribed treatment. One simply cannot be of noble character while refusing submission to the truth of God (Matthew 7:21). Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)
Wisdom declares, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it” (Proverbs 23:23). The value of truth demands our attention, acceptance, and action. Any less is to choose the bondage of ignorance, to embrace the travesty of falsehood, and to live under the condemnation of error. Noble-mindedness is our answer. –Jeremy Paschall jeremyp@copper.net
The Cost of Truth
What does learning the truth cost? Infomercials on TV and ads on the radio and in print are constantly promising to reveal the secret of weight loss, hair re-growth, or photographic memory. It only costs three easy payments on your credit card. Most of us are wise enough to realize that the secret behind most of these offers is simply a creative way to get your money. But many people are foolish enough to believe that they can learn the truth on these subjects and do so inexpensively. Learning the truth is never cheap. Even when the knowledge is offered for free, truth will cost us a great deal personally.
Truth will cost us our ignorance. An untaught man may plead ignorance when confronted with his failure to do right. But once a person learns the truth, he can never again claim that he did not know what he ought to have known. When an erring person discovers the truth, he has two choices: remain honest by admitting his fault and altering his behavior, or become dishonest by persisting in what he now knows to be false. A man may be stubborn and defiant after learning the truth, but he can never again be ignorant.
Truth will cost us our pride. To possess the truth, one must surrender his preconceptions and the confidence he had in his former assertions. Truth requires us to confront the reality about ourselves and the world. The Bible does not permit us to go on believing we are good, moral people apart from Christ. Instead, Biblical truth forces us to see ourselves as we really are: wretched, rebellious, and depraved. The man who confronts the truth of God must humbly abandon what he thought he knew in pursuit of what he has learned is right. A man may be prideful in rejecting the truth that condemns his person and opinions, but he must be humble to truly embrace and obey the truth of God.
Truth will cost us our comforts. Oftentimes learning the truth will bring negative consequences into a person’s life. Jesus said that a man’s enemies would be those of his own family (Mt. 10:34-37). The early Christians were viciously persecuted and mistreated for their loyalty to Christ, and every godly person will suffer opposition for the cause of their Lord in some way (2Ti. 3:12). Those who seek the truth must be prepared to suffer indignity and abuse at the hands of those who stand against Christ, even though it may be their own family.
You get what you pay for. Religious doctrine that costs man nothing is likewise worth nothing. The wise man said, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding” (Pr. 23:23). The truth of Jesus Christ will cost us dearly, and it carries a price that few, unfortunately, are willing to pay. -JME
The Other Side Of Truth
We have devoted this issue to the subject of “Truth”. There is no doubt that, in God’s mind, it is a vital topic. Jesus says, “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free...” John 8:32; He also says, “Sanctify them by Thy truth; Thy word is truth. John 17:17 1 Pet 1:22, 23 says, “...Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth ....love one another with a pure heart fervently..”
In man’s mind, positions and responses to truth vary widely.
The general social attitude toward truth seems to run in cycles. During the “dark ages” the bulk of society had a rigid idea of truth, and most of the then known world accepted it. Those who differed were treated very unfairly–many times violently–and it was an age of great INTOLERANCE. Today the situation has changed to the degree now that almost every claim to truth is considered acceptable, and so we live in a time of great TOLERANCE, where almost everybody is considered to be right. The true child of God is under intense pressure in either case. Bound to follow truth, even if it leads him to act differently than what most think to be “right”, he becomes subject to violence from those who–in an age of INTOLERANCE–have a different idea of truth. But, if he lives (as we do today) in an age of TOLERANCE of many forms of “truth”, by following the REAL truth, he will again be subject to societal rejection.
Many have tried to resolve this dilemma by professing a regard for truth, but making many compromises as to what “truth” is. Others hold to a “truth”, but think the best solution of things they believe to be “untrue” is to focus on “truth”, and allow “untruth” to go unchallenged. Such a course ignores a very significant aspect of “truth”. Believing a thing to be true involves believing its opposite to be false. If we firmly believe in a positive teaching or practice (truth), both reason and loyalty to truth demands we just as firmly disbelieve in its opposite. To illustrate: I firmly believe in a real God, who actually exists. By doing so, I am obligated to disbelieve and deny what some say is “truth”, that He does NOT exist. I firmly believe that the Bible is the truth, and God’s word. I thereby am obligated to disbelieve other claims to truth, and deny those who do not follow this truth. I firmly believe that it is a sin to add to or take from the Scriptures (this is “truth”), so I must reject and deny those who would do so, or justify doing so. This is not a light matter. By refusing to deny the opposite of truth, I am guilty of abetting the very thing I deny! If we contend FOR the “truth” (Jude 3), we must contend AGAINST any “untruth”. Failure on the part of those who believe in “truth” to do this must bear part of the responsibility for the collective indifference to real truth! --AcBelue
The Love of the Truth
God wants you to be saved. Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:4&5 and said that God “desires all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” God looks at us with love. He does not want any person to be lost and separated from Him for all of eternity. However, it is not simply a matter of God fulfilling His wish, of God reaching down and saving unwilling or ungrateful people no matter what their attitude to Him and His word is. As much as God wants to save man, that salvation hinges on man coming to the knowledge of the truth. Man must acknowledge God as their creator and realize that the only way God has allowed people to come into Him—to be saved—is through Jesus Christ. When Paul wrote about the need of man to come to this knowledge of the truth, he said it was “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men.” God and His revelation simply are true.
Do you want to be saved? It seems like it would be simple and natural to accept the reality of our lives, but unfortunately there are many who cannot bring themselves to do that. Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica in 2 Thessalonians 2:10 warning them of these kinds of people, describing them as “those who perish, because they receive not the love of the truth so as to be saved.” Paul also reveals something about their motivations in vs. 12, saying they “did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.” For people who do not love the truth, their own pleasure in life, no matter how wicked, is the most important idea to them. They choose to reject any truth that would affect their enjoyment of or right to that selfish pleasure. But this is the love of the truth: merely to accept what one knows is the reality of things no matter what the consequences are to oneself. This is what God expects from us: to believe in the truth He has told and shown us. We are not to ignore or invent or dilute parts of the truth in any way to be more pleasing to us, or to lessen our responsibilities to our Creator. Instead, we are to view the truth with respect and devotion and honor. We are to love it.
The reason that some people will be lost and separated from God for all of eternity is not because of some sort of problem with God’s justice. Instead, people will be lost because they chose to reject what is true and right. The idea of “loving the truth” is not some mystic religious process. It just means being willing to accept things the way they are. Love God, love the truth, carry out the consequences of those sincere feelings, and God will fulfill His own desire to save you.
–Ben Williamson herofortheday@gmail.com
My Truth, Your Truth, God’s Truth
Truth, as a commodity, is very scarce in today’s religious thinking. One reason for this is that it has been removed from the area of “fact”, and relegated to the realm of “opinion”. It is no longer fashionable to respect an objective standard of truth; men now claim the “right” to their own special brand. And, what is “true” for one person may differ widely from what is “true” for another–with the irrational response from many that BOTH are “true”. It is clear that those who thus think do not have a clue as to what TRUTH is!
We do need to be clear about one thing–in this country we are relatively free to develop and hold to “our” idea of truth. But, this is not a “legal” question! It is not a matter of “religious freedom”; it is a matter of definition: What constitutes “truth”? Is there room for MY idea of truth; YOUR idea of truth; and GOD’S statement of truth together in divinely approved aspects of religious belief and action?
We must start with this “truth”: What God says is TRUE! It is not true because I “think” it is true; it is not true because men have voted to accept it as true; it is not even true because it “seems to be true”.It is true in the very nature of the case. It is true precisely because it is God’s truth. God “cannot lie” (Heb 6:18). “Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Rom 3:4) His “word is truth” (John 17:17). Whatever He says IS true, and where it differs from what man says, what man says is always false! So, if we are thinking properly, there is no such thing as “my”, “your”, and “God’s” truth. I may have an opinion; you may have an opinion–but God alone establishes truth.
Actually, this is just another way to “take the heat off”, and be left alone to follow our own way without opposition. We don’t want to have to justify our opinions–we just want to hold them without opposition, and within the realm of common consent. This is just a way of saying, “you go your way, and I’ll go mine”, and we’ll both go to heaven anyway. When the conversation turns to confronting the reality that we think differently, to speak of “my” and “your” truth is a “buzz word” to say “this argument is over”! Rather than accept our intellectual responsibility to “be ready to answer” every man (1 Pet 3:15), we thus make further inquiry “out of bounds”, and seek to lay claim to the high ground of “truth” without the honesty to admit that our view of truth may be flawed. Such verbal gymnastics may soothe our conscience, but it does not advance the cause of “truth”–yours, mine, OR God’s! – AcBelue
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