THE TRUTH: FALSE CONCEPTS AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARD IT
After Jesus declared that His kingdom is not of this world, Pilate asked Him, "Art thou a king then?" Jesus' answer was, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice" (John 18:36-37). If the Truth is so important that Jesus came into the world in order to bear witness to it, then surely all of us need to diligently strive to understand that Truth and have a proper attitude toward it.
Let us first note some FALSE CONCEPTS people often have about Truth.
Many today claim there is no such thing as Truth. Their view of Truth is a subjective one, for they say there is no set, universal standard of right and wrong. A number of years ago we heard on the radio of a religious group that called itself "Peace Church." Their basic teaching is that all religions are good, so as long as you feel a particular teaching is right, then it is right or truth for you. In contrast to this, the Lord Jesus said to the Heavenly Father, "Sanctify them through thy truth; thy word is truth" (John 17:17). Thus,God's Word is Truth. God's Word is the definite, objective standard for all men everywhere.
Another idea that multitudes have accepted is that it is impossible to know the Truth. This also is a false philosophy of men. Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32). When our Lord declared to the Jews that they would know the Truth, was He simply confused? Of course not! Our Lord's words plainly show that it is not only possible to know the Truth, but it is essential to know the Truth in order to be made free from sin. When the Holy Spirit predicted that an apostasy would come in which some would forbid others to eat certain foods, He declared that such foods have been created by God "to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:3). This shows it is possible to know the Truth.
Others do not give attention to the Truth for they feel that Truth is not really that important. Remember, Jesus said that He came into the world to give witness to the Truth (John 18:37). It is the Truth that makes one free (John 8:32). Jesus told the apostles He would send the Holy Spirit to them to guide them into all Truth (John 16:13). If the mission of the Son of God and Holy Spirit are directly connected to the Truth, then how could anyone who believes the Bible is the Word of the living God conclude that Truth is not important? Our salvation depends on the Truth! Still, some feel though Truth is good, the teachings of men are also good. Friends, following the teachings or commandments of men causes our worship and service to the Lord to be in vain (Mark 7:7). False teaching never helped or saved anyone. Not one person! All false teaching is from Satan, who is a liar (John 8:44). Surely we can see that if the Truth saves and false teaching condemns, then there is a big difference between the Truth and the teachings of men.
Among those who believe in Jesus as the Son of God, one of the most dangerous false concepts is that Truth is not complete. In other words, God continues to give new Truth or new revelation today. The New Testament of Jesus Christ is "the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). The New Testament or Gospel is God's last revelation to mankind. Do not forget what Jesus promised His apostles: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth…" (John 16:13). Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide the apostles into All Truth. The apostles are now all dead. Our question is this: Did the Holy Spirit give the apostles all the Truth before they died as Jesus promised? If He did not, then Jesus' words did not come to pass, and He is a false prophet. But on the other hand, if the Holy Spirit did give the apostles all the Truth in the first century, then there is no more new Truth to be revealed! "All truth" is 100% of it, there is no more!
Of course Jesus' promise was fulfilled. Of course the Holy Spirit guided the apostles into All Truth. So, all of God's Truth was given to mankind in the first century, and thus He does NOT continue to give new Truth in our time, despite what some may claim.
What is our responsibility? What should we do with the Truth? Please consider these points:
1. We must realize that in religious affairs, only God has the authority to determine what is Truth. God's Word is Truth (John 17:17). Grace and Truth came by Christ (John 1:17). The Holy Spirit guided the apostles into All Truth (John 16:13). From where did Truth come? From Deity. When we want to know the Truth, we must go to the right source, the Word of God. Only God has the wisdom and right to tell us what Truth is.
2. We must desire to know the Truth. Just having the Bible or Truth is not enough, we must desire to know it. Truth can make us free only when we know it (John 8:32). The Lord commands us, "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17). Like the Bereans of the first century, we must receive the Word of Truth with all readiness of mind and search the Scriptures daily (Acts 17:11). The Lord Jesus said: "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Let all of us give more diligence to know the Truth better.
3. We must believe the Truth. God has given us food that we are to receive as those that "believe and know the truth" (1 Timothy 4:3). Believing the Truth or Gospel is a condition of salvation, for "he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). It is written of some, "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth" (2 Thessalonians 2:12). When we open our Bible to study God's Truth, we must remove from our mind any personal opinions, previous concepts, or prejudices that we might have. We must open our hearts to receive the Truth, for we are instructed: "…receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21).
4. In addition to believing the Truth, we must love the Truth. Pilate certainly did not love Truth. After he asked Jesus, "What is truth" (John 18:38), he left without even listening to the answer. Pilate's question, "What is truth," was a good one. But even a good question must be asked with the proper attitude, that is, with a desire to hear and receive God's answer. Of those who are under the influence of Satan we read, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved" (2 Thessalonians 2:10). Love of the Truth leads to salvation, but without such love, no one can be saved.
5. We must obey the Truth. This happens naturally in the life of one who really loves the Truth. Eternal life is the great reward for those who "by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality," but indignation and wrath await those "that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness"(Romans 2:7-8). From such verses it is obvious that without obeying the Truth, one cannot please God. All who are in Christ became Christians by obeying the Truth, for it is written, "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren…" (1 Peter 1:22). Without obeying the Truth, one's soul or heart cannot be purified. Unfortunately, in every generation there are those who obey the Truth and began their life in Christ, but after a while, for some reason, their obedience stops. There was such a problem among the churches of Galatia: "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth" (Galatians 5:7). Brothers and sisters, let us strive to obey the Truth, obey all the Truth, and obey it not just from time to time or when it is convenient to us, but all the time.
6. Obeying the Truth includes teaching it to others. Jesus taught the Truth (John 8:45-46). Paul spoke the Truth, even if others did not like him as a result of his message (Galatians 4:16). Our task is to preach the Gospel to all men (Mark 16:15). The "word of truth" is the Gospel of our salvation (Ephesians 1:13). Only the Gospel is the power of God to save men (Romans 1:16), so we must preach that message so that men can stop being the slaves of sin and have true freedom in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:16-18).
7. We must defend the Truth. Some men speak evil of the way of Truth, and many are false prophets or false teachers, teaching things that are contrary to God's Truth (2 Peter 2:1-2). You and I must be ready to give an answer for all that we believe and practice, and we must be prepared to defend the Truth. We know that some feel that God's Truth/Word does not need to be defended. Such an idea is false, for the apostle Paul declared he was set for the defense of the Gospel (Philippians 1:7; Philippians 1:17). Jude exhorted the early Christians to "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). No, we must not be unkind when we point out to others the errors they are teaching or supporting, but we must defend the Truth! In our time, some who in the past so faithfully taught and defended the Truth, are now compromising it. We must not imitate their mistake! Let each of us be ready to use the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, "to exhort and convince the gainsayers" (Titus 1:9; Ephesians 6:17). If we defend the Truth, we will not be popular among the people of the world and even among some brethren, but regardless of men's reaction, we must buy the Truth and sell it not (Proverbs 23:23).
May God bless each of us as we strive to understand His Truth, obey it, and maintain a proper attitude toward it.