Articles
The Truth
1) The truth is the Word of God. Jesus expressed in His prayer to the Father: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Truth is not relative, it is fixed and enduring for all time (Jude 3; I Peter 1:22-25). Truth is not based on feelings, opinions or the wisdom of men, but upon the inspired Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
2) The truth will set one free. Knowledge of the truth will set us free from sin (John 8:32, 34; I Tim. 2:3-4). Sin brings spiritual slavery and death (Rom. 6:16-18, 23). Only truth brings liberty and life (John 14:6). Religious error does not set anyone free, it only enslaves one to the devil (2 Tim. 2:25-26).
3) The truth exposes sin in a person’s life. Jesus declared: “For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:20-21). This is why so many do not want to be confronted nor condemned for the sin in their life (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 5:11-13).
4) The truth is to be spoken in love. Paul instructed the saints in Ephesus to do this (Eph. 4:15). At times the message of the gospel will offend and upset some no matter how kindly we express it to others. Truth is a must, but so is one’s attitude in speaking that truth. However, “speaking the truth in love” does not mean that sin in a person’s life is not identified and condemned (I Cor. 5). “Speaking the truth in love” does not mean error is ignored or tolerated (2 Tim. 2:17-18). If we love the truth and love the souls of men, then we will obey the command to speak the truth in love.
5) The truth is contained in all of God’s Word. The “entirety” of God’s Word is truth (Psalm 119:160; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). People outside and inside the Lord’s church need to hear the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27). Some may not want to hear certain Bible subject, however to neglect teaching any part of the doctrine of Christ is to miss out on some vital truth that God has revealed to us and expects us to follow (2 John 9)!
6) The truth must be applied to do us any good. If we read and know the truth contained in the Bible, but never apply it to our lives, it will be of no profit to us. Truth sets us free from sin only when it is obeyed (Heb. 5:9). Studying the Word of God is like looking into a mirror, it reveals what we look like spiritually (Jam. 1:23-25). Changes (i.e. repentance) in our lives must occur where necessary (Acts 2:38; 3:19). So let us then “be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).
