The Truth
-tfRomans 1:18-32 "For the wrath of God is . . . against all . . . men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness. . . ."
With God, the truth comes before everything:
Exodus 4:19-31 (24) "And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him."
[Moses didn’t do what he was told to do.] (It seemed like such a little thing. Surely God wouldn’t notice.)
Number 12:(all) (15) "And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again." (The biggest operation on earth was brought to a screeching halt.)
[Miriam just criticized Moses a little. Was that so wrong? All the girls are a little liberated these days.]
Judges 6:1-27 (25) "And it came to pass the same night, that the Lord said unto [Gideon], . . . throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it. . . ."
[The general of the greatest battle on earth had to take care of something he neglected, and it had to be taken care of BEFORE the greatest battle on earth.]
(Not all men value truth highly:)
John 18:25-38 "Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?" (You will observe that the man Pilate got no answer to his question!)
Defined as "truth"
(1) John 14:1-6 "Jesus saith unto him, I am the . . . truth. . . ." (What about all the world’s religions?)
(John 10:1 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."
(2) 17:17 "Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (What about the "thee's and thou's.")
(Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!")
(James 1:18 "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.")
(3) 1st John 5:4-6 "And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."
(John 16:12-14 "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself. . . .")
(15:26 "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. . . .")
John 5:33 "Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth."
[It is testified of John that he has something in common with the Holy Spirit.]
(born of women, none greater)
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 "He is the Rock . . . a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."
Joshua 24:14-15 "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth. . . ."
1st Samuel 12:23-24 ". . . Only fear the Lord, and serve him in truth with all your heart. . . ."
Psalm 40:11 ". . .let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me." (Did you know that truth preserves?)
91:4 "He shall cover thee with his feathers . . . his truth shall be thy shield and buckler." (The truth protects!)
(Luke 13:34 "O Jerusalem . . . how often would I have gathered . . . as a hen doth gather . . . under her wings. . . .")
100:5 "For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." (and we still have it!)
108:4 "For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds."
117:1-2 "For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever."
119:29-30 "I have chosen the way of truth. . . ." ("Life is full of choices." This is an important one.)
145:18 "The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth." (They always leave that out!)
John 4:23-24 ". . . the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. . . ."
Proverbs 16:6 "By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil."
23:23 "Buy the truth, and sell it not. . . ." (There's nothing worth more than truth. What would you sell it for?)
Isaiah 38:18-19 ". . . the father to the children shall make known thy truth." (Not public school or seminary school!)
Jeremiah 5:1-4 ". . . seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man . . . that seeketh the truth. . . ."
9:1-6 ". . . they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth . . . and will not speak the truth. . . ."
Zechariah 8:1-8 ". . . Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth . . . and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness."
The Truth has Power:
John 8:31-32 "If ye continue in my word . . . ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
17:19 "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth."
Serving the truth is an active participation thing:
John 3:21 "But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
2nd Thessalonians 2:8-13 ". . . because they received not the love of the truth . . . God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie. . . ." (This explains a lot of people's problems!)
1st John 1:6 "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth. . . ."
Romans 2:5-8 "But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth . . . indignation and wrath. . . ."
Galatians 5:7 "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?"
1st Peter 1:22 "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently. . . ."
Hebrews 10:26 "For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. . . ."
1st Corinthians 13:4-6 "Charity [godly "love"] . . . rejoiceth in the truth. . . ."
QUESTION: So what about the religious people who get enraged when you tell them the truth?
ANSWER: Galatians 4:16 "Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?"
John 8:39-47 "And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not." (This is a spiritual problem.)
Religion as the Leading Example of Rejecting the Truth:
2nd Timothy 2:15-18 ". . . their word will eat as doth a canker . . . who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some."
3:7-8 "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."
4:1-4 "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."
1st Timothy 4:1-3 "Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth."
2nd Peter 2:1-2 "And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."
2nd Corinthians 4:1-7 ". . . not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves . . . in the sight of God." (You will appear as a queer bird in the world’s eyes if you do this.)
6:1-7 ". . . But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God . . . By the word of truth. . . ."
13:7-8 "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth."
Acts 9:4-5 ". . . it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." (Who wins in a kicking contest with a cactus?)
2nd Timothy 2:12-13 ". . . God hath . . . chosen you to salvation through . . . the Spirit and belief of the truth. . . ."
(This is a package deal, and always has been!)