Number 69

THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH

The Apostle John declared to the "wellbeloved Gaius" that he "rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the TRUTH that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the TRUTH"; and he followed these words by a much stronger statement declaring, "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the TRUTH" (3 John 1:3, 4).

There can be no doubt but that these words express the mind of the Apostle John; nevertheless, we believe that John wrote by divine inspiration, saying only such things as God would have him say, so that in these words he was also expressing the very mind of God. Thus we have it, loud and clear, that God has no greater joy than to hear that His children walk in the TRUTH. Does the reader accept this? Does he believe it? Or has he accepted the popular idea that many other things bring greater joy to God than for the believer in Jesus Christ to walk in the TRUTH that He has given?

It is written and we believe that there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents (Luke 15:7), but we must also believe that this is not God’s greatest joy. He has declared otherwise, and it becomes faith on our part when we take Him at His Word and think and respond accordingly.

The words found in John’s third epistle should be enough to establish the importance of TRUTH in God’s sight, and the reader must admit that whatever is important to God should be just as important to him. Moreover there is something to be found in almost every book in the Bible that emphasizes the importance of TRUTH in the sight of God. We will consider several examples from the prophecy of Jeremiah.

When the small kingdom of Judah faced the threat of invasion from strong forces that would most certainly end in defeat and captivity, God spoke to Jeremiah saying: "Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the TRUTH; and I will pardon it" (Jer. 5:1).

Think upon this—one man seeking for the TRUTH would be sufficient cause for Jehovah to pardon the nation and preserve it from invasion and certain defeat. Here we learn, not only the importance of TRUTH, but also the importance of one man seeking it. He would be the one grain of salt that would preserve the nation. It seems tragic that there was no one man in Jerusalem who could step forward and say, "Lord, I am weak and insignificant, but all my life I have diligently sought for Thy TRUTH." But no such man existed in Jerusalem, a fact that causes us to wonder how many cities in the world could lead forth and present such a man today.

We live in a time when men have turned their ears from the TRUTH and turned them to fables (2 Tim. 4:3,4). They heap to themselves teachers who will tell them exactly what they want to hear. They are even as Jeremiah said of the men of Judah: "They bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the TRUTH upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me, saith the LORD" (Jer. 9:3).

The total absence of men in Jerusalem who sought after the TRUTH caused Jeremiah to cry out in anguish: "O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon the TRUTH" (Jer. 5:3). To this there can be only one answer—the eyes of God are most certainly upon the TRUTH. He wants to see what men are doing with it, how they are treating it, and what it means to them. "His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men" (Psa. 11:4). What pleasure then can it bring to God when singers repeat over and over the same lie that some Biblically illiterate composer has incorporated into some song—one sung not because it expresses any Biblical TRUTH, but because it has become popular with the masses. Can God find joy in their saying they "came to the garden alone," and claiming that while there, God walked with them, and talked with them, and told them they were His own, as one popular song declares? They know and I know that this never happened; but since they put sentiment and wishful thinking above the TRUTH, they sing this over and over again.

What has already been said brings us face-to-face with the most famous question ever asked, that which Pilate asked of the Lord Jesus Christ, "What is TRUTH?" It is hardly possible to read his question without detecting the note of weariness and skepticism of one who had persuaded himself that there is no such thing as TRUTH. He did not wait for an answer. He broke off the conversation with his question and turned away.

At that moment, TRUTH was very near to him, literally, standing in front of him. If he had waited for an answer, he might have found it. If he had asked as an honest inquirer, as a lover of TRUTH, our Lord might have repeated in his presence the very words He had spoken to His disciples a few hours before—"I am the TRUTH" (John 14:6). Before him was the very embodiment of TRUTH; before him was TRUTH personified. To lay hold of Him was to lay hold of the TRUTH.

"But," someone is sure to ask "is it reasonable to expect that when He becomes our Lord and Savior, the TRUTH is in our possession?" Yes, this is reasonable and also possible; for when we lay hold of Him, we lay hold of the fountain of all TRUTH. We are then connected with the Source, and TRUTH can flow unto us.

But will we, if we receive Him, have all knowledge, the answers to all questions, solutions for every problem? Are we then ready to serve Him in TRUTH with all our heart? The answer is no, for this One Who is the TRUTH must be apprehended by us. He must be "put on" (Rom. 13:14). And as we discover Him, as we learn what God’s Word has to say concerning Him, we will be discovering and learning the TRUTH—"taught by Him even as the TRUTH is in Jesus" (Eph. 4:21). In Him, we will find, in God’s due time, the answer to every question, the solution of every problem.

And yet, this forces upon us the question, how is this to be? What is the secret of "putting on the Lord Jesus Christ"? The answer to this is found in another statement. The One Who said, "I am the TRUTH," also said, "Thy Word is TRUTH.’ We need to face up to this declaration, for the Word we know is the TRUTH we know.

It is evident that many who make constant use of the word truth need to look it up in the dictionary. They seem to have no definition of it. Their only concept of truth is one of telling it or not telling it as they speak of the affairs of life. Truth, to them, has no bearing on the things of God and no relationship to Him. "It makes no difference what one believes as long as he is sincere" is their philosophy. The fact that God has spoken means nothing to them, and they care not what He has said. They have no love for the TRUTH.

The basic definition of truth is: that which accords with the facts in the case. This definition is so simple and honest that it is apt to be ignored. It needs to be fixed in our minds. As an illustration, I was born in a certain year, a fact that cannot be changed and one that is fixed by government records. If I should say that I am younger than I am, my statement would not accord with the facts and it would not be the truth.

God’s TRUTH is established by the facts recorded in the Word of God. "Thy Word is TRUTH," said our Lord. "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." These were the words of Isaiah (8:20) in regard to this.

Every direct statement in the Bible sets forth a positive fact concerning the subject of the declaration. It is our duty to discover these facts by diligent study. We must take the individnal words, phrases, and sentences, draw out of them their precise meaning, and apply them only after we have established of whom or what they were spoken, at what time, to what intent, and have given full consideration to the context in which they are found. This is "rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2 Tim. 2:15), and anyone who suggests that "right division" is of no importance has no love for the TRUTH and stamps himself as an unworthy interpreter.

Consider, for example, the Biblical facts concerning death. In its first occurrence, it is presented to us as being a divine penalty for certain sins. It is declared to be an enemy, and one that shall in due time be destroyed (abolished). In view of these facts, when we hear anyone speak of death as a friend, when they make it to be an angel that leads us into the presence of God, they are not speaking the TRUTH. What they say does not accord with God’s simple facts.

In his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul speaks of those who "received not the love of the TRUTH, that they might be saved" (2 Thess. 2:10). From this we know that the love of the TRUTH is a gift from God, a disposition wrought in man by the Spirit of God. It is an act of His grace that can be received or rejected. God will not force a love for His TRUTH upon anyone.

The Psalmist prayed, "Create in me a clean heart, O God," a prayer that we all need to utter today. And since we know that God has no greater joy than to hear that His children walk in the TRUTH, it would also be appropriate for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to pray along these lines:

"Create within me, O God, a pure love for Thy TRUTH. Indeed, Thou art a God of TRUTH; and You desire TRUTH in our inward parts. Give me the wisdom and courage to choose the way of TRUTH, even in the day when so few plead for the TRUTH, when TRUTH has fallen in the street, yea, when TRUTH faileth. Do this for me that I may serve You in sincerity and in TRUTH." (See Deu. 32:4; Psa. 51:6; Psa. 119:30; Isa. 59:4, 14, 15; Josh. 24:14).

As a young believer, I prayed after this manner many, many times. I had the Savior; with Him I was satisfied, and I loved to serve Him. But I lacked a real love for His Word which is His TRUTH. MY PRAYER WAS ANSWERED. Today, I ask only one question in regard to anything in the realm of divine matters— "Is it the TRUTH?" If it is, I will believe it; I will embrace it; I will proclaim it; and I will accept all the consequences that come from following such a course. I will recognize no other authority but the One Who is the TRUTH, the Lord Jesus Christ; and that which is the TRUTH, the written Word. These are my standards in regard to all I say or do.

INDEX

Issue no. 069