LISTEN ONLY TO THE TRUTH

THE GOLDEN RULE OF TRUTH

The golden rule of arguing is to listen more. This way, one can analyze rather than being analyzed. Jesus told His disciples by abiding in His Word, they were indeed His disciples! And what does it qualifies to abide in His word? Knowing the truth behind the word and that truth sets us free from any bondage of the law (Jn. 8:32). And in His first epistle John states thus, “Again, anew commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining “(1 Jn. 2:8). Because false teachers were trying to lead believers astray, John wrote to remind Christians of the truth. Though these antichrist, who denied the basis teachings about Jesus, had left the church, they were still exerting influence. John therefore taught that Jesus was the Christ, God’s Son who had come in the flesh. These teachings came from the Spirit of truth. Furthermore, he instructed his readers to live by the truth (that is, in love). Amid contemporary confusion about who Jesus is, Christian’s are guided by God’s Word, which tells the truth about God and Jesus and human beings. We know the truth, and we live in relationship with the One who is Truth.

LISTENING ONLY TO THE TRUTH

Being careful to ascertain what is true and refusing to believe error is as important as simply believing the truth. In our lives, as in the lives of the people of Judah, untruths may sound far more appealing than the facts. Hope that is not based on truth is false hope and must be rejected. The temptation is great to believe lies, to receive false encouragement and act on it. The only safeguard against this is the truth, accepting and acting on it. God’s truth, now complete, was delivered through such true prophets as Jeremiah. Only as it is accepted as our only direction will be safe and bring honor to Him. Truth is always available, and must be followed in the presence of error, even when the truth is harsh and error is what we want to hear. The people of Judah were not in any way ready to listen and adjust or transform from the truth prophesied by prophet Jeremiah, but drawn their attention to the false prophets, their words and on their priests “Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, “Thus says the Lord; ‘Do not listen to the words of your prophets who prophesy to you saying, “Behold the vessels of the Lords house will now shortly be brought back from Babylon” ; for they prophesy a lie to you. Do not listen to them; serve the king of Babylon, and live! Why should this city be laid waste? But if they are prophets, and if the word of the Lord is with them, let them now make intercession to the Lord of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the Lord, in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem, do not go to Babylon. “For thus says the Lord of hosts concerning the pillars, concerning the Sea, concerning the carts, and concerning the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon did not take, when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem- yes, thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the Lord, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem; “They shall be carried to Babylon, and there they shall be until the day that I visit them,’ says the Lord, ‘Then I will bring them up and restore them to this place’” (Jer. 27: 16-22).

WHAT DOES THE TRUTH DO FOR US?

1.       The truth will always protect us: “Do not withhold Your tender mercies from me, O Lord; let Your loving kindness and Your truth continually preserve me” (Ps. 40:11).

2.       We are guided by the truth: “Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your tabernacle” (Ps.43:3).

3.       The truth sets us free: “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make/set you free” (Jn. 8:31-32).

4.       The truth sanctifies us: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the World, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth”(Jn. 17:17-19).

5.       The truth purifies us: “Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. “Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you” (1 Pet. 1:22-25).

WHAT DO THE WICKED DO WITH RESPECT TO TRUTH?

1.       The wicked definitely rejects the truth: “Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. So truth fails, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey” (Isa. 59:14-15); “but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness- indignation and wrath.” (Rom.2:8).

2.       The wicked do not speak the truth but lies just as their father the devil: “Everyone will deceive his neighbor, and will not speak the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; weary themselves to commit iniquity” (Jer. 9:5).

3.       The wicked distorts the truth:  “Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30).

4.       The wicked suppress the truth: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in righteousness” (Rom.1:18).

5.       The wicked exchange the truth for a lie: “Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than Creator who is blessed forever. Amen (Rom. 1:25).

6.       The wicked wander away from the truth: “Who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:18).

7.       The wicked oppose the truth: “Now as Jannes and Jambres resisted Moses so do these also resist the truth; men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith” (2 Tim. 3:8).

8.       They turn away from it: “and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Tim.4:4).

NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH

Abraham’s half-truth and half lie; “Now Abraham said to Sarah his wife, “She is my sister,” And Abimelech  king of Gerar sent and took Sarah”  (Gen. 20:2). The truth told in a way to deceive or mislead is still a falsehood. Such a mishandling of the truth is not a “white lie” but actually one of the basest of falsehood because of its greater deception. Abraham’s lie to Abimelech was not totally false neither was it totally true; but it had its intended effect. Abimelech believed that Sarah was a legitimate object of his attention. The partial truth tells the truth but leaves unsaid the whole truth. Yes Sarah was Abraham’s sister. Left unsaid was the truth that she was also his wife. By the half-truth Abraham conveyed the idea that was untrue. So the partial truth becomes falsehood by its mixture with a lie. A man speaks the real truth when he “speaks the truth in his heart” (Ps. 15:2).  And David’s incidence when he pretends to be insane before Achish king of Gath. David pretense to be insane was false, but the truth of the matter is that he feared for his life, and he had to play it safe to save his life “Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’? Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the door of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Look you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?” (1 Sam. 21:10-15). This of David we can call “a white lie “because he was not actually insane but for the sake of saving his life.

“Grace to you and Favor from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen and Amen and Amen.”