|
TRUTH AND THE PURSUIT
OF…
By C. Ross Trotter
The pursuit of truth is our greatest
challenge in every day life, in every one of our endeavors. In these last
days we have witnessed a wholesale abandonment of truth. In any cultural
war truth is the first casualty. Today we are told everything is relative.
Scripture repeatedly portrays a rise in lies and deceit to be
characteristic of the last days. What is truth? In John 18:37 Jesus is
standing before Pilate and Pilate asks Him a question:
“Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou
a king then? Jesus answered, 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.
Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?”
Pilate’s question is still valid today.
Truth speaks of being genuine, exact, conforming to a standard, absolute! We either have truth or a lie! We need to know what is true
regarding Jesus (Yeshua) and the major tenets of our faith in Him. If we
know the written Word and have a personal relationship with the Living
Word (Christ Jesus), then Satan cannot tempt, or deceive us with his lies.
How did Jesus define truth in John 17:17?
Speaking to God the Father in prayer, Jesus said:
“thy word is truth.”
How important is God’s word to Him? In the
Psalms we read: “I will worship
toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and
for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.”
(Psalm 138:2)
So we see it is very important. God places
His Word above His Name!
In John 8:31-32 Jesus says:
“If ye continue in my word, then are ye my
disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make
you free.”
Notice it does not say just set you free,
but make you free – there is a difference. Making one free is not only the
power to set free but the truth to maintain that freedom. Knowing and
maintaining the truth is the first step, the next step is operating in it.
The Lord Jesus Christ says to:
REJOICE IN THE TRUTH!
“Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in
the truth;” (1 Cor. 13:6)
LOVE THE TRUTH!
“And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of
the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send
them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might
be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
unrighteousness.” (2 Thes. 2:10-12)
STUDY AND DIVIDE THE TRUTH!
“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a
workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of
truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)
WALK IN THE TRUTH!
“For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren
came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in
the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in
truth.” (3 John 3-4)
OBEY THE TRUTH!
“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: Being born
again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,
which liveth and abideth for ever.”
(1 Peter 1:22-23)
SERVE THE LORD IN TRUTH!
“Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth
with all your heart; for consider how great things he hath done for you.”
(1 Samuel 12:24)
SPEAK THE TRUTH!
“He that walketh uprightly, and worketh
righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.”
(Psalms 15:2)
KNOW THE TRUTH!
“If ye continue in my word, then are
ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free.”
(John 8:31-32)
Truth in a broad sense refers to
“truthfulness”, meaning integrity of character. In Psalm 51:6 we can see
what our Heavenly Father desires of us:
“Behold, thou desirest truth in the
inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.”
Where do we get the truth? From the Word of
God!
What does it mean to be a “truthful person”?
It means we do not lie to ourselves, to others, or to Jesus Christ in word
or deed! We are told in Galatians 3:27
“For as many of you as have been
baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Truth, then, is wrapping ourselves in the
character and nature of Jesus Christ in every activity.
Truth is something we live! Truth is
Someone who lives! (Jesus Christ)
In John 14:6 Jesus says: “I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh
unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my
Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
Therefore: Wrap yourself in THE TRUTH,
appropriate… THE LIVING WORD: JESUS CHRIST!
Volume 12, 2009 |
