The Truth

Dear Brethren,

What do we mean when we say, "The Truth"?  Have you ever noticed how folks in the world speak of their being "saved", while we talk of being called to a knowledge of "The Truth"?   Not only did Jesus Christ bring the "Truth",  He is that "Truth".  "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the Truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."  (John 14:6)

God's people live by absolutely every word of God.  Every teaching recorded in the Bible is the inspired Truth of Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:21)  It is this Truth that sets us apart from the world, making us a holy people.   "Sanctify them through thy Truth: thy word is Truth."  (John 17:17)

No one is able to be "saved" who has not embraced the full Truth of our Savior.  That is because there is no salvation without Truth. "... Because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved... because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth."  (2 Thessalonians 2:10, 13)

What the world is unable to grasp is the fact that there is no salvation outside of God's Truth.  God is served only by sincerity and Truth, not by this world's erroneous holidays and practices.  Only God's people know that.  "We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of Truth, and the spirit of error."  (1John 4:6)

Those of the spirit of error are not led by the commandments of God.  This world denies the Truth of God.  "Who changed the Truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creation more than the Creator." (Romans 1:25)  "He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, (including the Sabbath) is a liar, and the Truth is not in him."  (1John 2:4)

God the Father has granted us repentance of our sins, and given us faith in Jesus Christ.  After our baptism, He gave us the earnest of His eternal Life.  "In whom [Jesus Christ] ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise."  (Ephesians 1:13,14)

God's Truth is eternal Truth - it never changes.  God's people live God's Truth.  God must be worshipped in Truth - or it is not the worship of the True God at all.  "God is Spirit: and they that worship him must worship Him in spirit and in Truth... The hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in Truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him." (John 4:24,23 )  "God our Savior will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the Truth."  (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

That day of salvation for all mankind is not yet.  The world cannot know the Truth until Jesus Christ has established the Kingdom of His Father on this earth.  Only the "called out ones" are able to know the Truth of God at this time. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come... Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the Truth."  (2 Timothy 3:1,7)

If we belong to Jesus Christ, God leads us into His Truth today, just as He did those He called in the first century.  "Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth, is come, it will guide you into all Truth: for it shall not speak on its own; but whatsoever it shall hear, that shall it speak: and it will show you things to come."  (John 16:13 pronoun corrected)

God's Truth cannot be ignored.  His Truth is something that must be obeyed - it is not something that is only between us and God - His Truth must exist between us and our brothers and sisters.  "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."  (1 Peter 1:22)

True Christians today can know of a surety that we are of the Truth.  "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.  But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in Truth.  And hereby we know that we are of the Truth, and shall assure our hearts before him."  (1 John 3:16-19 )

"You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free."  (John 8:32)