THE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OF THE SCRIPTURES!!

Standard of Authority–THE WORD OF GOD!!!

Text: II Kings 17:7-23    “THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE”

I.         How do you determine what is right or wrong?

A.        How does your neighbor decide? Or your co-workers?

B.        We all base our behavior on standards that we have accepted as authoritative, but those standards vary.

C.        What makes a good standard?

1.         It needs to be fixed

a.         A standard that constantly changes would be difficult to follow.

b.         “Let’s see, today is Tuesday so it is wrong to eat catchup on hamburgers today, but tomorrow we can’t have mustard on hot dogs.”

2.         It needs to be fair and equitable

a.         Standards that differ because one is rich or poor, or based on ethnic origins, or gender are not good standards

b.         We don’t like it when celebrities are released from crimes, mostly because of their celebrity status.

3.         It needs to be reliable

a.         The standards need to produce good results.

II.        Personal Standards

A.        In answering people’s questions, I have been struck with the realization that many people look no further than their own feelings as a guide.

1.         One woman wrote that she feels her husband no longer loves her. She was frustrated because he wouldn’t discuss divorce with her.

2.         A fan of Binny Hinn ignored evidence that Hinn was a false teacher, saying he saw the empty wheelchairs. He knew that Lord was behind the work. He wouldn’t trade that feeling for all the world.

3.         A young man wanted to know what he should do because he felt he couldn’t wait to have sex.

B.        In all these cases, an appeal is made to personal feelings.

1.         Feelings are given greater weight than facts.

2.         Yet, feelings change. They can be manipulated.

a.         You can watch a movie and laugh, cry, get angry, or feel embarrassed.

b.         But if I asked you, you would admit that the movie was not real. You know that it is just actors reciting lines made up by other people.

c.         Even knowing it is not real, you let your feelings change based on imaginary circumstances.

3.         If feelings can be so easily altered, why do people trust them?

a.         Instead of reasoning things out, he foolishly follows his heart – Proverbs 18:2

b.         A fool to trust your own heart – Provers 28:26

4.         Feelings are neither fixed, nor reliable

C.        One’s conscience is not a adequate guide

1.         Paul acted always in good conscience – Acts 23:1

a.         But this is the man who in younger days killed Christians – Acts 9:1-3

b.         This man later said he was the chief of sinners – I Timothy 1:15

c.         Because he persecuted the church – I Corinthians 15:9

d.         If we appeal to Paul’s conscience, at what point was he right?

2.         A conscience can be seared – I Timothy 4:2

3.         It can be trained – Hebrews 5:14

4.         If a conscience is trained well, it can make a good rough guide, but it cannot be a standard – Romans 14:22-23

D.        Can a person be his own standard?

1.         Too many people think this is the case – Psalm 12:4; Judges 21:25

2.         “I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Means that I find it acceptable, so therefore I’m doing it – Psalm 10:3

3.         People make mistakes

a.         Jacob “knew” that his son was killed, but he was wrong – Genesis 37:33-25

b.         Man is not capable of directing his own way – Jeremiah 10:23

c.         Doing your own thing was forbidden – Deuteronomy 12:8

4.         That is why the Old Law required two or more witnesses

a.         One man is easily wrong, but it is harder to fool many

b.         Seek the advice of many – Proverbs 15:22

III.       Scholars as a Standard

A.        It is common to hear people quote some commentator or biblical scholar and say that if a wise man believes it, then it must be so

B.        Our faith is not to be in the wisdom of men – I Corinthians 2:5

C.        It should not be who says, but why they believe it.

1.         A true wise man should be able to explain why they came to their conclusion.

2.         But that means we are not accepting the man’s conclusion but learning how he applies an authority greater than himself.

IV.      The Majority as a Standard

A.        Well, if it is harder to fool multiple people, then the more who follow something, the more right it must be.

B.        I had a man call the other day wanting money, but he quickly began berating the church. He asked if I knew of Karl Ketcherside and Max Lucado. How, he wanted to know, could I condemn them when so many follow their teachings. Had I noticed that conservative churches tend to be small? Didn’t that tell me something?

1.         I directed his attention to Matthew 17:13-14

2.         Israel fell as most of them turned to idolatry – II Kings 17:7-17

C.        How can this be?

1.         Many will not think for themselves, but will assume that if others are doing it, it must be right.

2.         We have a tendency toward a herd mentality, following the crowd, caving in to peer pressures.

D.        The truth is the majority is rarely right.

1.         Yet, we use it all the time.

a.         “All my friends are doing it!”

b.         Everyone is investing in XYZ, there must be something there

2.         Proverbs 1:10-16 – Right and wrong is not based on peers

E.        “Other religions do it”

1.         Many practices are justified in a manner of keeping up with the Jones.

2.         If the church done the street gives food to the poor, serves coffee in the morning, or has a camp, then others want it too.

3.         Like Israel’s argument for a king – I Samuel 8:5

4.         It is another form of making men the standard for what we do.

V.        Government as a Standard

A.        Governments exists to uphold standards – Romans 13:3-4

B.        But are governmental decisions a determiner of right and wrong?

1.         Many act this way. Things once seen as sins are felt justified because people managed to get governmental allowances for their sins.

2.         Abortion was once wrong, but is now legal. Homosexuality was once wrong, but is wining more allowances daily. Divorce was once frowned on, but now we have “no-fault” divorces.

a.         People are seeking to legalize marijuana usage. Why?

b.         Does government allowance make it use good?

c.         Is alcohol or smoking good because the government permits it?

3.         It is not only in civil governments, but we find people striving the same in denominations’ religious governments

a.         Denominations have voted that hell isn’t real. That living together without marriage is not a sin. That homosexuals can be clergy members.

C.        But governments can and have been wrong!

1.         German government once allowed the destruction of their Jewish population. Because it was authorized, did it make it right?

2.         Government laws are constantly changing. At what point were they right? Is every change necessarily an improvement.

D.        Just like the majority view, governmental views are no standard.

1.         We get lulled into following them. Especially when those laws have been mostly good in the past.

2.         Once again, we yield to the herd mentality – Acts 4:18-20

VI.      Cultural Traditions as a Standard

A.        Different societies have different traditions

1.         In America bribery is seen as wrong, but in many small countries it is accepted as a way of life.

2.         Filipino culture states that something is right if you don’t get caught.

3.         Sweden has a culture that accepts sex outside of marriage as normal (and we are rapidly changing to the same standard in America).

B.        Just because society accepts it, does it make something right?

C.        Jesus condemned Jewish traditions – Matthew 15:1-6

1.         Jesus wasn’t condemning traditions.

2.         A tradition in and of itself is not a determination of right or wrong. It just shows currently accept practice.

3.         But we already have shown that the majority is often wrong.

D.        Then too, culture changes.

1.         The standards for dress accepted today are wildly different from 50 or 100 years ago.

2.         Practices accepted today are different than 50 or 100 years ago

a.         Living together without marriage

b.         Carrying a gun

3.         Society is too fluid to be a standard

E.        “We’ve always done it this way”

1.         Even in the church there can be cultural traditions. But traditions are not proof.

2.         The Jews had long standing traditions that turned out to be wrong – Matthew 15:1-14

3.         We have to guard against man-originated traditions – Colossians 2:8

4.         If we say “faithful brethren” have always done something, then isn’t the standard men instead of God? – Galatians 1:10; I Thessalonians 2:4

F.        “It does good; therefore, it must be right”

1.         Basically the claim that the end justifies the means.

2.         If we as a whole see it as “good” then it must be good.

3.         Romans 3:8 – Cannot get good from evil

4.         But then, who defines what is good?

a.         This is a standard that needs a standard behind it.

b.         Does instrumental music become right because it sounds nice or that it is claimed to keep people on key?

c.         Can we change the elements of the Lord’s Supper because we like the taste of chocolate cookies and milk?

VII.     The One True Standard

A.        The one common thread is that each prior standard was based upon men, individually or in groups.

1.         We tease about people pulling themselves up by their own bootstraps

2.         But this is what is happening when man looks to himself to be his own standard – Jeremiah 10:23

B.        Man’s standards must be higher than man – Isaiah 8:20

1.         Proverbs 14:12 – Man is easily deceived

2.         Isaiah 55:8-9 – God is higher than man

3.         Proverbs 3:5 – Trust God, not your own understanding

4.         Jesus claims, and has been proven accurate that he holds all authority – Matthew 28:18

5.         Jesus’ words will judge us – John 12:48-50

C.        God has given us a standard in His word – II Timothy 3:16-17

1.         It is the truth – John 17:17

2.         Has everything we need – II Peter 1:3

3.         Was given once for all – Jude 3

4.         It is perfect – James 1:25

D.        You cannot alter perfection and get something better

1.         The Old Law was not to be changed – Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6

2.         The New Law is not to be changed – Galatians 1:6-10; Revelation 22:18-19

VIII.    A good standard does no good if it is not followed

A.        John 14:15 – Show love for your God this day.

 

WHAT IS TRUTH? A GREAT ARTICLE BY A FAITHFUL GOSPEL PREACHER

“What Is Truth?” — A Question for the Ages

By Wayne Jackson

It was an engaging encounter. Pontius Pilate was the procurator for the Roman government. Jesus Christ was the Son of God. The two stood eye-to-eye. “Are you the king of the Jews?,” inquired the governor. Essentially, the Lord replied, “I am a king, but not in the way you think.” Then the Savior affirmed: “To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.” Then Pilate quipped: “What is truth?” (John 18:38).

There is some difference of opinion among biblical expositors as to the tone of the governor’s question. Was he sincere in wanting to know the nature of truth? The theme had been probed across the centuries by the greatest intellects of our species. Or, was the ruler merely cynical and sarcastic? One cannot know for sure; one thing is certain: his question will ever challenge the soul of any perceptive person.

There was a time in American culture when “truth” was not the slippery concept that it now appears to be with many. In his valuable book, Adrift — Postmodernism In The Church, Phil Sanders cites a source which suggests that “70 percent of Americans now believe that there is no such thing as absolute truth” (p. 26). Such is the tragic legacy of that philosophical montage of confusion known as “postmodernism.”

Postmodernism

Exactly what is this “postmodernism” that everyone seems to be talking about these days? One of the most succinct descriptions I have encountered comes, surprisingly, from a writer who is quite theologically liberal. Dr. William Dever, a prominent archaeologist and former director of the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, recently wrote:

“Postmodernism is essentially a mid-to late-20th-century theory of knowledge which states that there is no real knowledge — at least not in the objective, external world that can be perceived by the human senses. As Friedrich Nietzsche, the well-known nihilist philosopher of the late 19th century and one of the founders of postmodernism, put it, ‘There are no facts, only interpretations.’. . . The basic thrust of the postniodernist revolution was threefold: (1) All claims to truth, to meaning, to value, are merely ‘social constructs’; they are, therefore, impressionistic, relative rather than absolute, largely fictive and ‘subject to erasure.’ (2) There is no uniform or universal reality; what matters is only the local, the fragmentary, the exotic, even the absurd. Social reality is to be ‘decentered,’ exposed in all its ideological illusions, subjected to constantly reinventing itself. (3) Since moral relativism and multiculturalism must prevail, the issues all become those of politics: race, class, gender and power. What weighs in finally is not ‘truth,’ for there is none, but rhetoric, the more extreme the better” (p. 30).

Shades of Meaning

The term “truth” (aletheia) is a noun; its corresponding adjectives are alethes, alethinos, “true.” Alethos (truly) is an adverb, and aletheuo, which means to “deal truly” (cf. Ephesians 4:15 — ASVfn) is a verbal form. The original root suggested that which is “not concealed,” i.e., what is apparent, disclosed, what really is (Bromiley, p. 38). These terms take on different shades of meaning depending upon the context in which they occur. A consideration of several concepts related to “truth” may he helpful.

1. “True” sometimes carries the meaning of loyal. A true friend, a true patriot, etc., is one who is faithful to a commitment. In our idiom we have the expression “true blue.” Jesus said that those who “abide in [his] word” are “truly [alethos — adv.]. . . disciples” (John 8:31), i.e., they are faithful to the Lord. Judas, for example, was not true (loyal) in his devotion to the Savior.
2. The word “true” may be used of that which is genuine (as opposed to the phoney, the counterfeit). Christ affirmed that his Father, God, is “true” (John 7:28), and Paul commended the brethren at Thessalonica in that they, in their conversion, had turned away from idols to serve the “true” God (1 Thessalonians 1:9; cf. Revelation 6:10).
3. “Truth” is that which conforms to reality, whether in the physical world or in the metaphysical realm. It is, for example, a truth that water freezes at 32 degrees F. It is a truth that two plus two is equal to four. All rational people acknowledge these realities. On the other hand, one should also concede that the physical world is not the sole realm characterized by genuine truth. Professor Gordon Clark, head of the philosophy department at Butler University, has noted that “moral and spiritual truth is as much truth as mathematical, scientific, and historical truth. It is all equally intellectual” (p. 533). The ancient pagans were condemned because they “exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25). W.E. Vine considered the expression “truth of God” to suggest either the “truth concerning God” or the “God whose existence is verity” (p. 827). The most fundamental truth of all is the fact that God is (Hebrews 11:6). Those who thrust from their minds the reality of the Creator’s existence (cf. Romans 1:28) are living in a world of fantasy. When Paul wrote to the brethren in Thessalonica, he commended them because they received his message, not as a mere human document “but, as it is in truth [reality], the word of God” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
4. Another aspect of that which is “true” is consistency. Truth is harmonious. The psalmist could therefore say: “The sum of your word is truth. . . ” (Psalm 119:160 — NASB). This thrilling text implies, among other things, that all portions of the sacred Scriptures are equally reliable (history, theology, etc.), and that the inspired documents are in concord, i.e., there are no bona fide discrepancies, as alleged by infidelity. God is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). (For further study, see Jackson, 1993, pp. 89-90.)
5. “Truth” is that which conforms to a standard. The building engineer uses various tools to make sure that his construction work is “true”; one hardly wants leaning walls. Similarly there are criteria for determining truth in other areas of life. Paul chastised the Jews because they ignored the law of God (the Mosaic code) as the embodiment of knowledge and truth(Romans 2:20). That law was the standard for measuring their ethical and religious activity. Man is not free to improvise and direct his own steps (Jeremiah 10:23); the era when every man “did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25) was not pleasing to Jehovah.Jesus taught, for instance, that God must be worshipped according to “truth” (John 4:24). What is the significance of “truth” in this admonition? The Greek term within this context has to do with “the content of Christianity as the absolute truth” (Arndt, p. 35). Another scholar, citing this passage, notes that: “True worship is that which accords with reality, which men grasp on the basis of revelation” (Thiselton, p. 891). (For further consideration of this matter, see Jackson, 1988, pp. 1ff).
6. And then sometimes the term “truth” carries the idea of honesty. A woman who had a medical problem (a periodic hemorrhage) came in behind the Lord one day in a crowd. She believed the Great Physician could help her, and so she “touched his garment.” Jesus, likely to summon courage in the dear lady, asked: “Who touched me?” She came forward and “told him all the truth” (Mark 5:33).An inspired apostle wrote that if a person professes to be in fellowship with God and yet he persistently walks the path of spiritual darkness (thus acting the hypocrite), he is lying, and not practicing the true (or honest) life (1 John 1:6; cf. Ephesians 4:25).

It is thus essential to understand that “true,” “truth,” etc. will vary in their emphases, depending upon the context.

Biblical Facts Regarding Truth

All truth, ultimately, is grounded in the nature of God, and the holy will that proceeds from him — whether that will is expressed in the immutable laws of nature, or in the documents of scripture. Jehovah is a “God of truth” (Deuteronomy 32:4; Isaiah 65:16). That which issues directly from him, therefore, is truth (Psalm 119:142,151). It is impossible for the Creator to be otherwise than true (cf. 1 Samuel 15:29; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18). Everything that is false is a digression from the divine ideal.

Contrary to the wispy, subjective concept of “truth” which has found such a ready abode in the thinking of many today, the Scriptures teach some hard facts relative to “truth.” The following points are very important.

1. There is an objective body of spiritual truth, without which no person can learn how to please God. Jesus declared: “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32), and that truth has been manifested in the word of God (John 17:17). J.H. Thayer, in his discussion of “truth,” objectively considered, defines aletheia as “the truth, as taught in the Christian religion, respecting God and the execution of his purposes through Christ, and respecting the duties of man. . . ” (p. 26). Truth is not to be sought in the deep caverns of one’s personal soul; rather, it is revealed propositionally in a series of inspired documents (cf. “word of truth,” 2 Timothy 2:15) — which are buttressed by ample evidence demonstrating their divine origin.
2. The truth must be accessed (known) to be of practical value. For all its beauty and majesty, the truth, locked away within the pages of a closed book, is of no worth to the human spirit. The Lord affirmed that the truth can provide freedom only to those who “know” it (John 8:32). To “know” (ginosko) is not only to “take in knowledge,” but also to recognize, perceive, and understand (Abbott-Smith, p. 92). Cremer suggests that the thing “known” has “an influence on” the one who obtains the knowledge (p. 154). In the purest sense, coming to a “knowledge of the truth” is the equivalent of becoming a Christian (1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 3:7).
3. There is no trait in man more precious than the disposition to love truth. By “love” we do not mean a superficial affection of intellectual interest, but a passionate devotion to understanding and living the truth. The Greek orator Demosthenes once said that the “love of truth” is one of the residues of the “image of God” in man. Another has said: “It is the love of the truth, or its absence, that is the test of a man’s character” (Hiebert, p. 342). In a frightening passage Paul notes that those who do not entertain a “love of the truth” are abandoned to the permissive will of God, that they might believe a lie and stand condemned (2 Thessalonians 2:10). And “love” [agape] is “a calculated disposition of regard and pious inclination.” (Turner, p. 263). It involves a serious commitment to truth.The following passages reflect, in principle, the type of attitude that one must have toward God’s truth if he would please the Maker of mankind.
   1. Job affirmed that he treasured the words of God more than his necessary food (23:12).
   2. No less than eight times in Psalm 119, David expresses his love for God’s word; he loved Heaven’s law more than even fine gold (v. 127).
   3. One of the traits which must characterize any person who aspires to the kingdom of heaven is that he must “hunger and thirst” after God’s righteousness (Matthew 5:6).
   4. Mary, who sat at her Master’s feet, hanging on his every word, chose the “good part” — unlike her sister who scurried about doing mundane things that eventually would fade (Luke 10:41-42).
   5. The Sower’s seed can produce only in the heart that is “honest and good” (Luke 8:15); this is what Trench called the “simple, truthful, earnest nature” (p. 81). It describes the one who rejoices in each measure of light he receives.
   6. Christ spoke of those who “will” [thelo — a present tense form, “to seize with the mind,” Thayer, p. 285] to do the Father’s bidding (John 7:17).
   7. In Acts 13:46-48 there is a marked contrast between those Jews who “thrust from” themselves the gospel, and certain Gentiles who were “determined” within themselves that they would receive eternal life (see Jackson, 2000, p. 168).
   8. Note the wonderful disposition (“readiness of mind”) of those Bereans who were anxious to compare Paul’s preaching with their cherished Scriptures (Acts 17:11).
   9. Observe the opposite demeanor in others (Romans 1:28; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4).

   There is simply no substitute for a love of the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!

4. Once one has been exposed to the truth, intellectual integrity demands that evidence be believed. Luke, for example, argues that Jesus, following his resurrection from the dead, presented himself alive by many “proofs” (tekmerion— decisive proof, “demonstrative proof” — Lake, p. 4). We must recall again what was mentioned above. Paul warned that when men receive not the love of the truth, God allows them to believe error; he will judge those who “believe not the truth.” It was not that the truth was so obscure that they could not believe; rather, their minds were clouded by their lust for unrighteousness (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12).But some are bound to protest: “I have tried to believe and I simply cannot.” You must probe the depths of your heart to determine what the obstacle is; somethingis there. Unbelief is not for want of adequate evidence. Thousands of first-century saints were martyred joyfully for their belief in the supernatural nature of Christianity; that sort of faith is not constructed of flimsy superficiality!Elsewhere we have discussed what it really means to believe the truth. The book of Acts is a glowing commentary on that matter (see Jackson, 2000, pp. 463-466).

   Finally, we must remind ourselves of a tragic narrative recorded in the Old Testament. It has to do with a prophet from Judah who courageously cried out against the innovative altar at Bethel, but who subsequentlv forfeited his life, disregarding instructions from Jehovah because he believed a lie. The gravity of this incident is underscored by the fact that it consumes an entire chapter in the book of First Kings (13). Believing only the truth, in religious matters, is obviously of supreme importance. Moreover, knowing the whole truth is crucial. From the life of Abraham one learns that a half-truth can be a whole lie (Genesis 20:1-12).

5. Understanding the facts, loving the truth, and believing the reality thereof, will naturally result in obedience to the responsibilities of the same, and those who “obey not the truth” have nothing awaiting them but the indignation of God (Romans 2:8-9). By way of contrast, Christians have “purified [their] souls in [their] obedience to the truth” (1 Peter 1:22). It was this very concept that Jesus had in mind in that conversation with Pilate, to which we alluded at the commencement of this article. The Lord stated: “Every one who is of the truth hears my voice” (John 18:37). The expression “of the truth” is analogous to “of God” in chapter 8, verse 47, and hearing his voice is the equivalent of obeyinghim.But how does one “obey” truth? The fact that the Scriptures speak of obeying the truth clearly implies that within the body of “truth” there are obligations expressed in commands. “If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth” (1 John 1:6). “He who says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him”(1 John 2:4).Note how the Lord’s teaching, and that of Paul, are in perfect harmony. Jesus asserted that “the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). In his letter to the Romans, the inspired apostle declared: “But thanks be to God, that, whereas ye were servants of sin, ye became obedient from the heart to that form [pattern] of teaching whereunto ye were delivered; and being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness” (Romans 6:17-18). The expressions “know the truth” and “obedient” are closely connected.
6. Finally, there are various other miscellaneous actions that also pertain to the term “truth” — both positive and negative. For example, the child of God is to become “established” in the truth (2 Peter 1:12), and not allow himself to be hindered in obeying it (Galatians 5:7). He must learn to handle it aright (2 Timothy 2:15), and apply it lovingly (Ephesians 4:15). He must walk [peripateo— used of the whole sphere of human activity] in it (2 John 4; 3 John 3), and work with fellow saints for the advancement of this precious commodity (3 John 8).On the other hand, the Christian must not hinder the truth (Romans 1:18), withstand it (2 Timothy 3:8), or turn away from it (Titus 1:14). These actions only invite disaster.

Conclusion

A careful investigation of the biblical text, therefore, provides a powerful antidote to the postmodern confusion which alleges that truth is subjective, elusive, and ephemeral. To the contrary, truth is objective, glorious, demanding, exalting, and, ultimately it is the standard by which we all will be judged as we stand before the Creator of the universe. Embrace it with all your heart!

 

WHAT THE BIBLE HAS TO SAY ABOUT TRUTH!!

  THE  VALUE  OF  TRUTH  ACCORDING  TO  SCRIPTURE!!
Isaiah 8:20
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

John 4:23-24
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Romans 10:1-3
Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 2:13
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

2 Corinthians 11:1-6
Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him. For I suppose I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge; but we have been throughly made manifest among you in all things.

2 Corinthians 11:12-15
But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

Ephesians 1:13
In whom 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 5:8-9
For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Ephesians 6:10-18
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Colossians 2:6-13
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

Hebrews 5:11-14
Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Hebrews 6:1-3
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. And this will we do, if God permit.

Jude 1:1-25
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen!!

 

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE TRUTH OF GOD

THE VALUE OF TRUTH!!  PROV. 23:23

• Is one of His attributes.
  Deuteronomy 32:4 He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
  Isaiah 65:16 That he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from mine eyes.
• Always goes before His face.
  Psalms 89:14 Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face.
• He keeps, for ever.
  Psalms 146:6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
• DESCRIBED AS
• Great.
  Psalms 57:10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
• Plenteous.
  Psalms 86:15 But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.
• Abundant.
  Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
• Inviolable.
  Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
  Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
• Reaching to the clouds.
  Psalms 57:10 For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
• Enduring to all generations.
  Psalms 100:5 For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.
• United with mercy in redemption.
  Psalms 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
• EXHIBITED IN HIS
• Counsels of old.
  Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
• Ways.
  Revelation 15:3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
• Works.
  Psalms 33:4 For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
  Psalms 111:7 The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure.
  Daniel 4:37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
• Judicial statutes.
  Psalms 19:9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
• Administration of justice.
  Psalms 96:13 Before the LORD: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
• Word.
  Psalms 119:160 Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
  John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
• Fulfilment of promises in Christ.
  2 Corinthians 1:20 For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
• Fulfilment of His covenant.
  Micah 7:20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
• Dealings with saints.
  Psalms 25:10 All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
• Deliverance of saints.
  Psalms 57:3 He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
• Punishment of the wicked.
  Revelation 16:7 And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.
• Remembered toward saints.
  Psalms 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
• Is a shield and buckler to saints.
  Psalms 91:4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
• WE SHOULD,
• Confide in.
  Psalms 31:5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.
  Titus 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
• Plead, in prayer.
  Psalms 89:49 Lord, where are thy former lovingkindnesses, which thou swarest unto David in thy truth?
• Pray for its manifestation to ourselves.
  2 Chronicles 6:17 Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.
• Pray for its exhibition to others.
  2 Samuel 2:6 And now the LORD shew kindness and truth unto you: and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
• Make known to others.
  Isaiah 38:19 The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth.
• Magnify.
  Psalms 71:22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
  Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
• IS DENIED BY
• The devil.
  Genesis 3:4-5 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
• The self-righteous.
  1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
• Unbelievers.
  1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
• Exemplified towards
  Abraham,
  Genesis 24:27 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master’s brethren.

  Jacob,

  Genesis 32:10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.

  Israel,

  Psalms 98:3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.