August 19, 2018

Christians & Truth - I

Written by:
Rev (Dr) Prabhudas Koshy

Biblical Christianity is all about the absolute truth. It possesses the truth which is revealed by the God of truth. It declares the perfect truth. It promotes a life lived according to the truth. It guarantees the blessings of the truth. Hence, it is not a search or expedition for the truth. Neither is it an evaluation of what might be the truth. It seeks no verification of its declarations by experts.

We Worship the God of Truth

We worship the “God of truth”. “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” (Deuteronomy 32:4). He is “abundant in goodness and truth” (Exodus 34:6; cf. Psalm 86:15). Indeed, as the psalmist said, “O Lord, … thy truth reacheth unto the clouds”
(Psalm 108:3-4 cf. Psalm 57:10).

God, the Triune - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit – is indeed Truth. God, the Father, is the “LORD God of truth” (Psalm 31:5; cf. Isaiah 65:16). He speaks only truth – “… O Lord GOD, thou art that God, and thy words be true” (2 Samuel 7:28). Numbers 23:19 instructs us that “God is not a man, that he should lie”. How wonderful it is that we can trust all His words, for He is the “God, that cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). God always speaks the truth.

God, the Son - our Lord Jesus Christ - is the Truth. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). The apostle Paul also said that “the truth is in Jesus” (Ephesians 4:21). Moreover, Jesus insisted that He always told His hearers the truth (cf. John 8:45-46). In John 8:14, Jesus claimed, “Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true”. Jesus was also a witness to the truth. He said, “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” (John 18:37). He is also called “the faithful and true witness” (Revelation 3:14).

The Holy Spirit is “the Spirit of truth” (John 14:17; 15:26; 16:13; 1 John 5:6). In particular, the Holy Spirit was to reveal to the apostles the inspired truth of the New Testament (John 14:26; 16:13). Peter, the apostle, wrote concerning the inspiration of the Old Testament that “… the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost” (2 Peter 1:21; cf. 2 Samuel 23:2; Nehemiah 9:30; Ezekiel 11:5; Zechariah. 7:12; Mark 12:36; Acts 28:25; Hebrews 1:1; 3:7; 9:8; 10:15; 1 Peter 1:10-11). The Spirit is also the revealer of spiritual truth to believers – “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. 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” (1 Corinthians 2:10-13).

We Have the Truth of God

The Bible (of 66 books) in our hands is God’s inspired, infallible, inerrant and preserved truth. We have perfect confidence in the Bible – confident that all that it teaches us is true. Jesus affirmed this as He prayed to the Father that “thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Likewise, God’s servants, whom the Holy Spirit has used to write the Bible, testify repeatedly of the fact that the Bible is true and trustworthy. Consider the following verses:

  • Psalm 119:160 – “Thy word is true from the beginning: And every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.”
  • 2 Corinthians 6:7 – “By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left.”
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
  • James 1:18 – “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

The Bible, being God’s perfect truth, is precious and more valuable than any earthly riches. The psalmist spoke of it thus: “The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver” (Psalm 119:72). Again he said, “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold” (Psalm 119:127).

We who have the Bible must cherish it. Hold on to it at all costs! Proverbs 23:23 exhorts, “Buy the truth, and sell it not.” Do you esteem God’s Word, the Bible, to be greater riches than all the wealth in the world? The truth of God’s Word is an exceptionally desirable possession. The truth of God’s Word alone provides us with divine wisdom and counsels. Do not stand to chaffer about it; promptly make it your own!

God’s truth is eternal, for “the truth of the LORD endureth for ever” (Psalm 117:2). It grants salvation (Psalm 69:13; cf. 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Timothy 2:25); sanctification (John 17:17), spiritual freedom (John 8:32), genuine worship (John 4:23-24) and rejoicing (1 Corinthians 13:6).

Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian Church adheres to the system of faith commonly known as the “Reformed Faith” as expressed in the Westminster Confession of Faith together with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms.
Our Worship Address
SingPost Centre
Level 5 Auditorium
10 Eunos Road 8, Singapore 408600
(next to Paya Lebar MRT station)
Our mailing address
Gethsemane Media Centre
33 Ubi Crescent
Singapore 408584
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