What is the Truth?
John 8:32 KJV
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
You hear people say it all the time, “Im in the truth.” “How long have you been in the truth?” But what does that really mean? Well, one thing is for sure, the number of years you have been in the truth is not a determining factor for the quality of the years in the truth. Yes, they can correlate but correlation is not the same as causation. You can know something for many years, yet never apply it. Likewise, you can be in the truth for many years and still not be righteous. As usually what people really mean when they ask “how long have you been in the truth” is, how long have you known you were an Israelite? So let us really get an understanding of what the truth is at its core.
Psalm 117:2 KJV
For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.
Well, if we learn one thing, that is when it comes to the truth it is meant to endure forever.
Psalm 119:142 KJV
Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.
Psalms 117:2 and Psalms 119:142 are paralleled; the truth of the Lord that endures forever is synonymous to the righteousness of the Lord that is everlasting. Righteousness is what is supposed to last forever, which we learn through the law, which is the truth. Which also endures forever. They go hand in hand. Similarly, to the article I wrote on Proverbs 6:23 concerning the law is light and the commandment a lamp. They go hand in hand; you can’t have one without the other. In short, when you say you are in the truth, what you are really saying is, “I am in the laws”, “I am in righteousness”. However, this is not what we generally see amongst Israel at large. We see people who claim to be in the truth, yet you see them in person or on social media and can see many things they have not repented from. Thus they are still in the world by definition. And if The Most High sent Christ and his angels to judge the world, you understand that they more than likely will end up falling short of the kingdom due to the things they clearly lack openly. Now imagine the things they may lack behind closed doors. Now that is scary.
Jeremiah 5:1 KJV
Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.
Throughout our history The Most High was looking for people who would be of righteous posterity. If he could really find enough people that he could deem righteous enough to spare Israel as a whole. But sometimes that was not possible, as our people had drifted too far into wickedness and left off being righteous. Also, note the language used, he was looking for one “that seeketh the truth.” Which would be one that was seeking the law.
Jeremiah 9:3 KJV
And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.
We learn from this passage, that in the eyes of the Most High, if you are operating in evil you don’t really know him, you just know of him at best and you are not seeking truth but rather are hearkening to lies. That is actually quite powerful that he would phrase it that way as well. See, we usually look at lies as something false you said yet, this is not the full extent of it. It goes even beyond that. A lie is something that is false, untrue, or inaccurate and can even be a state of being, like when one lies down. All of this conveys that when one is occupied in evil they are listening to and applying lies; false activities or things that are not accurate or right to how one should be approaching the situation. Whereas truth in contrast, even when you look up the definition, will let you know it is the true or accurate state of a matter or situation, the facts, usually verifiable and indisputable. That is thus saith THE LORD in this context. It’s something you have to be valiant for because it takes a level of courage to keep the laws of The Most High openly. A level of boldness you have to have. With that comes the other side or rather the end of being valiant, which is being worthy and excellent. Which is obtained through righteousness, through the application of the laws; which is the truth.
Titus 1:14-16 KJVS
Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth. [15] Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled. [16] They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
We see a similar understanding being given here in Titus as we do in Jeremiah. To the extent that when you turn from the truth you become defiled and are in a place where you are now aligned with and viewed as an unbeliever. Even if you claim to know God you deny him in your works; your actions. Where you should be clean, you are abominable, where you should be obedient, you are now disobedient. And where a pattern of good works should be found you are reprobate concerning. You follow this slippery slope in truth, because you turned from the truth and hearkened to lies. Notice all of these negative things concerning being abominable, reprobate and not knowing him are all a true slippery slope that is a by product of turning away from the truth. Showing you again that the truth is the law.
Daniel 8:12 KJV
And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered.
Now one thing you may see for people who are in the world as well as those who you may see to be lukewarm in this truth; you can still prosper in wickedness. Although the heart to this is dealing with the other nations that bear rule over us. The same applies to us as Israel as well. Remember, Satan even told Christ that he would give him all he desired in this present life if he would worship him. Now one may say, well maybe Satan is lying right? Well, again, do we not read in Job that he tells us the earth is given over into the hands of the wicked? Satan is the God of this world and has that power and authority from The Most High. So don’t believe just because you receive a blessing or prosper in doing things contrary to the law that The Most High is blessing you in righteousness. This is a delusion through Satan. You are being deceived to continue in sin. And that is the sign, did you have to sin to get it? If so it is of Satan the mass majority of the time. It is rare that it is truly a blessing from God. I must say that as you do read various examples in the bible of people who are directly told or influenced through the spirit of the Lord to do things contrary to the law, however, those times were for the greater good of what the nation needed or what that person or their child was to do for the nation or at least greater than themselves. But again, these things are rare and do not reflect the example of the whole.
Zechariah 8:16 KJV
These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates:
What we should be doing is executing the truth in our homes and amongst our congregation. This is done in both word and deed through enforcing the law.
John 17:19 KJV
And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
The truth is what sanctifies us. When you are sanctified you are cleansed. The law is what is going to cleanse us and bring us back at one with the Father. But before we can focus on cleansing of others we must begin to cleanse ourselves and be clean enough to be a light and example.
John 18:37 KJV
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.
If you are of the truth you will be able to hear and perceive the words of understanding to make the changes in sincerity concerning the law.
Romans 1:18 KJV
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
Now some, hold the truth but in unrighteousness because they themselves are ungodly and unrighteous. So they teach others to move in a similar fashion. They take the law and form doctrines that are not sound doctrine but fit the narrative of what they are trying to promote. They water down the word and put their own agenda in the midst.
Romans 2:8 KJV
But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
They become more contentious, they become more filled with wrath and indignation. All through the disobedience of the truth; that is the law. The crazy part is, is that you have to obey something at the end of the day. They just choose to be more obedient to the lies; more obedient to Satan.
Romans 2:20 KJV
An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law.
They have the form of Godliness, which can look a number of ways. Maybe they donate funds to you or the homeless. Maybe they are very charming and well spoken. Maybe they are big on having a big beard or long fringes. All of which can seem very respectable and are good deeds. But what are their intentions? What is their motive or reason behind it? That is what makes a big difference in how you should judge the matter. Now another major point in all of this, is that you will notice they will have the largest impact on people who are wicked, gullible or new in the truth. And often times that is who their target audience is. As they are more easily manipulated and convinced, then those who are mature and of a full age spiritually.
Galatians 3:1 KJV
O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
The problem and solution is always the same; some man, woman or child. The key was who bewitched you, who lied to you, who deceived you. That you should not move according to the sound doctrine the scriptures speak of? Likewise, who will teach you the word that you may obey the law in sincerity and in truth?
2 Thessalonians 2:9-13 KJVS
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, [10] And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. [11] And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: [12] That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. [13] But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
The key determining factor boils down to are you willing and sincere about your repentance to fight to do what is right? If not, you will slowly (or quickly) align yourself with people who are lukewarm or in the world that will deceive you to be wicked and do things contrary to the law and will ultimately perish, not because they are completely without hope. Remember Cain, God told him he would be accepted IF he did well. But he did not want to do well so he went further into sin and gave himself further unto Satan. The same for those that came after Cain and with a number of people today. The scriptures say that Noah and his sons, as progenitors of the nations were all righteous men. But it was Noah’s grandchildren that started going left.
2 Esdras 3:11 KJVA
Nevertheless one of them thou leftest, namely, Noah with his household, of whom came all righteous men.
Noah and his house were all righteous. That is how they were all able to be saved. Righteousness is truly a choice. However, God knows many, when given the choice won’t choose to do right. Especially, if there is no clear immediate consequence for their actions and not doing what is right.
1 Corinthians 13:6 KJV
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
We don’t rejoice in iniquity or the prospering of the wicked. We rejoice in the opposite; we rejoice in the law.
James 5:19-20 KJVS
Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; [20] Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.
I pray we all help one another strive for the truth and repent to help each other become one with the father and in return help us hide a multitude of sins.
1 Timothy 2:4 KJV
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
