The Truth Of God.

In Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer, Jesus prays to His Father, saying, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). In this verse, Jesus communicates two important facts: God’s Word is truth—God’s Word equals truth—and it’s by that truth that God sanctifies us, or sets us apart for holy service to Himself.

In the same prayer, Jesus prays for His disciples and all who will believe in Him through the gospel (John 17:20). Believers accept God’s words (John 17:6) and accept Jesus as God’s Word (John 17:8). God is truth, and His truth brings salvation to all who accept it (Titus 2:11). Further, God’s written and living Word will sustain believers as they are in the world (John 17:14).

In the High Priestly Prayer in John 17, Jesus confirms that He brought the message of salvation to the world: “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Jesus’ mission of bringing the truth has been accomplished (John 17:4), and He turns the focus of His prayer to God working through the disciples and other believers. He confirms that believers will be rejected by the world for believing “Your word is truth,” but believers are also assured joy, God’s protection from the evil one, and sanctification by God’s Word (John 17:13–19).

God speaks to mankind through His word of truth as found in the Bible. Since God is perfect, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul" (Psalms 19:7). We read that, "Every word of God is pure" (Proverbs 30:5). God word as found in the Bible is our road map to Heaven. We will not get there without it. Jesus says, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32). Only the truth of God’s word can make us free, but the doctrines and commandments of men will cause us to be eternally lost.

We are to "receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls’ (James 1:21). It is by the truth of God’s word that we are saved and continue to be saved. "Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth" (1 Peter 1:22). Before a person can be saved he must first learn the truth as found only in God’s word. "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:3-4).

When the truth of God’s word becomes adulterated with the false doctrines of men, it will no longer save. Satan perverts the word of God so people will be lost. Paul told the Galatians, "but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ" (Galatians 1:7). Then he asks, "You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?" (Galatians 5:7).

In today’s world there are more than 600 different denominational churches, all with different doctrines, beliefs, and teachings. Anything that differs from what God says in the Bible is false doctrine and is designed by Satan to cause people to be eternally lost in Hell. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine…and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables" (2 Timothy 4:3-4). People give heed to the "commandments of men who turn from the truth" (Titus 1:14). Satan uses people to suppress the truth of God’s word so people will not be saved. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness" (Romans 1:18). God’s word and His church are being ridiculed by those in the denominational world. "And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed" (2 Peter 2:2).

Why do people follow the many false doctrines of men and not the truth of God’s word? It is because, "they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved…that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12). "Who changed the truth of God into a lie" (Romans 1:25). When God’s word is perverted, it is changed into a lie. But a true Christian is one who is "not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully" (2 Corinthians 4:2). The word of God is certainly being handled deceitfully because of the great multitude of differing denominations. If God’s word was being handled truthfully, there would be only one true church, the church of Christ.

God is serious about His word. He doesn’t want it perverted or changed. "If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophesy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life" (Revelation 22:18-19). By adding to or taking away from God’s word will cause one to be eternally lost in Hell. With all the different denominational doctrines of men, God word has been added to, taken from, ignored and rejected.

Worship that is in truth enjoys God’s favor, but worship that is after the doctrines of men is condemned because it is empty and vain. Jesus says, "And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" (Mark 7:7). "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth" (John 4:24). We cannot worship God any way we want. It is imperative that we worship Him in spirit and in truth. What is truth? Jesus says in a prayer to God, "Your word is truth" (John 17:17). Only the truth as found in the Bible is true, all else is false.

Every person in the world will one day stand before the Lord and be examined and his eternal destiny determined by whether he has followed God’s word of truth. Our standard of judgment will be God’s word of truth. Jesus says, "He who rejects Me and does not receive My words, has that which judges him: the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). "But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth" (Romans 2:2). What will happen to the majority of people who do not obey God? "But those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness: indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish" (Romans 2:8). In other words, they will be eternally punished in Hell.

How do we keep from sinning against God? "Your word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you" (Psalms 119:11). Let’s diligently follow God’s word of truth so we can go to Heaven when this life is over.

Jesus said, “Your word is truth.” When we look at the Bible, we see truth. The Bible does not merely contain the truth; it is the truth. Every word is truth, in every part of the Bible. “The words of the LORD are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times” (Psalm 12:6). This is the doctrine of the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture.

How we respond to God’s written Word and the Word made flesh has an eternal impact on us. Since God’s Word is truth, rejecting the Bible and rejecting Jesus is rejecting God Himself. Believing, cherishing, studying, and obeying God’s Word is the key to salvation, understanding God, and living abundantly (John 10:10). No matter what we may face in this world, we are sustained by the truth prayed over us in Jesus’ prayer: “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17).

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