The Truth About The Truth
1 Thess. 2:13-15
TRUTH, n.
1. Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be.
FACT, n. [L. factum, from facio, to make or do.]
1. Any thing done, or that comes to pass; an act; a deed; an effect produced or achieved; an event. Witnesses are introduced into court to prove a fact. Facts are stubborn things. To deny a fact knowingly is to lie.
2. Reality; truth; as, in fact. So we say, indeed.
REAL'ITY, n.
1. Actual being or existence of any thing; truth; fact; in distinction from mere appearance.
I had asked you folks to define “truth” and to think of scriptures which contain doctrines about truth in hopes that at today’s study we could discuss this topic concerning truth and form definitions and understandings concerning this very rare word.
Many men have tried to define truth in every age and still men are continuing to define it. As we have seen truth is extremely hard to define and would be easier to understand the concept of truth rather than a definition.
There is the:
Semantical Perception of Truth
Diamond Theory of Truth
Coherence Theory of Truth
Deflational Theory of Truth
Identity Theory of Truth
Pragmatist Theory of Truth
Revision Theory of Truth
Correspondence Theory of Truth
One man while trying to define truth came up with 2 rules:
Truth is that which is in agreement with God’s word rightly divided!
Truth is to be received, believed, obeyed and spoken
Received = 1 Thess. 2:13: For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Believed = 1 Thess. 2:13: For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.
Obeyed = Gal. 5:7: Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Spoken = Eph. 4:14,15: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Truth in one age is not necessarily true in another age. Truth in one age may be a lie in another age.
The Bible contains truth for every age. Times Past, But Now and Ages to come.
Truth is the great divider of man kind.
John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Matt. 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
Fundamental truth for this age of Grace is contained in the writings of Paul….Romans-Philemon. The Word of God doesn’t cause the divisions it simply exposes it.
Rom. 15:6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor. 1: 10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
2 Cor. 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Phil. 1: 27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
Eph. 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
God would not want us to avoid truth to avoid conflict but rather to proclaim truth that others may understand the truth and rejoice in the facts of these truths.
1 Thess. 2:13-16 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men: Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they might be saved, to fill up their sins alway: for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost.
Here in 1 Thess 2:13-16 we see a contrast between those who believed the truth and those who rejected truth.
One can’t think about “truth” without thinking about “lies”. Truth is always contrasted with lies.
Think back in the garden, Eve had God’s truth contrasted against Satan’s lie.
Gen. 2:16,17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Gen. 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.
(knowing good from evil = being able to decide for ones own self what is good or evil)
The first action we see Satan performing against man is to lie. Notice how he did it….He changed the word of God into a lie.
Satan’s first action then is still the first action he would like to do to us today. Divert us from truth. To divert from truth he must start with truth.
Notice what Jesus said of the devil.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
2 Cor. 11:14,15 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.
Today Satan preaches a gospel message…
He preaches sin and the reality of it
He also preaches the truth of required righteousness
Then he changes that truth into a lie saying…
He will say we aren’t righteous in the eyes of God = Truth
He will say we must become righteous in the eyes of God = Truth
Then He will change the truth into a lie and say we can merit righteousness of God based on our performance.
Truth in scripture tells us that all our sin, past, present and future was place on Christ on the cross and that our Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty for all sin for all time by His eternal sacrifice and that he was raise for our justification
Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
If we are justified in the eyes of God and we now have the righteousness of God and it was by the grace of God we have this righteous standing with God then it is plainly clear and that we don’t need to believe the lie and seek to merit righteousness with God.
“For this cause also thank we God without ceasing”
“because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God”
By believing Paul they received God’s word….Faith is simply taking God at His own word.
Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Love for God has never saved one person and will never save anyone. It’s taking God at His word and His love for us…..you see Satans diversion away from the truth?
“Receive”
Paralambano = receive from another = “I’m willing to listen to you”
Dechomai= accept or to take in for ones own self = “I believe what you just said”
“effectually worketh also in you that believe”
Effectually worketh in the Greek is one word…energeo from where we get our word energy.
For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
2 Tim. 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
Not a very popular truth but nevertheless……truth!
4 Things that rejecting truth brings
“even as they have of the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us”
Acts 7:51-53 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
2. Rejection of truth brings displeasure to God:
“and they please not God”
“and are contrary to all men”
“for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost”
2 Thess 2:13 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:
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