Friends of Truth

Friends Of Truth

Ralph Waldo Emerson used to say, "Wherever the truth is injured, defend it." This exhortation needs to be heard by all 21st century Christians. All truth is important, but sacred truth is especially precious. Jesus said that God's word is truth (John 17:17). That treasure has been guarded and protected across the ages and safely delivered into our hands. Now it is our obligation to protect and preserve it and pass it on to those who come after us. Truth is God's word correctly interpreted and applied. All around us hordes of false teachers wave a Bible before their audiences while they grossly distort its message and meaning. Even infidels and atheists quote portions of God's word in their attempts to discredit it and use it against Him, and his church.

Christianity is founded upon Christ who proclaimed himself to be "the way, the truth and the life" (John 14:6).   When we defend the message of Christ we defend him who gave it.

Satan, realizing the power of divine truth to hinder his ambitions to master humanity, conceived a grand strategy to convince Christians that it was not important to defend truth. He would have us think it is not necessary to correct those who distort truth or to promote truth in the face of error. This deception is widespread among common folk and not a few preachers. Thus we encounter brethren who say, "I don't believe in controversy; " "I just preach the truth and do not stoop to deal with false teachers or their views;" "I try to be positive and not negative in my teaching;" "We need to edify the church and I find that dealing with problems does not edify;" "Arguing never settled anything!" I am sure you have heard these and other lame excuses offered by men who allow the truth to suffer under their watch. Shame on them for their cowardice and their dereliction of duty. Paul was set for the defense of the gospel (Phil. 1:16). Jude charged us to "contend earnestly for the faith" (Jude 3). If the truth sets men free (John 8:32), then error enslaves them. The man too kind or too aloof to defend truth tolerates the error that brings men into bondage. "Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence" (H. F. Amiel). Emerson went on to say, "Every violation of truth is a stab at th health of human society." This is especially true of Christ's church.

Solomon exhorts us to buy the truth and sell it not (Prov. 23:23). This means the Christian should pay any price to attain God's truth on each and every matter. Once learned, nothing should entice us to abandon that truth. 'Tis not enough to learn truth. To be meaningful in our lives, we must believe it, live it and practice it!   Our commitment must be to speak the truth and lie not (I Tim. 2:7). The faithful man of God will make every effort so that truth will never suffer in his hands as he teaches and leads God's people. When he sees others teach or behave in such a way that God's truth is undermined or attacked he will respond like Paul did when he saw that Peter walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel" (Gal. 2:14). He withstood him to his face! (2:11). In Paul's grand portrait of the Christian warrior, his equipment is held securely in place by a belt of truth (Eph. 6:14). William Paley wrote, "I have seldom known any one who deserted truth in trifles, that could be trusted in matters of importance."

Yes, we must preach the truth in love (Eph. 4:15). The obligation to preach the truth and defend the truth is no license to be hateful and abusive with the truth. "Mercy and truth" should be combined in our teaching (Ps. 85:10). We must love and kindly treat even the enemy of truth (Matt. 5:44). Like elders, we too must be gentle (I Tim. 3:3) as we correct those who oppose themselves (II Tim. 2:25). However, these reminders do not relieve us of our obligation to teach and defend God's sacred truth. M. Luther's code was, "Peace if possible, but truth at any rate."    God's "truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (Ps. 91:4). May it never be said of us that truth was allowed to be abused under our watch.

Sincerely,

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