“And ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”, was a statement of tremendous significance made by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, during his earthly ministry. And when, under arrest, he told Pontius Pilate that he came into the world to “bear witness unto the truth”, the Roman Governor then asked, “What is truth?”
Ordinarily, truth is that which conforms to, or that which is in accordance or agreement with fact; the quality or state of being true. For instance, when we say, “There is no truth in what he says”, it means that what he says is not a fact. This relates to our day-to-day conversations or confessions. But the truth Jesus Christ spoke about conveys a sense of something, though in accordance with fact, that transcends the ordinary.
Long before the first advent of Jesus Christ, there was a prophetic allusion to the time when mercy and truth would meet together, and righteousness and peace would kiss each other. The Psalmist then predicted, “Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.” (Ps. 85:10,11) It is a known fact that there can be no peace where there is no righteousness, and no one can speak of righteousness in the absence of truth.
The advent of Jesus Christ nearly 2000 years ago saw the fulfilment of the prophecy in regard to the truth. Certainly, he was the truth personified. Thus, like no other person had done, he spoke unquestionably of himself: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14.6) John the Baptist, sent by God to be his forerunner, bore witness of the fact that he (Christ) Was he true Light. He spoke of Christ’ s prehuman existence considering himself as inferior to the Messiah, and testified that of his fullness all believers received grace upon grace. He declared: “For the law was given by Moses, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.” -John 1: 7.
The question, “What is truth?” still remains unanswered. Though Jesus Christ did not give a reply to Pilate when he asked the question, he did earlier make it known that the word of God was the truth. In his prayer to God the Father, he said: “Sanctify them (disciples) through Thy truth: Thy word is truth… And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” (John 17:17-19) In otherwords, the truth is the message of salvation – the gospel of the Kingdom of God otherwise known as “the gospel of peace” or “everlasting gospel” – which he (Jesus) brought to the world.
The truth consists of all the fundamental doctrines of the Bible such as Creation, Justice Manifested, the Abrahamic Promise, the Birth of Christ, Ransom, Resurrection, Mystery Revealed, the Second Coming of Christ, the Glorification of the Church and Restitution of all things, as well as other teachings based on the Scriptures. It also comprises judgement, principles or rules, instructions and divine promises all of which make the truth a vehicle reputed to give strength of knowledge, hope and the force not only to convict sinners of their iniquities but also of cleansing or purging the of their sins. For the reason that the truth has the effect of purifying one, Jesus prayed the Father to sanctify or cleanse his followers through the truth. And he further said to his disciples, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” John 15:3.
St. Paul gave credence to the efficacy of the word of God as a purifying factor when he likened it to water being used by Jesus Christ in washing the church or believers clean. He wrote: “That he (Christ) might sanctify and cleanse it (the church) with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” (Eph 5:26,27) And with regard to the irresistible force of the truth, the apostle stated: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Heb. 4:12.
Rebirth
Rebirth or regeneration of a believer is consequent upon his obedience to the truth. To this fact St. Peter testified in his first epistle, to wit: “Seeing you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently being born again, not of corruptible seed, but’ of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.” (1 Peter 1:22,23). There are many people today who do not know the truth and yet get unnecessarily excited claiming to be born again. One who knows the truth and is truly born again makes no noise about it but serves God humbly, faithfully and steadfastly in His fear.
A person may gain general knowledge of the Bible as being taught in schools, colleges, universities and religious institutions in regard to the patriarchs, history of the Jews, miracles, parables of Jesus Christ and so on and still be ignorant, very ignorant of the truth. Many who claim and are regarded to be pastors, evangelists, bishops, apostles and so on, have been proved to be false because of their nescience or lack of knowledge of the truth. There is no pastor in this country or elsewhere who does not claim to be in possession of the truth. Nevertheless pointing to this age of the end-time, Jesus Christ prophesied: “And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. For there shall arise false christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matt. 24:11, 24) Though false the prophets are, they still lay claim to the truth and deceive many people.
St. Paul did not mince his words in warning the Christians at Corinth against the deceivers who in pretence assume to be chosen of God: Said he, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel: 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.” (2 Cor. 1I:13-13). If it were an easy thing to know the truth, or if its knowledge were to be purchased with money, false prophets some of whom are very wealthy would have grabbed it. Christ said that no man could come to him except God the Father had drawn him and he would raise him up at the last day – John 6:44.
The truth must not be mixed with falsehood: it must be truth wholly. As it is written “that no lie is of the truth.” (I John 2:21) It was on this ground that the children of God might not he led into errors by those who “pervert the gospel of Christ,” St. Paul warned: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received (from the apostles) let him be accursed.” (Gal. 1:7-9) Is it not true that many people today, associate with churches whose teachings are inconsistent with the Bible?
Jesus
Take for example, the teaching that Jesus Christ is Jehovah, the Almighty God, of the Old Testament and that he was not created, A preacher over the television said, “Jesus Christ is the only God I know. No other God I know. Jesus is my God.” He is not alone. This is the belief of most of those who profess Christianity in our time. But it is not true. We find it to be the very opposite of what Jesus Christ himself and his apostles taught as revealed in the Holy Bible. Jesus Christ was created by God the Father to be His Son, and the Bible says that he is the “Only Begotten Son” because of the uniqueness of his sonship. – John 3:16.
The text often misunderstood and misinterpreted to back the belief that Jesus is God Almighty is John 1:1, which reads: “ln the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God .” We agree that Jesus Christ is the Word, and was the one, (not the Father) made flesh. (Verse 14) For the fact that he is given might by the Father, he too is god, and the Bible describes him as “the Mighty God.” (lsa. 9:6) Apart from Jesus Christ there are other gods. Satan himself is also god and St Paul referred to him as “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4) He further stated that gods are many but God the Father is supreme “the God of Gods.” -1 Cor. 8:5,6, Deut. 10:17.
“In the beginning was the word” simply means that the beginning of creation, the Word (Jesus) existed or came into being. That is why he has the title of “the Beginning of the Creation of God.” (Rev. 3.14) And the most fascinating thing about this revelation of vital significance is the fact that after God the Father had created Jesus Christ, He empowered him to create all other things. Thus, it is written: “The same (Word) was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1:2,3) St. Paul who had visions of God and whose wisdom Peter the apostle commended, wrote about Christ in this vein: “Who is the image of the invisible God, the FIRSTBORN of every creature: for by him were all (good) things created, that are in heaven, and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether there be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.” Col, 1:15-17; see also Eph. 3:9.
The clause, “and the Word was with God”, implies the togetherness of two personalities. It makes no sense to say that the Word was with himself. The sense is that the Word (Jesus) having being created was with God his Father and Creator. Jesus Christ spoke of the Father as his God. He after his resurrection told Mary Magdalene, “Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my Father; but go unto my brethren, (the apostles) and say unto them, ascend unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God”. (John 20:17) On the strength of this understanding, St. Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christians in very clear terms, to wit: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him.” (Eph. 1:17) If the Father is the God of Jesus Christ how then is he (Christ) the Almighty God? It is amazing therefore, that many people worship and yet “know not what.” (John 4:22) And except they know the truth, salvation is still far beyond their reach.
Heaven
Again, let us take up, the issue of heaven which many professed Christians believe to be the home of all the righteous in God’s Kingdom. The teaching that Abraham, David and other faithful men and women of old are in heaven is contrary to the Scriptures. They died long before Jesus Chris came to the world. But he said categorically “And no man hath ascended up to heaven” (John 3:13)
There is also this record: “For David is not ascended into the heavens…” (Acts 2:34) No one would have gone to heaven when the way there had not been opened. The Bible shows that the Messiah must first come to this world, shed his blood for the remission of sins, be raised from the dead, ascend to heaven to prepare the place and return to take anyone to himself. To teach or think that anybody went to heaven before Christ is sheer delusion.
Jesus Christ made a promise to his apostles, to wit: “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself, that where I am there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3) This was not intended for all believers but for the apostles and those of their class, the “Little Flock or “Church of the Firstborn” who would later be chosen even till this end-time. If heaven is the home of all believers, Jesus Christ would not have told his disciples to pray for God’s Kingdom to come so that His will might be done on earth as it is in heaven. He would not have promised them blessing on earth, when he said, “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matt. 5:5, see also Ps. 37:9-11, 22.29; 115:16.
The purpose of God is to renew the earth and make it a paradise for his children to inhabit. Said He, “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind…” (Isa. 65: 17-25) St. Peter Stated that the New World is the hope of all Christians (2 Pet 3:13) And John the apostle saw the vision of the New World, the Kingdom of God, which he described as the New Jerusalem, the holy city, “coming down from God out of heaven… And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death neither Sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain…” (Rev. 21:1-4) Lots of misconceptions and errors are being peddled as doctrines and swallowed hook, line and sinker by the unwary all over the world.
The importance of the truth is underscored by the statement of Jesus Christ, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31,32) The freedom is the one from fear, superstitions or sin and its consequences including death. And St. Paul stated: “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who Will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (I Tim. 2:3,4) There can be no salvation for anyone who has not the knowledge of the truth.
The apostle, Paul foretold of the activities of false prophets and teachers who at the instance of Satan the devil, the Arch-Deceiver, would in this age of the end-time shew characters of misleading he people “With all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceiveableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they receive not the love of the truth, and had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thess. 2 8-12) Viewed against the background of this revealing Scripture, the need for men and women to beware of miracle-workers in our time cannot be over-emphasised. Not signs nor wonders nor miracles, but the truth, only the knowledge of the truth, can save.