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CAN YOU
HANDLE
TRUTH
A Few Good Men is a 1992 drama film, starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. The film revolves around the trial of two US Marines charged with the murder of a fellow Marine and the tribulations of their lawyer, Daniel Kaffee (Cruise), as he prepares a case to defend his clients.
In court, Kaffee questions Jessep and produces circumstantial evidence that suggests there was never any intention of transferring Santiago. When this proves insufficient, Kaffee confronts Jessep regarding the incompatibility of his ordering Santiago's transfer — ostensibly for his safety from hazing — with his assertion that he ordered that Santiago was not to be touched, and that his orders were always followed. When Kaffee asks Jessep point-blank, "Did you order the Code Red?" the judge announces that he is in contempt of court, but Jessep cannot resist the challenge. When Kaffee exclaims "I want the truth!" Jessep emphatically declares, "You can't handle the truth!"
My first item of consideration is simply: CAN WE HANDLE THE TRUTH? This is no doubt a relevant question I think for us to ponder. Remember Paul’s words?
- 2 Corin. 4: 1Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; 2 But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.
One of the first things we must consider is how we manifest the truth or how do we publicly display the truth. The steps we take in life should and must testify to the truth of God. The TRUTH REVOLUTION must not only be a conflict to replace an old regime—it must include a Renaissance. It must also include our culture of life.
It is not enough to simply rail on people a message. Our talk must mimic our walk. Jesus said:
- Matthew 5: 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
The illumination we give to others by our proclamation of gospel truth (I am talking about the illumination of the mind which is what I think Jesus was referencing and not some kind of aura we have surrounding our head) must enable others to discern the good works in our lives. “That they may see your good works.” Just how should one “handle the Word of God”?
First of all care must be taken not to handle God’s Word deceitfully. That must have some correlation to the problem which developed in the Garden of Eden. Yes I’m talking about the deception which took place involving our mother Eve.
- I Timothy 2: 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
- 2 Corin. 11: 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Jesus gave credence to this story when he said:
- 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.
A DISCONNECT WITH TRUTH
It seems evident that from the beginning there has been a disconnect of God’s creation with the truth. Notice how Paul railed about how things started out in the beginning. The truth of God was changed into a lie and God’s people, his creation accepted it.
- Romans 1: 25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever.
Then how should we handle the word of God?
- 2 Timothy 2: 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
When it comes to “rightly dividing the word of truth” there are many things that needs doing. At least one of these things is helping ourselves as well as others realize the importance of the truth in the total equation of God’s plan. First of all let it be understood that our God is a God of truth. Moses said:
- Deut. 32: 1 Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. 2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 3 Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.
GOD PROMISED IT
HE WILL DO IT
Sometimes it is convenient to accept a proposition regarding the future of mankind relating to eternal life and the kingdom of God—and to say simply that God can and will do whatever he chooses with the earth or with our bodies and with our future: “He can do “to us” and “with us” what he chooses”. “He can take us wherever he desires for eternity and so there is no need to belabor or argue the point.” Do you remember the words of Paul about Abraham? Listen people with the faith of Abraham. Our fathers in the past studied themselves into what they considered the truth. They were ridiculed and treated harshly for the stand they took. They were not deterred—nor should we be. Our faith includes the faith our father Abraham.
- Romans 4: 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
I would suggest that you look at this passage as, among other things, saying that God can do whatever he wills about His creation but He has bonded how he will act to what he has said he will do and that’s that. Now let me say that again slowly: (God can do whatever he wills about His creation but He has bonded how he will act to what he has said he will do) He will do just exactly what He has said he will do. It’s up to us as well as all those who seek his favor to find out just what that might be.
Jacob said and Micah the prophet commented on what God said to Jacob:
- Genesis 32: 9 O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the LORD which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: 10 I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant;
- Micah 7: 20 Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.
The truth is important to God and has been so from the beginning; even though our mother Eve and many who followed her example have been seduced into believing something false. (Something quite different from the truth.) We can testify to how—being deceived—believing a lie can affect the outcome of history and that it will yield the same results to the very end. Let’s go in the Bible to the end and see. Can you see how important truth will be even at the very ultimate end of things as we know it now?
- Rev. 22: 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
WHAT IS TRUTH?
Perhaps many of us can relate to Pilate’s response to Jesus:
- John 18:37 Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?
Pilate’s response reminds me of the response from former president Bill Clinton during his 1998 grand jury testimony on the Monica Lewinsky affair "It depends on what the meaning of the words 'is' is." Pilate was attempting, as was Former President Clinton to infer that they were hung up on semantics, a problem of understanding that comes down to word selection or connotation.
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A SIMPLE DEFINITION
for TRUTH
My mind works better with a proper definition. It is important to have a biblical definition while attempting to understand biblical meaning. One of the best definitions for the truth I feel was given by Paul:
- Acts 17: 10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, “whether those things were so”.
The New Living Translation says:
- “11 And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see if they were really teaching the truth.”
They were eager to know and to learn. They received the words of Paul and Silas and searched the scriptures daily to see if what they were being told was so. A good definition them might simply be: “According to the Bible--is it so?”
The PILLAR
and GROUND
of the TRUTH
Listen CHURCH.
- I Timothy 3: 15 But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
If people around us cannot find the truth in the Church of God where should the look for it? Are we the pillar and ground of the truth or not? Why don’t we let—
- Romans 3:4 ...God be true, but every man a liar;
What don’t we “join God”. God is a God of truth the church is the pillar and the ground of the truth. The spirit is the Spirit of truth. Jesus is the way the truth and the life.
The SPIRIT of TRUTH
Now think with me for a moment. Jesus said--
- John 14: 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
- John 16: 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
Is it then any wonder that Paul says:
- Romans 8: 14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Those who are being led by the spirit of God, which is the Spirit of Truth, are sons of God and God by that Spirit of Truth will guide them into all truth.
In conclusion—what should we do with the truth?
Join God in his quest of getting his creation to know the truth from which our first parents became disconnected in the beginning; and its importance in the grand scheme of God.
- 2 Tim. 2: 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Lives disconnected from the truth need to hear through instruction the simple truth of God which motivated our forefathers to follow Paul’s admonition to Timothy:
- 2 Timothy 3: 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Let’s Join God
- I Timothy 2: 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
Let’s Invest in the truth—don’t commercialize it:
- Proverbs 23: 23 Buy the truth, and sell it not;
Believe the truth and Love it (yes it is alright to be passionate about the truth).
- 2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 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.
Daniel said the little horn in chapter 8 would:
- Daniel 8:12 cast down the truth to the ground; and it practice, and prosper.
Paul said that that wicked one which shall be revealed at the last, whose coming is after the working of Satan would be instrumental in the deception of those who will not receive the love of the truth. Just as God dealt with mankind in the beginning for being disconnected with the truth he will so deal with mankind at the end. During just such a time Paul said:
- 2 Timothy 4: 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
In a time when he said they will be:
- 2 Timothy 3: 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
In this time we should follow the words of YAHWEH in:
- Zechariah 8: 16 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: 17And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
- Ephesians 4: 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
FINALLY
- Col. 1: 3 We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ…4 Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, 5 For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 6 Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
We are humbled as we join God in this great venture. But we agree with God that the need is here and as the pillar and ground of the truth we are the ones to do it. So we walk with God to the task ahead—but we cannot unless we agree with Him.
- Amos 3: 3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? 7 Surely the LORD GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. 8 The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the LORD GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?
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