truth, n.
1.) The quality or state of being true; trueness, as (a) conformity to facts or reality, as of statements to facts, words, to thoughts, motives or actions to professions; exact accordance with what is, has been, or shall be; (b) the quality or state of being made or constructed true or exact; exact adherence to a model; accuracy of adjustment, exactness; (c) in the fine arts, the proper and correct representation of any object in nature, or of whatever subject may be under treatment; (d) habitual disposition to speak only what is true; veracity; freedom from falsehood; (e) honesty; sincerity; virtue; uprightness; (f) disposition to be faithful to one’s engagements; fidelity; constancy; (g) genuineness; purity.
2.) That which is true, as (a) a fact; a reality; a verity; the opposite of falsehood; (b) that which conforms to fact or reality; the real or true state of things; (c) a verified fact; a true statement or proposition; an established principle, a fixed law, or the like; (d) divine command; the doctrines of the gospel.
Webster’s Universities Dictionary of the English Language, Webster, 1942
I’m in my mid-to-late thirties, my father was many years older than my mother, he died at age 87 nearly 7 years ago. I’ve seen those of the hippy generation, I know my generation, I work with the younger generation and because of my father’s age, when I was young, I spent much time with the senior senior-citizens. I spent much of my late childhood talking to some of my neighbors who were much older than I. I have worked nearly 50 different jobs and owned several businesses. I have been self employed from those in poverty to those who were very wealthy. I have associated with many different people from many different walks of life.
I have been friends with those who are very book smart, nearly genius, I have been acquainted with those who were off of the streets, gang-banging. I have lived in small charming towns and I have lived in cities where gunfire erupts at night, just up the block. I’ve spoken with people who are homeless, desolate and even crazy. I’ve talked with people who truly seek after God and try to put together the pieces of the puzzle. I’ve been poor and walked to work, I’ve been wealthy and able to buy whatever small trinkets I desired. I’ve known people who follow after evil, seeking it diligently and I know people who are true disciples of Christ and follow Him as they should. After having observed all of these things throughout my life, I can say that everyone claims to know some truth.
Most people will never lay hold of truth, they refuse to hear it. Though they seek it, they avoid it. They search all day long for truth to support their lies.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own lusts, desiring to hear pleasant things, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to myths.” 2nd Timothy 4:3-4
Scientists will avoid the truth of paleontology, instead they seek to find truth to back up their claims that dinosaurs evolved and died millions and millions of years ago. When confronted with real truth, facts that sway from their truth, they harden their hearts, block their minds and continue on with diligence that is rarely seen. These men run full force towards Hell, barrowing down to Hades, these men can not get there quick enough. Yet they are not satisfied with going alone, but desire a great wicked company to join them.
“Sheol and Abaddon are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.” Proverbs 27:20
Those who are rich and live at ease put truth in the supposed truth of their wealth. Attorneys, managers, business partners, financial advisors are their saviors who proclaim to them the steps to take to produce more wealth, manage all of their possessions and protect their assets from being taken. With smoothness they walk around with a spirit of satisfaction, yet if their mind is taken for just a moment off of their treasure, away from their family, friends or others who constantly praise them and stick closely to them, then a fear strikes their soul. Yet a phone call to their banker, their stock broker, their attorney and the praise from such people once again lifts their spirit and they continue on. Should they realize that their friends are only there because of their wealth, a quick trip and a business lunch where they can pursue pride by establishing their wealth before those who dine and they have once again forgotten their misery, continuing on. As with a heavy drug, they become drunk with their wealth, able to forget truth and pursue their own vain truth, one that will not stand.
“Wealth makes many friends…” Proverbs 19:4a
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.” Mark 10:25
Hard faces are amongst the boys in the hood. They have their truths and they have there facts. Moral relativism prevails as truth, an eye for an eye in the ghetto. Catch one of these men alone and speak to them and you will find that they seek a better life. You will find that they use their background as facts for why they roll. Truth for the street thug is belief, simply belief. They believe in a God and when one of their family and friends gather around the coffin holding the bullet-ridden body, they assume that God will prevail and the soul of their loved one is now in Heaven, this truth is taught by the local churches who proclaim that it is God’s truth. These hoodlum pastors cater to the whims of society instead of declaring the facts and God’s truth against a wicked generation that seeks to continuously murder and gang bang, dealing and stealing for a living.
These men surrounded by evil, use the truth of their micro world to ignore the real truth. Their street smarts are their bible and their wanton lust for riches and fame, to be the next 50-cent or boss around the corner who has the local fear based respect. These men engulf themselves in truths of rivalry that never has enough blood, of the supposed Robin Hood mentality, ready to take a life in an instant. Though created in God’s image, these men as a group ignore fearing the almighty, as the hardness of their faces proclaim their truth to fear no one. Their truth leads to Hell and most of them get their sooner than later, with some who are lucky enough to end up in prison, giving them time to consider their ways. Yet even behind those bars there are truths and rules that must be followed. The status quo still works to ensure their soul is prepared for eternal damnation.
…”for their feet run to evil and they make haste to shed blood.” Proverbs 1:16
“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” Proverbs 15:28
Truth for many extends to their trust of their church. Many people attend church on a semi regular basis. Yet these pastors who do not shepherd their flocks, ensuring that they are taught the right ways of God, the truth of God, instead they shepherd them to Hell. They corral them like cattle, closing the gate as they are lead away to the slaughter. These pastors use trickery, stage shows, lighting, enticement of the eyes and the ears to gather them into their traps. The church which is supposed to be for the good of God, often become the place where those who are damned meet on a weekly basis.
“Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into the ditch.” Matthew 15:14
“Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, being devoted to corrupting spirits and doctrines of demons…” 1st Timothy 4:1
Those pastors out there who shepherd flocks, utilizing most of God’s truth, still hold back some. Their compromise to Truth results in blurring the lines, signs that should point to God’s Way are not as clear as they should be. Rare is the man who declares boldly ‘thus saith the Lord’ and will not compromise to His Truth. Rare is the pastor who against all odds stands up to the apostasy. Where or where is the men who will do as Christ commanded and fulfill the Great Commission? Where or where are those who will drop the lies of this world and follow not after self, but after the Truth?
Every day graves are dug and every day souls enter an eternal damnation. That is truth. Those who are truly workers of Christ are out there on the battlefield trying to proclaim God’s Truth, the real Truth that men everywhere might hear, repent and be Saved through the precious blood of Christ, God’s gift to mankind. Yet with an equal vengeance are those who are worker’s of satan, great numbers of men who go about pushing humanity into the flames!
Men can study facts and get truth, men can observe God’s Creation and get truth, men can read the Holy Scriptures and get His Truth, or men can simply succumb to their true sinful state and remain there. That truth, that without repenting from a most pathetic state, one that is full of sins, one that is displeasing to the Most High God, one that without Christ all is lost, that Truth is the only one that matters.
How long must those who are in Christ, those who are born again watch as humanity marches toward death. The truth is that people are heavily mistaken and laden with sins. Their heads are in a cloud of deceit and surrounded by entertainment, material items, the lust of the eyes, the sin of the soul. Whether they are a scientist who trys to disprove God, a wealthy man who focuses on material items, a gang banger who is stuck in their training and society, a poor person who refuses to repent or what appears to be the average family who goes around keeping busy, busy, busy, promoting large corporations to become bigger and bigger, breaking the backs of those whom they stand upon, while everyone appears to become more and more united watching television, engaging socially upon the internet, connecting with the music and media, they are doomed! This generation cannot hasten to the gates of Hell quick enough. They run full force, they nearly beg God to punish them for their sins as their wickedness knows no end!
As we near the end these people are uniting against God’s truth. They refuse to wake out of the slumber that their enemy has put them into and by doing so have become an enemy to the very God who created them. They would rather put their truth in culture, they would rather trust in the truths of falsehood, they do not want to know the truth, they do not want to seek after God. Their gods are themselves, they have become little gods, yet it is in their power to do nothing great, nothing out of the ordinary of which is common to mankind. These people continue on blaspheming Him by calling upon His name, by pretending to worship Him. They speak of God but do not know Him. They lie, there is no truth in them. There is a truth and for those who will hear, God provided a way out from the curse. For those who can hear, for those who are willing to unplug themselves for a moment from the world and listen to His voice, there is Truth.
One of the definitions of truth is freedom from falsehood. The things of this world are falsehood. What we do under the sun, what we see, our interactions are false, unless they are for Christ. Unless we become partakers of the good things of God, unless our sins are forgiven and we die from our lives, living for Jesus, we are not free from sin. That sin will lead to Hell, that is truth. What Jesus offers is freedom from that reality, the true state of our souls.
For a Believer there are many truths. They live for Christ, they are a new creature, they have the mind of Christ, their sins are forgiven, their citizenship is in Heaven, they will eternally be joyful. For the rest of mankind there are also many truths, they are of the devil, they are in a sinful nature, they are doomed, they will spend eternity in Hell and they will be a witness to God’s truth.
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2nd Corinthians 5:17
“For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him? But we have the mind of Christ.” 1st Corinthians 2:16
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1st John 1:9
“For our citizenship is in Heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subject all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20-21
“Therefore the redeemed of Jehovah shall return and come with singing into Zion; and everlasting joy shall be on their head. Gladness and joy shall overtake them; sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” Isaiah 51:11
“You are of the devil as your father, and the lusts of your father you purpose to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.” John 8:44
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to every person, because everyone sinned.” Romans 5:12
“But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, prostitutes, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8
“And they shall go out and observe the dead corpses of the men who have rebelled against Me. For their worm does not die, nor is their fire quenched; and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh.” Isaiah 66:24