Intro.
What is truth?
Truth is invincible, eternal and immutable certainty. It is something that always is, and never is not. All religious truth is found in God’s word, and God’s word is all truth. In scripture is God’s will revealed to us for the renewing of our minds, the stability of our faith, and the comfort of our hope. Truth is the opposite of the lie. Man was created in God’s image. Man fell from the estate wherein he was created. Man is guilty and worthy of eternal death in hell. Repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to be saved from this end of destruction. God has eternally decreed to save a remnant, and redeem a people to Himself by His most holy, righteous, just, merciful and good work as the Father in election, as the Son in Atonement, and as the Spirit in applying all these benefits to us and sanctifying us to the end. These are all divine immutable truths. Whatsoever doctrines or dreams come into contradiction with them is a lie. Truth is one. We do not have multiple doctrines, but one holy and true doctrine of the gospel which was delivered to us by Christ and His apostles. Holy Scripture itself is a divine unity of truth. Although written over a period of a few thousand years, and written by over forty authors, yet the principal and preeminent author of scripture is the Holy Spirit who teaches men truth, and leads whom He pleases into all truth. Abraham’s faith is the same as Paul’s faith. The one looked forward to Christ who was to come and demonstrated that faith by offering his son which was a type of Christ the son who was to be sacrificed to make atonement for His people. The second was an apostle called by Christ and taught the truth straight from heaven, and whose faith is seen in his manifold works which all do eminently set forth the glory of Christ, and the way to be blessed in Him. But they held to one truth, and one doctrine. They were not divided in faith, though they were divided by so great a period of time, and perhaps the latter exceeded the other as to degree in faith. But yet it remains that it is one faith. As Paul says in Eph. 4:5, “One Lord, one faith.”
Therefore it must prove equally true, that if these things are so than a different faith is not faith at all and a different Lord is not the Lord Jesus Christ, but the lord of lies.
We do not have fellowship in the truth with heretics and preachers of false doctrine who do not teach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as it is taught in Holy Scripture. The Holy Spirit leads us into truth, not error, and this truth God’s people from all ages have held onto and received comfort from, and been kept from the wavering winds of false doctrine. Truth therefore being from God and being one of His essential attributes must be of monumental importance to us. God cannot be God if He is not truth itself. We show that we are of God when we receive the truth. John 3:33 says, “He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.” If we do not hold to the pure doctrines of the gospel which the Lord Jesus Christ, and the apostles have so clearly manifested to us in the Holy Scriptures, we cannot be said to have received God as true. God’s word is the revelation of God’s truth, and if we go against His word, we are against His truth. Why are there so many disagreements in the church today? Sadly because the modern church is apostate, and the Reformed leaders of our days are not Reformed at all and are departing from the pure and holy doctrine delivered to them for fanciful lies, and smooth deceits. Preaching the gospel is never a popular or a lucrative enterprise. It receives backlash, hatred, envy, malice, persecution, and even death. The martyrs gave up their lives because they would rather let go the breath in their lungs and the blood of their body than the truth in their soul. But there are a great many denominations and factions in the church today, and very few have the truth with them. We must be careful to study the scripture carefully, diligently, logically, and read also the notable church fathers who have labored to reveal to us their meaning, so that we all might be united by the truth. It is most profitable to read the works of Augustine, Calvin, Luther, Beza, Bullinger, Knox, Perkins, Watson, Flavel, Brooks, Goodwin, Charnock, Owen, Henry, and Jonathan Edwards and see how with one accord these men taught the same truth, though from many different backgrounds and educations.
When discussing application of the law, or non-soteriological issues, there ought to be a degree of charity, and we ought not to strive contentiously and break the unity of peace for smaller issues. However there is no unimportant truth. The doctrine of the gospel must be kept pure, and we ought never to think of accepting as Christian brothers those who depart from the truth of the doctrines of man, sin, God, Christ, redemption, or the final judgment.
John Owen said that we ought not to hold out the hands of fellowship with Arminians because their doctrine is so destructive to the nature of the gospel. Thomas Watson also said that peace with Unitarians, Arminians and other heretics is peace of the devil’s making. We must hold the truth as precious to us, and defend it with our voices, and our lives.
“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)
There is no greater freedom than truth and nothing sweeter to the sanctified soul than truth. Truth is the bulwark of salvation, the strong wall of defense, the belt which holds the armor of God together, and the surety of all our comfort. We could never hope to see the Lord in heaven unless it was a truth revealed to us, and we could never be comforted by this unless we received it as true. Faith therefore is the arm that embraces truth, and receives all the blessings of the gospel. If we would be saved, it must be by belief in the truth.
1. Objective Truth.
What also should be noted is that the truths we are talking about are truths that exist outside of us, and apart from us. They have no benefit for us unless we receive them as true, which would make them also subjective, but whether we believe them or not, they remain true. We should take careful note, and attentively consider Christ’s words to Thomas in John 14. These words may be widely used, but they are narrowly understood.
In John chapter 14, when Jesus is on His way to the cross, and He is about to make His final discourse with His disciples, and His final prayer for them, the apostle Thomas, who is known as “doubting Thomas” displays a remarkable amount of faith in asking the Lord where He is going. It says in the text, “Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” (John 14:5-6) Here it is seen that Thomas clings with faith to Christ like a sash clings to the waist of a man. He would not be without Him, and not fully knowing the implications of the resurrection, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the spiritual union between Christ and believers, Thomas asks Him, “How can we know the way?” That is the question which every believer would ask, and which Christ gives the answer to both directionally, and finally. The way is Himself. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” And the final destination of this path is heaven itself to be where Christ is, “that they may be with me where I am.” [John 17:24]
But here we are discussing the heart of the whole matter, which is truth itself. For if these things are untrue, or even uncertain, what assurance can we have that Christ is truly who He says He is, that God has forgiven us, that we are on the right path, and that this path ends in glory? But when Thomas asks Christ where He is going, and where to go to be with Him, the Lord gives Him a complete answer to assure his faith, and guide his steps. He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Now we are here going to observe the antithesis of this profound statement. When Jesus affirms that He Himself is the truth, He is authoritatively declaring that all else besides Him is a lie. This is important to the point at hand, because when Christ draws us to truth He is drawing us to Himself, and in drawing us to Himself He draws us by truth, with truth, and into the truth. There is no lie in scripture, and there is no lie in Jesus Christ. He is the truth itself, and there can no truth exist apart from Him. Whatever doctrine, practice or religion affirms anything contrary to the doctrine of Jesus Christ is a lie. They may have many affectionate ties to their delusions, and naturally incline towards them being darkened in ignorance, but they cannot be explained truthfully or logically. We can affirm that everything in scripture is true, and proved to be true by its own testimony, nature, experience, and the laws of logic. Reason itself demands a verdict that no unbeliever is willing to objectively consider. This is said for Christians, not for them. It is not for us to engage in long winded debates with atheists and skeptics over the basic facts that hold the world together. They need the gospel before they can begin to understand the world.
2. Eternal Truth.
This being said, we should also observe that for anything to be true in the matters we are speaking of it must be an eternal truth. Heb. 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The truths spoken of in scripture do not change over time. They are equally true for Moses as they are for Paul, and just as true for us today. We are speaking of matters of eternity itself, the state of man’s soul, his eternal destination, the way of salvation, sin, forgiveness, ethics, morality, and the very nature and character of God. These truths are truths that are established from eternity. We have the same faith that Abraham did, though it is established in greater degrees in the New Covenant through Christ and the ministry of the Spirit. The truth of man’s sin is total depravity. Man is no more depraved of nature today as he was yesterday, though the circumstances of the world determine how he acts according to it. The truth of man’s salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ who became man, and suffered torments of body and soul for our sake, that we might be enabled to believe the truth, be established in the truth, and remain in the truth. Man’s sin remains the same, and the way of salvation remains the same. If these things change over time, they could not be truth. Now while there will come a time, when all these truths will be consummated, the righteous will enjoy eternity in heaven, and the wicked punished for eternity in hell, these are the effects of truth, and will be because of the truth.
3. Immutable truth.
We should also note the unshakable nature of truth. The eternity of truth respects time, how they do not change from one day to the next. The immutability of truth respects degree, how they do not become greater or lesser truth. This is the foundation for our faith. If Christ is the truth, He is always the truth, and always an invincible surety for salvation. The truth is never more or less necessary. This is why the search for truth, and diligent reading of the scriptures to acquire truth is so vitally important. Once we are established in the truth, there is no reason for us to change opinion. Our minds by nature are changeable, and move to and fro with every wind of false doctrine. But when God has taught us by His Spirit, we are enabled to remain fixed upon an unchangeable truth that cannot be taken away from us. When Jesus says to His disciples, “I am the truth” He is giving them a map to everlasting life, and assuring them that to abide in Him is to abide in the truth. What is true cannot be in any form or manner untrue, no matter how many disbelieve it or cast contempt upon it. All these show (though very briefly, and by no means comprehensively) the objective nature of truth, and its surety apart from our own beliefs or the world itself. The world hangs on God’s power and truth, and it is to our everlasting shame if we do not submit to His truth, but go our own way into perdition. There is consolation only in belief in truth.
3. Natural Aversion to Truth.
What must be noted before we continue to the devotional side of this discourse is that our minds are by nature darkened with ignorance, and entirely unable to receive or acknowledge truth. Now while we are ignorant by nature, and by necessity, we are willfully ignorant, and more than not knowing God, we love the lie which is opposed to Him. Paul says that the Gentiles (or nonbelievers) “have their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart” (Eph. 4:18) Ignorance is sin, and a principal part of our alienation from God. Previously discussed is our depravity by nature and our unworthiness to be granted any favor. Subsequent to this is the fact that by ignorance, our minds are utterly unworthy to receive knowledge. We are broken vessels and can hold no water. Nay worse, we are reprobate vessels which hold only poison. In order to make us of any use, God must shatter our vessel, and repair it by grace to make it ready to receive the bounties of the knowledge of Him. The natural man is so averse to truth that it hardens him against God, and makes him the more bold in his sin and iniquity.
Israel was given the law, and they sinned worse than the heathen countries around them. Such is the desperate condition of the mind of man that it will be opposed to anything of God, and will not only be ignorant of truth, but when truth is presented to it, it will oppose it, and seek with mad rage to stifle and destroy it. It is a notable act of God’s sovereign power that He makes the wicked stumble over their lusts, pleasures and sins into hell, but a greater demonstration of His divine majesty and the inscrutability of His Wisdom that He causes men to stumble over the gospel and salvation into hell.
“They stumble at the word… To which also they were appointed.”
[1 Pet. 2:8] They do not stumble at darkness, but at light. Pharaoh was not hardened by hard speeches, or threats of invasion, but by the simple, and clear command from God, “Let my people go!” If our minds be so ignorant, and averse to truth, then it is a necessity that God enlighten us in His knowledge before we come to Him.
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” [John 6:44]
And how does He draw us but by grace, and by the light of truth? He draws us with reason, and knowledge, as the prophet says, ““Come now, and let us reason together,”
Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are like scarlet,
They shall be as white as snow;
Though they are red like crimson,
They shall be as wool.” (Isa. 1:18)
God commands that men come to reason, and repent, and as we have before noted, those who are not effectually drawn by His Spirit will become the more hardened by the command, will oppose, or pervert it, but those who are drawn by the voice of the Bridegroom will surely come- come to reason, come to knowledge, come to conviction, to repentance, faith, and come to Christ to be ruled by His righteous laws.

I. Christ draws us by the Truth.
This leads us to the first point which is that Christ draws His beloved to Himself by revealing to them the truth. The Song says,
“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth—
For your love is better than wine.
Because of the fragrance of your good ointments,
Your name is ointment poured forth;
Therefore the virgins love you.
Draw me away!
We will run after you.
The king has brought me into His chambers.” (Song of Songs 1:2-4)
“Let him kiss me.”
What is more pleasant to the lips of the soul than the kiss of truth? This pleasure was never given to those whom God does not desire to embrace in His love, but is an especial token of His love for the saints. By speaking the truth to us in His word, and revealing to us its meaning Christ is demonstrating His love to us. By truth the soul is made willing to come to God, having been persuaded by God’s effectual love for their soul. God is true, and faith is the receiving of God as true. “as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12) By enlightening our minds, and convincing us of the truth of salvation, God is manifesting His divine love towards us, and showing us His particular and special favor.
“Because of the fragrance of your good ointments, your name is ointment poured forth.” Christ’s glory is known only by the Spirit of God, and therefore for us to know Him at all, He must pour the knowledge of the truth into our minds, and by the Spirit enable us to understand what is spoken by Him in the scriptures. He declares to us our malady, and then reveals to us our remedy, which is as precious ointment poured into the wound; Christ’s name therefore is made known to us. Christ is to us as “JEHOVAH RAPHA” (The LORD who heals you) [Ex. 15:26] only then is the wound of the soul which was made by the law bound up, and God’s love poured forth upon sinners.
God’s truth is precious to Him, and He does not reveal it to all men, but to whom He desires. “No man knows the Father but the Son, and He to whom the Son will reveal Him.” [Matt. 11:27]
Yet, this is not because the men of the world do not hear the truth, yea they hear it and hate it! It is a most bitter thing to them. Their minds are wholly averse to truth. They have not been made able to receive it by the Spirit of God. Therefore, we must distinguish between those who are able to hear the word of truth, and those who are not. Paul does this by saying that the preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ are a savor of death to the one, and a savor of life to the other. [2 Cor. 2:16] But although the same truth is preached to both, one unto death, and the other unto life, both are sweet to God, and He delights in the declaration of it for the sake of His truth which is boldly proclaimed.
Also it is recorded in the prophets that the people had grown dull of hearing, and although the truth was preached incessantly to them, and God sent them the prophets, “daily rising up early, and sending them” yet the LORD said, “Go, and tell this people:
‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;
Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’
“Make the heart of this people dull,
And their ears heavy,
And shut their eyes;
Lest they see with their eyes,
And hear with their ears,
And understand with their heart,
And return and be healed.” (Is. 6:9-10)
There are those who are not made to hear, not made willing to do, and not enabled to receive the truth, having in their heart a natural hatred and spite for all things good.
Truly then if we are believe with the heart the sweet sound of God’s truth, and we are made to understand His word, and magnify His great love, this is none other than the powerful work of God upon us, which is proof of His love being set upon us, and He has made us to know it by taking away our stony hearts, and giving us a new heart which is able to receive these glad tidings. “He who gives a right answer kisses the lips.” (Prov. 24:26) And although we deserved to be carried away with His furious rebukes, and His thundering voice of destruction, yet He has drawn us sweetly to Himself, and given us a right answer in Christ, who has justified us, taken away His wrath, and embraced us in His arms of love. He has kissed us with truth, and if we are truly His we receive His truth most gladly, and it is to us, “sweeter than honey, and the honeycomb.” [Ps. 19:10] If we find truth to be sweet, let us observe some of the means by which this precious truth is communicated to us.

2. Christ draws His Beloved to Himself by the preaching of the word.
Isaiah 52:7 says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, “Thy God reigneth!”
If Christ’s elect people are to be gathered to Him, and called to His worship then proclamation must be made, directions must be given, doctrine must be laid down, Christ must be preached, the gospel must be proclaimed, and it must be proclaimed to the ends of the earth. God’s commission for the disciples to preach to all nations was for the purpose of gathering His beloved to Himself. Before Christ woos His people to Himself by truth and love He bids an ambassador to proclaim it. There is scarcely any hope of salvation apart from preaching. It is the word of God implanted in the heart that saves souls. “Of His own will He begot us by the word of truth” (Jam. 1:18)
It’s not through reading or casual conversation that people are ordinarily saved from wrath, but by preaching! What can be said therefore for those poor, and miserable souls who have no preacher? What a sorry condition the greater part of the world is that have not heard the precious truths of the gospel explained to them? And how much more pitiful are those who hear it, and remain deaf to it! To have Christ preached to them regularly, and to hear of His great love bestowed upon miserable sinners, and yet remain dead inside is the most miserable condition one can be in, and yet it is no great surprise to us, for “many are called, but few are chosen.” Though the pews be filled, and churches be full yet there is room in heaven only for the elect. God commands His preachers to preach the truth faithfully that His sheep might be gathered and His people strengthened in grace. The preaching of the word therefore has a three-fold affect.
i. It unites the people of God with Christ their Savior.
“the kisses of His mouth”
Here Christ’s mouth is distinguished from all others. “A stranger’s voice they will not hear.”  It is not our truth, nor the world’s truth that is proclaimed in preaching, but Christ’s truth, which He bids us to declare to all nations. God enables His elect people to hear the word, and believe the word and convicts their souls that they might repent of their sin, and find life and grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17) The soul after being broken for sin, and finding no refuge or safety in this world cries out to God for deliverance, and finds comfort in the arms of the Lord Christ. He does not cast away the broken, but receives them graciously. Here preaching is made to bring the bride and the Bridegroom together through faith. By the preaching of the word, Christ’s beloved is brought to the knowledge of the truth, and captivated by the knowledge of God. Romans 10:14-15 says, “How shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,
Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
Truly there is no other way to be reconciled to God apart from Christ, no other means but faith, and no other method by which faith is communicated to us but the gospel, and no other place where the gospel is communicated to us than in the word, and no better way for the word to be proclaimed than by preaching!
It is a sign of God’s unspeakable goodness and mercy that He sends one to preach to us. When God’s word is faithfully preached, and God’s truth faithfully proclaimed, it is a most sure token of His special love when it is believed in the hearts of His people.
The most dangerous case then is a hard heart that will not receive such glad tidings, and rather than receiving the message, “Thy God Reigneth!” says, “Get away from us, and cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from us!” But though the men of this world reject truth, we must be ever vigilant for it, knowing that by the preaching of the word, God brings His people to Himself, and builds them up in the knowledge of Christ.
Through the knowledge of the gospel, and belief in the truth, we are united to Christ and partake of His perfect righteousness. “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” (Rom. 1:16-17)
What can be sweeter than truth, seeing it means the complete forgiveness of sins, and the communication of Christ’s righteousness to us? Solomon says in Prov. 16:6, “In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity.” And again, “Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Prov. 3:3) See how the Holy Spirit links mercy and truth together! It is also coupled over ten times in the Psalms! By the acknowledgement of truth, and the receiving it into our hearts, we are receiving mercy. It is God who shows mercy, and it is God who reveals truth. What love of the purest degree is shown to us in truth! What mercy unspeakable! God has shown us through the truth that He is merciful, and compassionate, and He forgives our transgressions through the atonement of the Son.
Therefore, if we do not ask Him for mercy, how can it be said that we know the truth?
The proud man never comes to beg for mercy, because he receives not God as true.
Let us therefore be humble, and plead for mercy, knowing the truth that we are weak, feeble, and by nature foul, and odious, but by God’s mercy, we are enabled to receive the truth of the gospel, and receive Christ’s righteousness as our own.
ii. It builds His beloved people up in righteousness.
We should also observe that by the preaching of the word, God’s people are built up in truth and righteousness. “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” (Eph. 4:11-12)
He Himself (that is Christ) gave some to be preachers to us, and how ungrateful are we if we do not heed them! Out of the riches of His abundant love, Christ has raised up men to be pastors, and teachers to equip the saints of God with the armor of righteousness, that they might become strong in the Lord, and fully pleasing to Him, being drawn away from the vanity of this world, and the temptations of the devil, and being drawn to heaven where Christ is! Oh, how precious is God’s truth, and how useful to make us more like Him! This word used by Paul for “edify” means to build. He says in 1 Corinthians that no other foundation can be laid than Christ. The preacher therefore is to build upon that foundation by proclaiming truth to the people, and drawing them to Christ. The preaching of the word therefore is none other than Christ drawing His people unto Himself, and bringing them into the delights of His love. It is good for us to be holy and blameless, to put off sin, and for our minds, and hearts to be in heaven where Christ is. Christ has no greater desire than for His bride to be drawn into His love by His truth. We are not only to live by truth, but increase in our knowledge of truth, for this is what our minds were made for!
This is the great scheme of redemption- that He might woo us by the truth, and encourage us in it until we are perfected by it in heaven. There are no lies in heaven, only purity and verity, and Christ brings us there on the wings of His truth. If we would climb to heaven, it must be by this ladder of truth. It points only upward towards Christ, and is as straight as a rule can make it. We must heed faithful rebukes, and exhortations to flee from the vanity of the world, and be united to Christ in the bands of communion and love, and we must be faithful to continue on this path, continually being built up by faithful preaching, and the proclamation of truth communicated to us by it.
iii. Christ pushes away the wicked from Himself by the truth.
Here Christ’s love is shown to be singular, and given to His elect only, for when the truth is proclaimed to those whom Christ loves not, their minds are not made able and willing to understand it, their hearts not made soft to receive it, and they are turned the more to despise it. “Therefore they could not believe, because He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their hearts.” [John 12:39-40]
Christ magnifies His love toward His people, and shows us the preciousness of truth by disclosing His secrets only to a few. Though we all are unworthy to receive it, yet He has revealed it to His elect people, and closed the eyes of the rest, leaving them in their misery and shame to be reserved for punishment and destruction.
Calvin writes, “As the Lord by the efficacy of his calling accomplishes towards his elect the salvation to which he had by his eternal counsel destined them, so he has judgments against the reprobate, by which he executes his counsel concerning them. Those, therefore, whom he has created for dishonor during life and destruction at death, that they may be vessels of wrath and examples of severity, in bringing to their doom, he at one time deprives of the means of hearing his word, at another by the preaching of it blinds and stupefies them the more.” The truths of the gospel are reserved for those whom Christ delights to call into His heavenly kingdom, and therefore those whom He has not called will be the more confused by it. We should not be surprised therefore when men twist the word to their own destruction, for it is said in the scriptures that they will do as much. They will make grace into works, or grace into lawlessness, but those whom Christ loves will receive grace, and it will be righteousness imputed to their souls, and manifested in their lives. His word of truth will go forth into all nations, and He will both gather His beloved with it and smite the wicked with it, speaking to them in His fiery wrath. “Out of His mouth goes a sharp two-edged sword.” [Rev. 1:16] Sinners hate truth. Therefore the Lord says, “I will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.” [Rev. 2:16] Christ’s truth is blessing to His people, and curses to the wicked. His mouth is kisses to the one, and fire to the other, understanding to one, and confusion to the other, a sword of truth to one, and a sword to slay the other, life to one, and destruction to the other. Those whom Christ loves will hear the word with gladness, and all others will despise Him, and will be punished by Him on the last day for their open rebellion and malice against His truth.

Application. (Truth)
1. Seeing that God draws us to Himself by truth, let us be obedient to His command to grow in the knowledge of the truth.
Let us be obedient children and submit to the sound doctrine delivered to us by Christ, and is communicated to us by the faithful preachers of the church. Everyone who is of the truth, and who is effectually drawn by the Spirit into God’s love is drawn, called, and sealed by truth. It is not enough for us to profess religion with our mouths, or change some of our habits, clean up our act, or live quiet moral lives. We must be inwardly changed, we must be changed by the truth, believe the truth, and we must also grow in the knowledge of the truth. How can a Christian grow if he does not know where to go or what to do? Thomas once asked Jesus where He was going so that they His disciples would also know the way. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Christ who is the eternal word of God is the way to grow in truth. We should observe therefore a two-fold application of this passage.
i. Christ is the Wisdom of God.
Where shall we go for wisdom, and to whom shall we fly? We have no knowledge of our own, no natural inward inclination toward knowledge and truth, but toward vanity, lies, hypocrisy, heresy, and all manner of wickedness. As cages are full of chirping birds, so the mind of man is full of chirping madness, and emptiness. He was given a mind to know his Creator and he has utterly rejected Him. “O Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, That you may be saved. How long shall your evil thoughts lodge within you?” (Jer. 4:14)
Therefore if Wisdom, and the knowledge of truth be not in us, where shall we find it?
It is to Christ alone we fly for mercy, it is to Christ alone we fly for grace, and it is to Christ alone we fly for wisdom! “In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Col. 2:3) If we would know truth, if we would draw near to God by applying truth to our lives, and imitating the Son of God who was “full of truth” and who “is the truth” then we must obtain it by the free gift of God, which is purchased for us at the cross, and applied by the Spirit. In order to become wise, we must become fools, and understand that we have no knowledge, no wisdom, and no truth. We must be empty before we can be filled. Therefore let us diligently seek wisdom in Christ, and ever humble ourselves before Him, asking Him for grace, and growth in the knowledge of truth. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)
This intimates not only that we are to ask God humbly for all things, but we are exhorted here by James to ask specifically for wisdom. Let it never be said that the Christians are a foolish people without knowledge. God gave us a mind, and therefore let us use it for His glory, and daily increase in wisdom and knowledge.
ii. Christ is the Word of God.
When Christ says to Thomas, to His other disciples and to us that He is the truth, He is pointing us to the Word where we may find all truth. Calvin once said, “Scripture is the school of all wisdom, in which as nothing is omitted that is both necessary and useful to know, so nothing is taught but what is expedient to know.” Holy Scripture is the map and compass of truth. Scripture itself is the measure of truth. We do not judge scripture by what we think is truth, but we judge truth to be what is expressed in Holy Scripture.  Whatsoever we find there is true, and worthy to be held onto with zeal. We should also be diligent to interpret scripture by scripture, and allow the more clearer passages to interpret that which is more difficult. God is said to hate the wicked, but in the gospel of John it is said that He loves the world. It seems clear then that we cannot interpret “world” as all men including the wicked who are hated as, “vessels of wrath being prepared for destruction”.
Scripture is a unity of truth, and whatsoever problems we find in our own wisdom of scripture can be cleared up by comparing passage with passage, and verse with verse.
John Knox said, “The Word of God is plain in itself; and if there appears any obscurity in one place, the Holy Ghost, who is never contrary to himself, explains the same more clearly in other places, so that there can remain no doubt, but unto such as are obstinately ignorant.” If therefore we would be filled with the knowledge of God, let us diligently search the scriptures, seeking daily to know the mind of God, what our duty is toward Him, and our neighbor, what our salvation is, what His great love and kindness is, and what is our hope that we look forward to.  “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4)

2. If God’s truth is precious to Him, it should be precious to us.
Paul says in 2 Tim. 1:13, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words.”
We are entrusted with the truth, and we ought to hold it close to us, and value it highly for Christ’s sake who is the truth. If we have no genuine regard for truth, and we are ready and willing to compromise with heretics, it is not only a sign we are not holding fast the pattern of sound words, but that we do not value and esteem Christ. Let this never be said of us. We are shown the light of truth that we might set it on a hill, and rejoice in the truth, not hide it under the basket of fear, and the desire to please men. We are to love others for Christ’s sake, and believers for the truth’s sake. If men err in truth, we rebuke them that they may be restored valuing truth above their persons. And if they should depart from truth, our love departs from them. “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.” (2 John 9-11)
We ought to be willing to lose our friends, our family, and our lives, but not the truth.
Yea, let us let go of all earthly joys, comforts and pleasures, but let us never let go of the truth! Let us hold fast to sound doctrine, and godly teaching with zeal, that it might not slip out of our hands, and that we might not be carried away in the flood of heresies that is spewed out of the serpent’s mouth. [Rev. 12:15] If you would be safe from this deluge of delusion, you must be firmly established in the truth, and esteem it precious. If you love the truth, you love Christ who is the truth, and if you love Christ, you must also love the truth.
3. If God’s truth is one of His essential attributes, and inseparable from His deity, what can be said of those who do not believe the truth?
This leads us to the next point. If truth is precious to God, and Christ is the truth, what can be said of those who err in truth, or depart from truth? It must be said that those who do not know the truth do not know God. Are men called Christian simply because they profess to be such, and live outwardly decent lives, free from the gross immorality that covers the nation? William Secker said, “Many have passed the rock of gross sins – who have suffered shipwreck on the sands of self-righteousness.”
To err in truth is fatal. The difference between the truth and the lie is the difference between heaven and hell. Either a man believes he is a sinner, wholly destitute of righteousness, and must come to Christ for salvation, or he believes he is capable of something that may justify himself before God. There can be no in between. We are either Christians, or we are lawless hypocrites trying to earn salvation by works. Is it works that commends us to God? Is it faith itself that makes us clean? Or is it Christ who does all things in us, and for us? If it is not the latter, we are doomed, and if we believe the former, we are damned. Christ is the only way, the only truth, and the only life. No man comes to the Father but by believing in Christ. We must believe the truth of man’s sin, of election, of Christ’s intercession, of the Spirit’s regeneration, and of the final judgment or we will be turned aside by lies. If God’s truth is precious to Him, we do Him a great disservice if we compromise with the least heresy. There is no truth in scripture that is of little value.
Those who transgress against God’s law, may be turned to repent by godly counsel and their own conscience.
Those who err in doctrine and believe heresy sin with their minds, have seared their conscience by it and make their heads a temple for devil worship. Therefore if they would be converted, it must be by belief in the truth. Let us take careful note that Paul says heresy is a sin that keeps men from the kingdom of God. [Gal. 5:20] Peter also says, “But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.” (2 Pet. 2:1) and again, “Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless; and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.” (2 Pet. 3:14-16)
Those who twist the scriptures are not making an innocent mistake. They are full of ignorance, deceit, malice against truth, wickedness, blasphemy, heresy, and twist the scriptures to their own damnation. “They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.” (1 Pet. 2:8)
4. If truth is eternal and immutable, our salvation cannot be shaken.
See what invincible comfort Christians have in Christ in that their salvation cannot be taken from them! Though it be moved, it can never be removed. Though their faith may be shaken, their tree cannot be uprooted. Though their ship may toss with violent waves, yet they cannot be tossed overboard. Christ keeps them secure and assures them by the truth that they are in Him, and that they are of the truth, and by this word in them, they know they can never perish. Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:28)
Though Satan rages against us with all his malice and hatred of truth, yet he is not against us, but against Christ. And if we are one in Christ, we know that his violent assaults will be defeated by the power of the Almighty. This gives us great comfort and hope, and peace in the midst of turmoil, and trouble.
As Christ has brought us into communion with Himself by His Spirit, He has made us partaker of an everlasting truth which cannot be taken away from us. This is immutable comfort to rest upon. We are assured that Christ will bring us effectually into paradise since He has begun the work in us and promised it to us. God has spoken, and His truth can no more be changed than His Deity. How strange it is that nonbelievers can take rest in houses of sand, and draw comfort from doctrines of wind, and repeat to themselves, “Everything is going to be okay.” when there is no reason whatsoever to believe it. Their houses are falling apart, and their beliefs are soon to blow away.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever.” [Isa. 40:8]
“They will perish, but You remain;
And they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will fold them up,
And they will be changed.
But You are the same.” [Heb. 1:11-12]
But believers have not only their salvation promised to them but explained to them. We do not have empty words given to us, but infallible, and invincible words of truth delivered to us in scripture. How are we saved from wrath? By Christ’s propitiation!
How are we kept from death? By Christ’s own death, and resurrection! The Creator who made us has also power to redeem us, and has translated us into His everlasting kingdom which can never be taken from us. He has purchased all our spiritual benefits at the cross, and shall the wicked take them from us by their curses? It cannot be!
All that they wicked can do is add to our reward, and heap upon themselves destruction.
Paul, in order to exhort us to faith, and firmly establish this truth in us says, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:35-39)
Who shall separate us from the knowledge of the truth? It is already a light that shines in our minds, and can shadows overcome the light? Nay but, “The darkness cannot comprehend it.” Light always overcomes the darkness, and even so our belief in the truth, though it may flicker, and at times of despair, or doubt grow dim, yet by the grace of God who dwells with us, it can never be put out.
5. If faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word, the word heard when it is preached, and preachers must be sent, let us pray fervently that God would send His preachers to proclaim the gospel to the lost sheep.
Jesus said, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.” (John 10:16) Christ brought the disciples to Himself by His word when He said, “Follow me.”
And truly if the nations are to be gathered to the marriage supper of the lamb, they must be called, and the gospel must be preached to them. Let us therefore pray for the effectual working of the Spirit in ministers to preach the gospel faithfully to all nations, that Christ’s sheep would be gathered, and we would all as one body enjoy communion and fellowship with them in Christ. Though we be few on earth, and the remnant small, yet in all ages God has had a little flock which has loved, served, and worshiped Him in spirit and truth. Let us be zealous in praying for pastors and evangelists that they would be filled with the Spirit of God, and preach the gospel to their congregations, that they would be filled with righteousness and holiness, forsaking the fear of men, the pleasures of the world, and that they would be bold to proclaim the truth in all places, and to all peoples. Christ’s sheep will be gathered to Himself, and is this not what we wait for? Even the consummation of all things, for the elect to be gathered, Christ to be glorified and judgment to come to the earth, that we might reign with Christ in righteousness? If we pray for Christ to come saying, “Even so, come Lord Jesus!” We ought also to pray that His work on earth would be complete!
For He will not come until He has brought all those to repentance whom the Father has given Him from eternity! This is a great and grand work of the Son to gather peoples from all over the world to the truth which is quite contrary to their natures! We ought to adore His great love for the world that He has not only sent His son to redeem us, but that His Son sitting on the throne commands His ministers to gather us!
The beloved apostle Peter says, “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Pet. 3:9-13)
God is not willing that a single one of His sheep should perish in ignorance, but is longsuffering toward us, and sends His ministers to the farthest corners of the world to bring us all into the bands of truth. Let us therefore pray for the success of missions, and for the success of pastors that not only would God bring His people to Himself, but that He would sanctify His people with grace, and by the knowledge of the truth, “till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” (Eph. 4:13)