from Israel My Glory, Vol. 63, No. 1
The Foundations of Faith:
God is True and Truth, Part 3
by Renald Showers
Divine revelation to mankind is
the source of knowledge concerning
ultimate truth and, therefore, ultimate
reality.
The Source
of Knowledge
Concerning
Ultimate Truth
God’s Word, the Bible,
is God’s most significant means of
revealing truth to mankind. Thus
Jesus, who is “the truth” (Jn. 14:6),
told His believers they would “know
the truth” if they continued in His
Word (Jn. 8:31–32).
It is the Bible that presents the significant
implications for mankind of the
associations of true and truth with God.
People’s
Responsibilities
to the Truth
To be people of the truth. The
Bible refers to “men of truth” (Ex.
18:21) and people “of God” (Jn. 8:47; 1 Jn. 4:6). They are people who have the
following characteristics:
They fear God, meaning, they
acknowledge God’s existence and awesomeness,
have a reverential respect for
Him, and concern themselves with
what concerns Him (Ex. 18:21).
They know God, meaning, they
know and accept the truth concerning
Him and have a personal relationship
with Him through the new
birth (1 Jn. 4:6).
They hear “God’s words” that He
delivered to mankind through Jesus
Christ, His prophets, and apostles;
meaning, they accept those words as
coming from God, regard them as
having divine authority over them,
and submit to them in a life-changing
way (Jn. 8:47; 18:37; 1 Jn. 4:6).
For example, they hate covetousness
(Ex. 18:21).
To understand, choose, and be
established in the truth. Daniel
expressed the need for people to
understand God’s truth (Dan. 9:13).
The psalmist chose “the way of
truth”; therefore, he laid God’s
revealed words before him and clung
to them (Ps. 119:30–31). A son is to
choose permanent commitment to
truth: “Let not . . . truth forsake you”
(Prov. 3:3). “Buy the truth, and do not
sell it” (Prov. 23:23).
The apostle Peter referred to people
established in the truth (2 Pet. 1:12).
To petition and praise God for
the truth. “The LORD is near to all
who call upon Him . . . in truth”
(Ps. 145:18). David petitioned God to
lead him in His truth (Ps. 25:5) and
let His truth continually preserve
him (Ps. 40:11). In Psalm 43:3 the
writer petitioned God to send His
truth to lead him.
The psalmist claimed that he
would praise God’s truth (Ps.
71:22), and David stated that he
would praise God’s name for His
truth (Ps. 138:2).
To walk in the truth. To walk
in the truth means to obey God’s
revealed truth by bringing one’s life
and practice into conformity with it.
God declared that, for David’s
descendants to continue ruling
Israel, they must “take heed to their
way, to walk before Me in truth with
all their heart and with all their
soul” (1 Ki. 2:4).
God showed great mercy to
David because David walked before
Him in truth (1 Ki. 3:6). David
promised to walk in God’s truth (Ps.
86:11) and claimed that he did so
(Ps. 26:3).
King Hezekiah declared that he had
walked before God in truth (2 Ki. 20:3).
The person who practices the
truth does so in relationship to God
(Jn. 3:21).
The apostle John rejoiced greatly
when he found or heard about believers
walking in truth (2 Jn. 4; 3 Jn. 3).
To speak the truth. A person
who truly maintains fellowship with
God honestly speaks what is in his
heart. He doesn’t mislead people
with speech that gives the opposite
impression of what he harbors in his
heart (Ps. 15:2).
David did not conceal God’s truth
from the people of Israel. He declared
it to them (Ps. 40:9–10).
The psalmist asked God not to take
“the word of truth” totally out of his
mouth (Ps. 119:43).
A person who speaks truth shows
forth righteousness (Prov. 12:17).
A father is to make known God’s
truth to his children (Isa. 38:19).
God stated that every person is to
speak the truth to his neighbor
(Zech. 8:16).
“The law of truth” was in Levi’s
mouth, and iniquity was not found in
his lips (Mal. 2:6).
The apostle Paul spoke “the
words of truth” to King Agrippa
and Festus (Acts 26:25) and spoke
all things to the Corinthians in truth
(2 Cor. 7:14).
The truth is to be spoken in love
(Eph. 4:15), and every person is to stop
lying and speak truth with his neighbor
(Eph. 4:25).
At times, speaking the truth may
create enemies (Gal. 4:16).
To avoid mixing error with the
truth. God hates a lying tongue (Prov.
6:16–17). The psalmist begged God to
deliver his soul from lying lips (Ps.
120:2). John asserted, “No lie is of the
truth” (1 Jn. 2:21).
Christians are to avoid “leavening”
the truth by mixing it with anything
untrue (1 Cor. 5:8). Paul indicated
that false teaching had hindered
the Galatians from obeying
the truth (Gal. 5:7), and even a small
amount of “leaven” (error) “leavens
the whole lump” (Gal. 5:9). The only
way a message can be true is if its
entire content is true. The introduction
of even a small amount of error
changes the nature of a message
from complete truth to error.
To serve in the truth. Joshua
exhorted the people of Israel to
serve the Lord in truth (Josh. 24:14).
Samuel exhorted them to serve the
LORD “in truth with all your heart”
(1 Sam. 12:24).
God commanded government officials
of Israel, who had to pass judgments
on cases, to make judgments of
truth (based on and in agreement with
the truth, Zech. 8:16).
Worship is one means of serving
God. Jesus declared that the Father
must be worshiped “in truth” (Jn.
4:23–24). Worship of the Father must
be genuine and ascribe to Him
worth that corresponds with the reality of His existence, nature, character,
authority, thoughts, and ways.
God’s servants are to commend
themselves “as ministers of God”
with speech characterized by truth
(2 Cor. 6:4, 7). They are to “do nothing
against the truth” (nothing contrary
or dishonoring to the truth)
“but for the truth” (what supports
and honors the truth, 2 Cor. 13:8).
Christ should be preached “in truth”
(sincerely, with pure motives, Phil. 1:18).
Servants of God are to handle “the
word of truth” (the Scriptures) accurately
(2 Tim. 2:15) and instruct those who
oppose God’s Word in a way that may
bring them to repentance “so that they
may know the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25).
Believers are to serve by being “fellow
workers for the truth” (3 Jn. 8).
They do so by aiding those who are
devoted to God’s work (3 Jn. 5–7).
To relate love to the truth. God commanded
the people of Israel to “love
truth” (Zech. 8:19), and He forbade
them to love any “false oath” (v. 17).
John exhorted believers to love “in
deed and in truth” and thereby know
that they “are of the truth” (1 Jn. 3:18–19).
John and “all those who have known the
truth” loved “the elect lady and her children
. . . in truth” (2 Jn. 1). They did so
“because of the truth” that dwelt in them
as believers (v. 2). John also declared that
he loved Gaius “in truth” (3 Jn. 1).
Paul stated that love “rejoices in the
truth” (1 Cor. 13:6).
Benefits
of the Truth
Those who walk in the truth receive
many benefits: great mercy (1 Ki. 3:6);
preservation from evils (Ps. 40:11–12); the
Lord’s nearness (Ps. 145:18); security (Ps.
91:4); purging of iniquity (Prov. 16:6);
freedom from sin and results of sin (Jn.
8:32); sanctification (Jn. 17:17, 19); steadfastness
against spiritual attack (Eph.
6:14); hope, fruitfulness, and grace (Col.
1:5–6); discernment concerning what
God has ordained and permits (1 Tim.
4:3–4); purification of soul (1 Pet. 1:22);
and grace, mercy, and peace (2 Jn. 3).
Lack of the Truth
It is possible for people to talk as if
they are related to God; but they don’t
know “the way of the LORD,” are hardened
against Him, are not in the truth,
and don’t seek it (Isa. 48:1; Jer. 5:1–5).
There are people who lie, “are not
valiant for the truth,” and don’t know
God (Jer. 9:3).
Jesus indicated that people who reject
God’s Word as the truth are of the devil,
not of God (Jn. 8:44–47; cf. 1 Jn. 4:6).
Men of corrupt minds are “destitute
of the truth” (1 Tim. 6:5). Some
people are “always learning and
never able to come to the knowledge
of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).
People who say they have no sin do
not have the truth in them (1 Jn. 1:8). A
person who says, “I know” Jesus but
does not obey Him does not have the
truth in him (1 Jn. 2:4).
Animosity
Toward the Truth
Some people refused to believe Jesus
because He told the truth (Jn. 8:45). Some
purposely suppress God’s revealed truth
and exchange it for a lie (Rom. 1:18, 25).
False teachers bewitch people into disobeying
the truth (Gal. 3:1), while they
themselves “resist the truth” (2 Tim. 3:8)
and speak evil of “the way of truth” (2
Pet. 2:1–2). Some people “will not
endure sound doctrine,” will “turn their
ears away from the truth,” and turn
“aside to fables” (2 Tim. 4:3–4).
Judgment
and the Truth
God will judge people with His truth
(Ps. 96:13). People who do not obey
God’s revealed truth but obey unrighteousness
will receive “indignation and
wrath, tribulation and anguish” on “the
day of wrath and revelation of the righ -
teous judgment of God” (Rom. 2:5, 8–9).
All people who receive not “the love of
the truth” and believe not the truth
“that they might be saved” will be
judged (2 Th. 2:10, 12).
God’s Desire
and the Truth
God wills (“wish of desire”1) all
people “to be saved and to come to the
knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4).
The Church
and the Truth
God intends the church to be “the pillar”
and “ground” (“foundation”2) of the
truth (1 Tim. 3:15). A pillar provides support;
and a foundation keeps a building
grounded to one location, preventing it
from shifting or moving from its original
location. God intends the church to fully
support His revealed truth against all
antagonistic attacks and to prevent His
truth from being shifted or moved from
its original content as revealed by God.
Nations
and the Truth
When Israel was “without the
true God” for a long time, it was
troubled, vexed, and had no peace (2
Chr. 15:3–6). During Isaiah’s time
Israel suffered when none pleaded
for truth; truth was fallen in the
street, and truth failed (Isa. 59:4,
14–15). During Jeremiah’s time
Israel obeyed not “the voice of the
LORD their God” nor received “correction”;
truth was “perished” and
was “cut off from their mouth” (Jer.
7:28). During Hosea’s time God had
a controversy with the nation
because there was “no truth, or
mercy Or knowledge of God in the
land” (Hos. 4:1). Israel will be
blessed in the future when it is “the
righteous nation which keeps the
truth” (Isa. 26:2).
E N D N O T E S
1 William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich, “thelo,” AGreek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago:University of Chicago Press, 1957), 355.
2 Ibid., “edraioma,” 217.
 Dr. Renald E. Showers is an author and an international conference speaker for the Friends of Israel.
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