By
Shelby G. Floyd
Jesus on one occasion said,
“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
Just as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are all truth, so all of the commandments of the Lord are truth (Psalms 119:151). God’s word has always been true from the very beginning, and since he is the author of it, his truth is just as eternal as he is, and it will live and abide forever (Psalms 119:160). God’s word is truth, and it is the final standard of authority in every matter of religion. It is the ultimate appeal to understand and know what is the truth regarding a certain proposition.
THE TRUTH CAN BE CHANGED INTO A LIE
All of this is well and good, but much confusion has been worked in the world today, because the truth of God can be changed by men into a lie (Romans 1:25). There are many ways that the truth can be changed into a lie. In the beginning, the devil changed the truth into a lie by adding just one word when he spoke to Eve (Genesis 3:4). So, it is today, that many propositions of truth are changed by the adding or taking away of a word, or by the twisting and changing of words. There are several ways then that truth can be changed into a lie.
THE GOSPEL TRUTH CAN BE PERVERTED
The truth of God can be changed into a lie by perverting the truth. In the area of Galatia, Paul preached the truth to those churches of that province. Later, when Paul left the area and went on to other fields, some men came in and perverted the gospel that he had preached. Paul was amazed that the people to whom he had preached the truth had so quickly left the truth, and were following another gospel of a different kind, in other words, a perverted gospel (Galatians 1:7). The word pervert literally means to turn about, turn around or to turn one thing into another. The false teachers of Galatia had turned the gospel around, they had turned it into something that it was not; therefore, the perverted gospel of these false teachers was not the truth, They had corrupted it; therefore, Paul emphatically stated that anyone who preached another gospel was to be accursed, regardless of whether he was an apostle or an angel (Galatians 1:8-9).
MANKIND CAN DISTINGUISH BETWEEN TRUTH AND ERROR
This strongly indicates that men can distinguish between truth and error, between the gospel of Christ and the perverted gospel of the devil. God’s truth can be changed into a lie, not only by twisting it and turning it around, but also by simply adding to or taking away from it. Moses, the great law giver, warned the people of his day not to add to nor take away from the words of the law which were delivered by him (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12: 32). In the closing verses of the New Testament, the apostle John makes the same warning against adding to or taking away from God’s truth, and thereby turning it into a lie (Revelation 22:18-19).
In view of these facts of truth, we should be confident that today we have God’s truth in the revelation of the New Testament. It is a mighty instrument of power in combating the false doctrines, principalities and powers which oppose the church. God’s truth can be for us today a mighty shield and buckler (Psalms 91:4). The power of truth was well expressed by William Cullen Bryant,
“Truth crushed to the earth shall rise again. The eternal years are hers, but error wounded writhes in pain and dies among his worshipers.”
The truth of God is great and mighty above all things and it will prevail and endure forever.
Copyright © 2011 2017 Shelby G. Floyd, All Rights Reserved
Shelby G. Floyd
Heartland Church of Christ
1693 West Main Street
Greenwood, Indiana 46142