Truth
Pastor M.H. Reynolds, Jr.
April 19, 1919 - Sept. 3, 1997
Psalm 86:1-17
TRUTH COMFORTS
I
T IS STRANGE that so many
people today are looking for comfort in their trials but shy away from God's Truth which
alone can produce genuine, lasting comfort. God is a God of Truth. He has given us His
Word which is Truth. He has given us His Son Who is the Truth. Those who are willing to
walk in God's Truth are filled with praise (vv. 11,12) at the recognition of God's mercy
and longsuffering (vv. 13-15). God helps and comforts His own when the oppression of their
enemies is at its peak (w. 16, 17). The Lord delights to provide the tried yet trusting
saint a "token for good" as a testimony revealing that God is his comfort and
strength.
In the New Testament, God is called "the
God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:4, 5), Human comfort may simply be inadequate or
completely fail, but God's comfort is always abounding and is more than sufficient to meet
every need (2 Cor. 1:5-7). In Romans 15:4, we learn that God uses His Word, the
Scriptures, the Truth, to comfort. Despair is replaced by a hope (confidence) based upon
the Word of God.
Believers who fail to read, study, memorize and
obey the Truth soon discover that when they need comfort, they will look in the wrong
direction for help. When Job's friends sought to comfort him with human reasoning, they
were no doubt sincere but they were certainly wrong-they were indeed "miserable
comforters." Only when Job listened to God's Word did he receive the needed help and
assurance. God's Truth always provides abounding comfort for every needy believer. MHR
2 Peter 1:12-21
TRUTH CONFIRMS
GOD HAS spoken, and what He
desires mankind to know He has put in written form. These written Words were given through
"holy men of God" as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (v.21). God knew, and
the apostle Peter reminded believers, that even though they were already established in
the present truth spoken by the apostles (v. 12), it was necessary for them to have
continual reminders and confirmation of that truth in written form (v.15). The believer is
not following "cunningly devised fables" or the ideas of men, but the written
Word, a "more sure word of prophecy" than if he were an actual eye witness to
the things of which the Scripture speaks (vv. 16-19). How thankful we should be for the
inerrant, eternal, unchangeable Word of Truth. When Satan comes with his darts of doubt,
we do not have to trust our memories to dissolve these challenges to faith. Instead, we
can go to God's Word and gain victory over Satan as we follow the example of Jesus Christ.
When He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness, our Saviour silenced the tempter's
"ifs" by saying, "It is written (Matt. 4:1-11). We should do the same
because God's Word was given by the God Who cannot lie.
God's Truth is under attack today as never
before, but God's Word will stand forever (Psa. 119:89). The Bible is the Sword of the
Spirit, and Its power is unlimited and never-failing. We should thank God that He has
given us His Truth to confirm our faith and to put us on guard against all who would
pollute It in any way. MHR
1 John 1:1-7
TRUTH UNITES
THERE IS
a great cry today
for unity-unity of all Christians, unity of all even unity of all mankind. Sadly, these
cries for unity are not based upon Truth but rather upon a willingness to sacrifice Truth
in order to obtain a unity. Many are being deceived today by ecumenical liberals,
heretical charismatics, compromising evangelicals, Roman Catholics and others who advocate
a false, unscriptural unity. A warning needs to be sounded that such unity will only
result in God's judgment, not His blessing. Our text makes it clear that a prerequisite
for the kind of unity God desires and everyone needs can only be enjoyed by those who are
walking in fellowship with Him-those who walk in light, not in darkness (vv. 3-5). This
wonderful unity is an inevitable byproduct of Truth. Only those who walk in fellowship
with Christ can enjoy biblical, genuine fellowship with one another (v.7). In such a
biblical fellowship, Truth is confirmed, not denied or set aside.
A major sacrifice is required of those who seek
to enjoy biblically-based unity. If we are to hold to God's Truth regardless of how few
there are who are willing to take a similar stand, we must be willing to suffer scorn and
reproach (Jn. 17:14,15). This is not easy on the flesh in these days when most Christians
seek the acceptance and approval of the world. We must never forget, however, that the
friendship of the world is enmity with God (Jas. 4:4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17). It is unpopular to
believe in an absolute standard today, but we must, for we have God's perfect Word. MHR
2 John 1-11
TRUTH SEPARATES
A
UNIQUE aspect of
God's Truth is that it is a two-edged Sword, uniting that which is pure and holy and
separating from all that defiles. It is because of our unity in Christ that we must
separate from those who espouse error. The first part of this blessed epistle emphasizes
the wonderful unity, fellowship and joy of those who are walking in the Truth (vv. 1-4).
The second part reminds us that obedience to the Truth is not a new doctrine but a
reaffirmation of original Truth ("'v.5, 6).
In verses seven and eight, the believer's
responsibility concerning the recognition of deceivers is emphasized followed by specific
commands to completely separate from them (vv. 9, 10). God's command includes refusal to
ask God's blessing upon such deceivers (v.11), something which world-renown evangelical
leaders repeatedly do in their conversations and contacts with ecumenical deceivers. We
must realize that when we are in fellowship with and support those who hold to unsound
doctrine, in God's eyes we become identified with that same error.
Believers who are not separated from deceivers
are disobedient to the Truth. Christian leaders who refuse to warn about the many
deceivers who promote their damnable heresies within the flock today are resisting the
Truth and encouraging error. To allow deceivers to work unexposed and unchallenged is not
a mark of spirituality and Christian love . Truth commands separation, results in
separation, blesses separation and rewards separation. Are we walking in the Truth? MHR
Psalm 91:1-16
TRUTH PROTECTS
GOD PROMISES that "His
truth shall be thy shield and buckler" (v. 4b). This entire Psalm blesses the hearts
of all who have made the Lord their refuge (v. 2). God's Truth saves. God's Truth
protects. God's Truth provides for every need. Those who trust in Him have a secret place
of abiding peace (v.1), a place unknown to those who have rejected the Truth. It is
wonderfully enjoyed, however, by all who believe His promises and accept His divine
protection. It is the believer's haven.
Fear is a terrible enemy that haunts many
believers, but God says, "Thou shalt not be afraid (vv. 5, 6). The remainder of this
blessed psalm is replete with God's promised protection from the enemy's assaults and the
saint's failures. The beautiful hymn "Under His Wings" is based upon God's Truth
as found in verse four. In today's crisis situations, fear is understandable but
unnecessary for the child of God. We should say, "What time I am afraid, I will trust
in thee.. .I will not fear what flesh can do unto me" (Psa. 56:3, 4). God's
protection is not only all-inclusive, but also unlimited. In Psalm 117:2 we are reminded
that "the truth of the Lord endureth for ever." No wonder the Scriptures
instruct believers to put their confidence in God rather than in horses and chariots
(Psalm 20:7). No wonder we are exhorted to look unto Jesus, the "Author and finisher
of our faith" (Heb. 12:2). The Word of Truth is accompanied by the power of God (2
Cor. 6:7). God's Truth is a wonderful protection. We need to realize this and praise Him
accordingly. MHR
2 Corinthians 13:5-10
TRUTH PREVAILS
TRUTH, GOD'S
truth, has been
under attack ever since Satan contested God's Word and Adam and Eve disobeyed that Word.
Today, God's Truth is under heavier, more incessant, more deceptive attack than ever
before. Satan knows that his time is short (Rev. 12:12), and if we also recognize that
fact, it will help us to understand some of the amazing things that are happening in the
world and in the church today. New Bible versions, translations, and paraphrases; new
winds of doctrine; new interpretations and perversions of the Truth coupled with the
silence of God's watchmen who should be warning would be most discouraging and
disconcerting were it not for God's assurance that His Truth will prevail in the end.
Verse eight of our text deserves special
attention in this regard-"For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the
truth." This does not mean that nothing can be spoken against the Truth. It does not
mean that Satan and his angels of light will not attack the Truth in every way possible.
But it does mean that all attempts to change or destroy the Truth will fail. God says so.
Therefore, God's children who know His Truth will not be surprised nor dismayed when they
see the many attacks being made upon it. Instead, they will praise and thank God for the
fact that His Truth will prevail forever. This fact gives believers a firm foundation in
these days of change and confusion. The edification and spiritual maturity needed today is
a result of knowing and then holding fast the faith once delivered (vv. 9,10). MHR
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