“People cannot change the truth, but truth can change people.” Truth is more precious than gold. Solomon advised his son to “Buy truth, and do not sell it” (Prov. 23:23). Truth can be relied upon because it does not change.

 

Sadly, ours is a world of deception and misinformation. Wisdom demands that we examine truth’s claims because it is often misrepresented or distorted by those who care most about gaining their own personal advantage. It is not uncommon to read of those who have lost personal fortunes because they believed false reports and greedily succumbed to deceptive salesmanship.

 

Concerning spiritual realities, it is doubly important to rely on God’s truth. The Bible is our only source of spiritual truth and our only guide to eternal life. The psalmist said, “The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting” (Ps. 119:160). Since there are those who misrepresent the truth of God, we must be very careful and examine each message which claims to be a proclamation of divine truth. When the inhabitants of Berea heard the preaching of Paul and Silas, “they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily,” to see whether or not the things they heard were true (Acts 17:11). We, too, must examine the Scriptures for ourselves, accepting only that message taught in the Bible.

 

In the eighth chapter of John, Jesus spoke to a group of Jews about slavery to sin He said, “everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin” (vs. 34). The question about slavery had been brought up earlier by Jesus’ when He said, “If you abide in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (vss. 31-32). We must insist on the truth and abide in it because only the truth can set us free from the bondage of sin.

 

While we cannot change the truth, we can exchange it for a lie. But, such is a bad exchange because a lie cannot set our souls free from sin. We cannot change the truth; but we can allow the truth to change us. As we give its precepts a proper home in our hearts and conform our lives to its teachings, we will be changed into the image of our Lord Jesus Christ who is, Himself, the embodiment of truth (2 Cor. 3:18). Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me” (Jn. 14:6). We cannot change the truth, but the truth can change us as we obediently receive it and learn to handle it appropriately (1 Pet. 1:22; 2 Tim. 2:15).

 

–Glen Elliott–