And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free
Pontius Pilate asked Jesus at his trial “What is truth?” Today many Christians are going places other than the Holy Bible and claim to have “the truth.” They are searching Christian and non-Christian news websites and the internet for truth, only to find lies and things that appear true but are in fact mistruths, distortions of reality and even said “conspiracy theories.” The truth is, the truth can be found in God and His Word and therefore it’s important to read what God said and taught about righteousness, honesty, and “truth.”
Let’s now look through the Holy Scriptures regarding “truth” and relating to the truth.
Psalm 15:1-4
¶ « A Psalm of David. » YHWH, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 2 He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. 3 He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour. 4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear YHWH. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
Psalm 19:7-11
¶ The law of YHWH is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of YHWH is sure, making wise the simple. 8 The statutes of YHWH are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of YHWH is pure, enlightening the eyes. 9 The fear of YHWH is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of YHWH are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.
Psalm 25:4-5
Shew me thy ways, O YHWH; teach me thy paths. 5 Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:8-10
¶ Good and upright is YHWH: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. 9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. 10 All the paths of YHWH are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies.
Psalm 43:3-4
O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles. 4 Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God my God.
Psalm 45:3-4
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. 4 And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.
Psalm 52:1-7
¶ « To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech. » Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue. 5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah. 6 ¶ The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
Psalm 59:12
For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak.
Psalm 61:5-7
¶ For thou, O God, hast heard my vows: thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear thy name. 6 Thou wilt prolong the king’s life: and his years as many generations. 7 He shall abide before God for ever: O prepare mercy and truth, which may preserve him.
Psalm 62:3-4
How long will ye imagine mischief against a man? ye shall be slain all of you: as a bowing wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence. 4 They only consult to cast him down from his excellency: they delight in lies: they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah.
Psalm 96:13
Before YHWH: for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth: he shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with his truth.
Psalm 108: 3-5
I will praise thee, O YHWH, among the people: and I will sing praises unto thee among the nations. 4 For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds. 5 Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: and thy glory above all the earth;
Psalm 111: 7-8
The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. 8 They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.
Psalm 114:1
¶ Not unto us, O YHWH, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake.
Psalm 117:1-2
¶ O praise YHWH, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people. 2 For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of YHWH endureth for ever. Praise ye YHWH.
Psalm 119:29-30
Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me thy law graciously. 30 ¶ I have chosen the way of truth: thy judgments have I laid before me.
Psalm 119: 41
¶ Let thy mercies come also unto me, O YHWH, even thy salvation, according to thy word. 42 So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me: for I trust in thy word. 43 ¶ And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth; for I have hoped in thy judgments. 44 So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever.
Psalm 120:1-4
¶ « A Song of degrees. » In my distress I cried unto YHWH, and he heard me. 2 Deliver my soul, O YHWH, from lying lips, and from a deceitful tongue. 3 What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue? 4 Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper.
Psalm 138:2
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Psalm 144:11
Rid me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood:
Proverbs 3:1-6
¶ My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: 2 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 3 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:
Proverbs 3:19-22
YHWH by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens. 20 By his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. 21 ¶ My son, let not them depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion: 22 So shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace to thy neck.
Proverbs 5: 1-2
¶ My son, attend unto my wisdom, and bow thine ear to my understanding: 2 That thou mayest regard discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.
Proverbs 8:1-11
¶ Doth not wisdom cry? and understanding put forth her voice? 2 She standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 5 O ye simple, understand wisdom: and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. 9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 11 For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.
Proverbs 12:17-19
¶ He that speaketh truth sheweth forth righteousness: but a false witness deceit. 18 ¶ There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health. 19 ¶ The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Proverbs 12: 22-23
¶ Lying lips are abomination to YHWH: but they that deal truly are his delight. 23 ¶ A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.
Proverbs 14:5
¶ A faithful witness will not lie: but a false witness will utter lies.
Proverbs 14:25
¶ A true witness delivereth souls: but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.
Proverbs 15:2
¶ The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright: but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.
Proverbs 19:9
¶ A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.
Proverbs 23:23
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
Now we will look at the New Testament words of Jesus, who taught he is the truth.
John 8:31-32
¶ Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Concerning the truth Jesus said:
John 14:15-18
¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; 17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. 18 ¶ I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:23-26
Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 25 ¶ These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15: 26-27
¶ But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
John 16:13
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 17:16-19
They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 17 ¶ Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
Jesus at his judgement by Pilate said of the truth.
John 18:36-38
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
It’s clear that Almighty YHWH, God, seeks the truth and righteousness and that when we stray from the truth or believe we hold the truth in things of this world we walk contrary to God. Jesus taught the truth of God and as Jesus said all those who hold the truth hear his voice.
Those of us who obeyed Jesus’ words, his commandments and in faith were baptized (in the water and of the Spirit) into his death were given the promise of the Holy Ghost, a comforter to help us know the truth.
Christians should always make sure they are walking in the truth of the Gospel and the glorious doctrine laid down by Christ and his Apostles.
Christians should make sure if they go outside the Holy Bible they hold strong to the teachings they have learned from the Word of God and apply God’s wisdom and discretion when searching out any matter.
Relying on information received on the internet or in social media without researching the truth of the matter, will lead only grosser mistruths and deceptions and lies whereby you by following such lies and a delusion will not be walking in God’s good grace.
Colossians 2:4-9
¶ And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
If you have found that you have believed or were misled in mistruths and are not able to easily discern the truth, then you should likely discontinue using that news or internet source and focus rather on the Word of God and pray that God directs you in the truth.
Christians should spend much more time reading their Holy Bible more and studying the Word to learn what God’s will is in their life and work toward spreading the Gospel of Jesus the Christ and baptizing every creature in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.