Is God’s Word in Your Hand True or is it Truth?
We Find Freedom and Stability When We Know the Word to be Truth
As I raised three children, I strove to instill in them a love for God and His Word. As most kids do, when they became teenagers, they began challenging some of the teachings of the Bible. As an example, they knew that according to Philippians 4:8 they should limit the things they watched or read to those things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. Yet, they often wanted to watch popular movies that might be very violent, contain graphic sexual scenes, and promote physical relationships outside of the loving boundaries set forth in God’s Word. They believed God’s Word was true, but did they accept it as being truth?
We are very blessed to be able to hold God’s Word in our hands and to read it and study it. But do we accept it as true, or as being truth?
What is the difference between “true” and “truth”? Is it just that “true” is an adjective and “truth” is a noun? Consider how Graham Cooke, a blogger on BrilliantPerspectives.com (https://brilliantperspectives.com/?s=There+is+always+a+higher+level+of+truth, accessed May 4, 2021) describes the difference.
There is always a higher level of truth than the facts. This is the difference between that which is true and that which is the truth.
A negative mindset can easily state the facts, establishing your inability. “I can’t do it. I’m no good. It’s too big. We are not strong enough. We are not big enough. We are not powerful enough. We feel like grasshoppers in our own sight.”
These statements may be true at the moment that we say them, particularly before we have received salvation through Jesus Christ. And they may still be very true in our own perception. But consider what Mr. Cooke explains as the truth.
The truth is that you have a new nature. Start confessing in line with that truth!
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, who empowers me, who enables me. There isn’t anything I can’t learn, and there isn’t anything I can’t do with the help of the Holy Spirit.
According to Janice Bastani Coaching, “The word TRUE is your perspective of something. The word TRUTH is universal and cannot be changed.” (https://www.janicebastanicoaching.com/true-vs-truth/, accessed May 4, 2021.) This is very consistent with what Mr. Cooke stated. Those statements he used as an example of what is true (“I can’t do it. I’m no good. It’s too big. We are not strong enough. We are not big enough. We are not powerful enough. We feel like grasshoppers in our own sight.”) is the speaker’s perspective at the moment he or she spoke the statements. However, the truth as shared by Mr. Cooke (“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, who empowers me, who enables me. There isn’t anything I can’t learn, and there isn’t anything I can’t do with the help of the Holy Spirit.”) is universal for all Christians and cannot be changed.
As Christians, we know that we are to think on those things that are true as the apostle Paul taught in Philippians 4:8. So, let’s consider how certain people in Scripture viewed Jesus.
Disciples of the Pharisees and Herodians
As recorded in Matthew 22:15-16, the Pharisees sent their disciples along with the Herodians to Jesus proclaiming their belief that Jesus is true, although they did so out of pretense because the Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus in His own words. Before asking Jesus to tell them if it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar, they proclaimed, “Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.” (Matthew 22:16.)
This is an example of the Pharisee’s disciples and the Herodians declaring Jesus as being true, but not viewing Jesus as being truth. They declared it out of their perception at that time but they did not view it as a universal truth that is not subject to change.
The Apostle John’s Teaching
In John 3:31-36, the apostle John taught his disciples about accepting God as being truth. The Amplified Version makes clear in verse 33 a person that accepts Jesus’ testimony is assured of the truth of God: “Whoever receives His testimony has set his seal of approval to this: God is true. [That man has definitely certified, acknowledged, declared once and for all, and is himself assured that it is divine truth that God cannot lie].” In verse 36, John explains there are two ways of reacting to Jesus’s teachings. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
Each person can react to Jesus’ teachings one of the following ways: 1) Believing and accepting them to be truth, which leads to everlasting life; or 2) not believing and accepting them, which leads to the wrath of God.
Is There a Middle Ground?
Is there a middle ground? Can we accept God and His word as being truth and yet apply such truth to our lives in an inconsistent manner, such as:
- Picking and choosing certain parts of His word that we will live, considering other parts of His word as not relevant to our lives; or
- Applying certain parts of God’s Word in certain circumstances but not applying it to other circumstances?
If we are picking and choosing certain parts of God’s Word as worthy of living it, or applying only certain parts of His word in certain circumstances, then we are believing that God’s Word is true but we are not accepting it as being truth.
Remember, if we believe it to be true but not truth, then we believe it to be true only when we perceive it to be true, which is often when it is convenient or when we are in desperate situations and need it to be true. If we believe God’s Word to be truth, then we can stand on it at all times and in all circumstances because it is universal and unchanging.
Applying God’s Word as True or as Being Truth
How does accepting God’s Word as being true or truth look in our lives? Does it make a difference?
Let’s take a couple of scriptures and look at the difference between seeing it as true and seeing it as being truth.
For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord (Psalm 27:5-6).
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
First, let’s look at these scriptures as true.
When life is good, we proclaim these scriptures all day long. We sing His praises. We easily join in worship. We are confident God is on our side and is working all things together for our good. This is true! Hallelujah!
If we only believe God’s Word to be true, but not truth, then it changes with our perception. When life isn’t so good, when it knocks our feet out from under us with some diagnosis, loss of a job, rejection from a loved one, or any number of other possibilities, our perception finds it very hard to believe that He is actually working anything together for good and we have great difficulty singing His praise and joining in worship. Then not only do we begin doubting these scriptures, we begin doubting the very foundation of scripture, that God loves us, died for us, and has forgiven us. Then we spiral down into despair because there is no hope anymore. We may even spiral so far that we deny God and walk away from Him.
Now, let’s look at God’s Word as being truth! It is universal and unchanging.
When life is good, we have the same reaction as we do when we believe His word to be true. But the big difference occurs when life is difficult.
When life is difficult, we have hope! We can continue to claim these scriptures. We can continue to trust Him to work all things together for our good. We can continue to sing His praises and join in worship. It may be more difficult to do because we have to get our eyes on Him and off of the challenge we are currently facing, but we know we can trust Him. We can hang on. We know we are loved. We know He died for us and has forgiven us. We can stand secure in Him and not lose hope or walk away from Him.
Benefit of Holding God’s Word and Truth
When we believe God’s Word to be truth, we can personalize Psalm 13:5-6 and stand in hope, no matter the circumstances in our lives. It would then read as follows: “I wait for the Lord, my soul does wait, and in His Word do I hope! I hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem me from all my iniquities.”
Ephesians 4:14 describes another benefit to believing God’s Word to be truth. It tells us that we mature and become stable in Christ, finding ourselves to be secure in doctrine and in all things. We cease being susceptible to doctrinal arguments, craftiness and deceit. And we are mature enough to speak all truth in love as we look to Christ.
Is God’s Word in Your Hand True or is it Truth?
When you hold God’s Word in your hands yet feel yourself struggling in your walk with God, and find yourself questioning life or Him because you cannot see Him working in your life, then you need to consider whether you truly accept God’s Word as being truth or whether you only accept it as true.
You can tell whether you have accepted God’s Word as being truth by your attitude toward applying it in your life, especially when listening to someone teaching or preaching God’s Word. Do you listen with skepticism, trying to find ways to show to yourself that what is being taught or preached does not apply to you? Or do you receive the word with all readiness of mind, searching the scriptures daily to confirm it is so like the Bereans did in Acts 17:11?
The Psalmist declared in Psalm 119:160 that the totality of God’s Word is truth. It is universal and unchanging.
Jesus proclaimed in John 8:31-32 that when we continue in His Word, we are His disciples and we will know the truth. He also declared that the truth will set us free.
When we accept God’s Word as being truth, we will find our freedom from the struggles of this world and walk a more stable path with Him because of our universal and unchanging hope in Him. We can have confidence in God’s Word when we accept it as being truth.
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