In the Apostle John’s second letter to the “elect lady” (God’s true church) and to her “children” (God’s true saints) he mentions “THE TRUTH” five times in the first four verses. Throughout the Holy Scriptures (Genesis to Revelation–the Law) students of the Bible are told repeatedly that they must live according to God’s Word (His Law), which He arranged to be written and preserved for thousands of years so that its teachings could still be in use at the end of the age (1 Cor. 10:11).

In order to live according to the Truth/Law as we are commanded to do, we must know and use the Biblical definition of that body of information which is the foundation upon which true Christianity is built. That God-breathed tome is also the “food”/”bread”/”meat” on which His true people continually dine keeps her bright and alive within the darkness and death that surrounds her. So what is the Godhead’s definition of “the Truth?” Jesus Christ provides us with the answer in John 17:17 where, in prayer, He asks His heavenly Father to sanctify (set aside for holy use) the disciples using “the Truth” which He defines by saying: “THY WORD IS TRUTH.” More powerful and important Words have never been spoken. Jesus was telling those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (Mat. 5:6) that what they seek is gained by dining on His Word, His Truth, His Law–THE HOLY BIBLE. He summarized that Truth in 4:4 by telling holiness cravers that they must live by (demonstrate) His Word/Law/Truth. Simply having and believing His Words is meaningless unless he ingests and manifests it in his words, thoughts and actions.

God’s Truth cannot be improved. Neither man nor his god (Satan) can improve it by interpreting it. In fact, IT IS A SIN TO INTERPRET THE HOLY SCRIPTURES (2 Pet. 1:20). Nothing can be added to or removed from God’s Word by which He will rule His people as long as heaven and earth remain in place (Mat. 5:18).

In this series we will examine a number of Biblical statements which Jesus said was “TRUTH” and compare them to what the vast majority of salvation seekers have been told for some 2000 years is “the truth.” We will highlight the truth about God’s “TRUTH” by comparing HIS “TRUTH” to what man proclaims is His truth, but which is refuted by the what the Almighty says in His Holy Bible is His “TRUTH.” This series will prove that most of what is put forth as God’s Truth is in reality the “truth” concocted by the other god–“the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4). Jesus exposed the counterfeit church’s god in Matthew 16:23 where He said to the Apostle Peter who had just been used by him to refute the King of Kings: “Get thee behind Me, Satan, for you care not for the things of God, but for the THINGS OF MAN.” Like Peter, church leaders have been used by Satan to preach his (Satan’s) “truth” since the Garden of Eden. Since the advent of the radio, the printing press, television and the internet, his perverted Gospel has taken wings and now saturates the air, including the air within Satan’s citadels of sin known as “churches.”

The irony surrounding the subject of TRUTH is that, in a societal court of law a man will readily agree to tell “the truth and nothing but the truth” and use God’s name as his guarantee of truthfulness, saying “… so help me God.” However, when it comes to THETRUTH relative to what that same God proclaims as HIS TRUTH, that same man will claim that the Words of that same God are wrong. We will examine this deadly hypocritical phenomenon by stating what that same God says in His Word and where He says it, then examine what that same man claims is the “true truth” about what that same God said. Within the organizations which claim to worship and serve that same God, those who say that same God’s Words are wrong outnumber those who say His Words are right by a ratio of millions to one. Which is what Jesus foretold in Matthew 7:13,14 and 22:14. This series will highlight that astonishing Truth. The series format will consist of a Biblical TRUTH (what the Lord said) followed by the church’s “truth” about that Biblical TRUTH. The differences between the opposing truths will illuminate the difference between God’s true TRUTH and Satan’s false truth, between LIGHT and darkness, between LIFE and death.

Pride was the original sin which turned the archangel Lucifer way from God and to another god–himself (Isa. 14:12-14). Having failed to replace God, Lucifer set about to persuade God’s most prized creation (man) to do it for him. He accomplished this in the Garden of Eden by convincing Adam and Eve that they could be like God, meaning that, by disobeying Him, they would wrest from Him the power to determine good and evil. God Himself noted this in Genesis 3:22 where we find Him saying to the Word (Jn. 1:1-4,14): “The man has become as one of Us, able to determine good and evil.” Only a God can determine good and evil. By diverting man’s attention away from God and to man himself, Satan had turned man into a god who had replaced the true God as the determiner of right and wrong. With the exception of a minutely few individuals, history has proven that, among salvation seekers, the wisdom and power of God has been replaced by the wisdom and power of the seekers. Adam and Eve’s “better way” to eternal life–guaranteed by the Serpent who told them that they could defy God and “You shall not surely die”–has resulted in hundreds of religious organizations which, lumped together, are known as “the church.” Each of these “towers of babble” has its own god (man himself), its own savior, its own name, its own truth, its own plan of salvation, etc. Let us now examine some of the “He said, he said” situations by comparing what the true God says about a specific subject, then contrast His Truth to what man (God’s replacement) says is the true truth. In this format we will show how man accuses the Godhead of lying, then corrects “Your” statement. Henceforth, “You” will refer to the members of the Godhead: God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.

“You say that you cannot lie (Titus 1:2). But You have lied many times. For example, You say You are the (only) way, the (only) Truth and the (only) Life (Jn. 14:6/ Eph. 4:4-6). There are many ways, truths, lives, faiths, gods, saviors, etc.” “You said 13 times that You would be in the tomb three days and three nights. You were in the tomb only one day and two nights: Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night.” “You said that your Law could not be changed (Mat. 5:18,19). But in fact, You changed your Sabbath Day from Saturday–the day you blessed and sanctified (Gen. 2:3) and called Your “holy day” (Isa. 58:13)–to Sunday. You then blessed and sanctified Sunday and made it your ‘holy day.’ ” “You said that sin was the breaking of your Ten Commandment Law (1 Jn. 3:4). But that Law was nailed to the cross during Your crucifixion.” “You said that in this life we have only the hope of salvation, and that we do not hope for what we already have. Therefore, we are not now saved (Titus 1:2; 3:7/ Mat. 10:22/ 1 Thes. 5:8/ Rom. 8:24). You also said that when we are born again we will change from physical to spiritual bodily composition (1 Cor. 15:46-54). You said that being born again will make us like the wind which cannot be seen (Jn. 3:6-8). Not true. We are saved and born again at the end of a prescribed ritual. We were saved instantaneously when we believe in Jesus Christ and ask Him to be our Savior.” “You said that the soul dies because of sin (Eze. 18:20). The soul does not die, but goes to heaven or hell at the time of death.” “You said that the New Covenant was created for Israel (Jer. 31:31-33/ Heb. 8:8-12). The New Covenant was created for Gentiles who took Israel’s place as God’s chosen people.” “You said that faith must be accompanied by works of faith in order to attain salvation (Jam. 2:10,(14),17,18, 24,26). Faith alone is all one needs to attain salvation.” “You said that heathen customs such as Christmas were abominations to you (Jer. 10:2-5). Such holidays as Christmas, Easter and the Sunday sabbath are foundational celebrations of the New Covenant Church.” “You said that you would judge every man by his obedience to your Word (Jn. 12:48) and that only the obedient would be saved. Church people are already saved and will be rewarded according to the degree to which they obey the doctrines of the church to which they belong.” “You said that true Christians would be hated by the religious establishment and the society in general. True Christians are well-received by the society as a whole, including the hundreds of religious institutions embedded within it.” The “rapture” ruse is exposed in detain in the series by that name. Key word Rapture. That God’s people have never, do not and will not go to heaven is a lie that is exposed in The Three Resurrections and The Elijah Controversy. Key words–Resurrections and Elijah respectively.

As one can see, a great gulf separates what the Godhead says in His Truth (The Holy Bible) and what the counterfeit churches say in their respective theological “truths” (doctrines). There is no spiritual connection between God’s Truth and the church’s various “truths.” To determine God’s attitude toward the “truths” of professing Christendom, read Second Corinthians 6:14-7:1. There He commands those who SEEK HIS TRUTH to “Come out of her, My people, and be ye separate. Touch not that unclean (religious) thing.” Then, and only then will He be their God and they will be His people.

Notice that He calls those in the counterfeit (unclean) church “My people.” But they are His people IN NAME ONLY. Notice (vss 17,18) that only AFTER THEY COME OUT OF THE UNCLEAN THING AND REFUSE TO TOUCH IT will He “receive them.” Only then will they be His sons and daughters. In 7:1 we learn what it means to “come out” of professing Christendom. It means to “cleanse ourselves” of all of the “filthiness” we have collected while in the counterfeit church and to “perfect holiness” in the “fear of God.” What does this say about “sinners saved by grace?” L.J.