SEVEN LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CONGREGATIONS

The Importance of Truth

seven letters

“[T]he hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshipers will worship the Father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshiping him must worship with spirit and truth.”
– John 4:23-24

With these words, Jesus shows us the importance Jehovah places on seeking truth and living by truth. This is a continual process. It involves a constant cleansing and refining of ourselves, a constant bathing in God’s word.

Such effort requires that we love truth. Without a love of truth, we will not do the necessary searching and digging, and we will not be willing to make the sacrifices inherent in living by truth. Jesus foretold that many would not have a love for truth.

“And many false prophets will arise and mislead many; and because of the increasing of lawlessness the love of the greater number will cool off.”
– Matthew 24:11-12

Even those with spirit’s witness can lose that love.

“Nevertheless, I hold this against you, that you have left the love you had at first.”
– Revelation 2:4

The love spoken of here is not a love of mankind or a love for the brotherhood or even a love of God. It is a love of truth. Notice the Apostle Paul’s words:

“But the lawless one’s presence is according to the operation of Satan with every powerful work and lying signs and portents and with every unrighteous deception for those who are perishing, as a retribution because they did not accept the love of the truth that they might be saved. So that is why God lets an operation of error go to them, that they may get to believing the lie, in order that they all may be judged because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in unrighteousness.”
– 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12

While love of God is the most important quality we can possess, true love is not achieved without first having come to an accurate knowledge of truth.

“Beloved ones, let us continue loving one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born from God and gains the knowledge of God. He that does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.”
– 1 John 4:7-8

“For ‘everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.’ However, how will they call on him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach?”
– Romans 10:13-14

In fact, we cannot even approach Jehovah properly without having prior knowledge of Him.

“Moreover, without faith, it is impossible to please him well, for he that approaches God must believe that he is and that he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him.”
– Hebrews 11:6

In addition to being vulnerable to all sorts of dishonesty by men, a lack of love for truth makes us vulnerable to Satan’s influence. Jesus said to the Pharisees:

“You are from your father the Devil, and you wish to do the desires of your father. That one was a manslayer when he began, and he did not stand fast in the truth, because truth is not in him. When he speaks the lie, he speaks according to his own disposition, because he is a liar and the father of the lie.”
– John 8:44

Notice that Jesus describes Satan’s downfall, not as a lack love for God, but a lack of love for truth. For when love for truth leaves, love for God leaves. This is the state in which Jehovah found mankind, and in response, He loved us and led us to truth.

“By this the love of God was made manifest in our case, because God sent forth his only-begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him. The love is in this respect, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent forth his Son as a propitiatory sacrifice for our sins.”
– 1 John 4:9-10

“For this I have been born, and for this I come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone that is on the side of truth listens to my voice.”
– John 18:37

Though once alienated from God, we now have a way to return.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
– John 14:6

And we have a means to achieve it.

“I have many things yet to say to you, but you are not able to bear them at present. However, when that one arrives, the spirit of truth, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things coming. That one will glorify me, because he will receive from what is mine and will declare it to you.”
– John 16:12-14

It is this spirit of truth, initiated by our anointing, that compels us to search for God. All true sons are thus compelled. Gaining an accurate knowledge of truth is what fortifies us to follow closely in Christ’s footsteps, to endure our trials, to take our part in suffering evil, to bear our torture stakes. Clearly, in building ourselves up, we must acknowledge OUR truth. So, what is the truth about our anointing? Let us continue with Letter No. 3.


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