And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion,
that they should believe a lie: 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11
What exactly does it mean to love the truth?
That is a tough question in some respects
Jesus is the truth
His word is truth
The Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us into all truth
Is it that simple?
Just professing love to God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit?
Not exactly
This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from Me
If we don’t love the truth, the Word says,
God will send a strong delusion that we may believe what is false
Most people don’t love the truth
Even most Christians don’t
If we are ashamed of Jesus’ words, we are not loving the truth
We can’t change God’s word
No matter how hard we try or how much we wish something wasn’t there,
we can’t change it
Hell is a good example
Who goes there, what Jesus said about casting certain people into Hell
Words that are hard to swallow
Can we love those words?
Is that what loving the truth means?
Loving the truth happens when you humble your ideas before God
When we acknowledge He is God over all things
No matter how unpopular an idea is, no matter what it may cost you
That He is exalted above all
It also includes the Fear of God
Because then, you humble yourself before Him and His word,
no matter what it says
It means you choose to bring your thoughts
captive to the obedience of Christ
It means seeking the truth, finding the truth and accepting the truth
How do you see this situation, God?
What am I missing?
Maybe putting forth an idea or even an argument to God
and letting Him show you or open your eyes
Or it might mean laying it at His feet and letting it go
even though you haven’t come to a conclusion
that means you are accepting that He is sovereign
We can’t think of everything that might offend us
But essentially when we resist what God has said in His word,
we are refusing to love the truth
We can’t change the truth
We might not like it
Loving the truth is letting God’s purposes stand
and stepping down from His throne of judgment where humans like to sit
and let God’s purposes be
God’s word can be a stumbling block to a person
The ability to let go and accept that it is the way
things were ordained by God is loving the truth
even if it messes with your noble thoughts of righteousness
These are very hard words, I know
I myself have things that God says or does that I don’t understand
or that I don’t like
I let God be God
Even though I don’t like some things He said,
I trust that He has His purposes and I submit myself to Him
and His ways
People often want to dismiss His word,
Oh, that was Old Testament
Jesus was God in the Old Testament
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever Hebrews 13:8
God is the same God as He was in the Old Testament
He does not Change
Accepting Him as He is is loving the Truth
Jesus fulfilled the law
Whenever you find yourself resisting the truth,
remember who God is and love Him
Keep seeking to learn how to love the truth
He will show you how if that is your desire
Love the fact that He is God and He has His reasons
for all the things that He allows and for all the things that He does
He is sovereign and deserves to be respected and not resisted
Scriptural References:
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 16:13
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth,
and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
Matthew 15:8
For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words,
of him shall the Son of man be ashamed,
when he shall come in his own glory,
and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.
Luke 9:26
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:
I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Matthew 5:17
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory,
and the victory, and the majesty:
for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;
thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honour come of thee,
and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might;
and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12
Casting down imaginations,
and every high thing that exalteth itself
against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
2 Corinthians 10:5
Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.
Job 23:12