The Disposition of Truth

A lesson on the awareness of and sensitivity to knowing and perpetuating the truth

2001 William R. Cunningham
April 1, 2001

Introduction

Recently I received two emails concerning the cancellation of a show called "Touched by an Angel." I have received a number of these types of emails in the past. The main part of the email is quoted below for your reference.

CBS will be forced to discontinue "Touched by an Angel" for using the word God in every program. Madeline Murray O'Hare, an atheist, successfully managed to eliminate the use of Bible reading from public schools a few years ago. Now her organization has been granted a Federal Hearing on the same subject by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in Washington, DC. Their petition, Number 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the gospel of our Lord and Savior, on the airwaves of America. They got 287,000 signatures to back their stand! If this attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast on the radio or by television will be stopped. This group is also campaigning to remove all Christmas programs and Christmas carols from public schools!!

You as a Christian can help! We are praying for at least 1 million signatures. This would defeat their effort and show that there are many Christians alive, well and concerned about our country.

As Christians we must unite on this.

Please don't take this lightly. We ignored this lady once and lost prayer in our schools and in offices across the nation. Please stand up for your religious freedom and let your voice be heard. Together we can make a difference in our country while creating an opportunity for the lost to know the Lord.

Please press "forward" and only delete out what is not needed, and forward this to everyone on your list. AND please sign your name at the bottom (you can only add your name after you have pressed the "Forward" or copied it to a new page.) Don't delete anything, just go to the next number and type your name.

Please do not sign jointly, such as Mr. & Mrs. Each person should sign his/her own name. Please e-mail this to everyone you know, and help us defeat this organization and keep the right to our freedom of religion.

When you get to 1000, please e mail back to ...

I found that the claims of this email are not true after some investigation. This whole thing is nothing more than an urban legend. I also investigated the FCC and found that they also had a statement disputing the claims of this email as well as variant emails. I also found that this "Touched by an Angel" email is actually a variant of a rumor that started over twenty-five years ago! Imagine that.

OK. So there is a rumor going around via email. What's the big deal? What amazed me was the number of "signatures" on the email. I received this same email within a week or two of each other and there were over 800 names in all! That means that there were over eight hundred people that did not verify the claims of the email. For some reason they just assumed that it was true because, more than likely, they received the email from someone that they know. Well I didn't assume it to be true. Regardless of the source, I have made it a habit to verify claims before I perpetuate them to others. Of all the emails that I have received like this one only two proved to be true.

So what is my point in telling you all of this? My point is that Christians tend to be very gullible. We believe whatever we hear from the pulpit, radio, or religious television program and we perpetuate those things to others. We tend not to be concerned about the truth at all. This isn't just a Christian thing at all. There are many people that are not concerned about the truth of information that they receive before they pass that information to others.

In this lesson, I hope to increase your awareness of the need to be more sensitive to the truth. We should verify things before we accept them as truth. This applies to our Christian beliefs as well as everyday life. I will take some biblical principles regarding truth and then apply them to our lives in hopes that we will be more truth-minded instead of rumor-minded.

What Is Truth?

First. What does the word "truth" mean? The word truth means

1. Conformity to fact or actuality.
2. A statement proven to be or accepted as true.
3. Sincerity; integrity.
4. Fidelity to an original or a standard.
5. Reality; actuality.

Therefore, anything that we say is true must adhere to the way "it really is" or to a standard. Something is true if it actually happened or actually exists (or existed). A statement is true if the statement represents something that actually happened or actually is.

Now consider the following scripture.

(John 14:6 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

This verse reveals that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.  Jesus also tells us that he is the way to the Father.  What does he mean by "way", "truth", and "life?"  Our focus in this sermon will be on Jesus Christ being the truth and the importance of us knowing that truth.  Since Jesus says that He is the truth, then it follows that knowing Jesus Christ is to know the truth.  So Jesus says that he is the WAY.  What is meant by "way?" The word way implies a path, or a mode of operation, if you will.

Now Jesus Christ is the truth, which means He is real and that He is the path to the Father. So if someone says that you must go through him or her in order to get to God is not telling you the truth. However, the impact on that person's statement will be just the same as if it were true if you believe it.

So our disposition in regards to life should center on knowing Jesus Christ and knowing that He is the truth. If we have a disposition of truth then we would less likely follow various types of false doctrines regarding our life and even that of salvation. If we have a disposition of truth then we would less likely believe a lie.

Believing a Lie

Why do we believe a lie? How is it possible to believe a lie? We believe a lie because we think it is the truth. We therefore believe a lie because we don't know the truth. A person with a disposition of truth will at least investigate a statement or claim presented to him or her. A person that does not have a disposition of truth will merely believe what is told him or her based on the perceived merit of the other person.

Some people believe many things taught to them by religion because they never took the time to learn the truth for themselves. The only way to not believe a lie is to know the truth and hold it. We are destroyed because of our ignorance (See Hosea 4:6).

So many Christians are controlled and bound by lies. These lies have power over the people because they think that the lie is actually the truth. Again, they don't know it's a lie because they don't know the truth and they don't have a disposition of the truth. In other words, if you are not inclined to investigate a claim then you will either dismiss what you are told or you will perpetuate it on the merits of others (or perhaps you just don't care).

A lie only has power if you believe it. We are bound by so many things and not just in the religious arena. People lie everywhere. Your basic television commercials are filled with lies and so are radio commercials. We believe the hype and respond favorably to the commercial. Businesses know that people will most likely not read "the fine print" or they will not investigate the validity of a statement so they can get away with their false claims.

The Affects of a Lie: an Example

Let me give you an example of the power of a lie. Consider the following scripture.

Galatians 3:1 through Galatians 3:4 (NKJV) O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? 4Have you suffered so many things in vain-if indeed it was in vain?

Judaizers were teaching a perversion of the true Gospel of Christ. They were teaching that a Christian must adhere to the Jewish law in addition to believing in Christ. They particularly stressed the act of circumcision. The affect of this was astounding as we can see from Paul's response to it. Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ and not works. Even though that truth was preached to them and even though the people knew that truth, they still fell for a lie.

The churches at Galatia believed the lie because they believed what they were told by the Judaizers. For some reason they respected the words of these men over and above the words of Paul the Apostle. Why didn't they stick with what they knew? Why were they tricked? Why are we tricked to believe things that are not true? The important thing is to have a disposition of truth. Something conflicting to what you already hold to be true should be investigated. Why merely believe what you are told? I have a question in this ministry, which is, "do you know the truth or just what you were told?" If you only know what you were told then you will believe just about anything.

We therefore believe a lie because we don't know the truth or we were led to believe that something other than what we already know is actually the truth.

The Consequences

What are the consequences of believing a lie and believing the truth? Please do not be tempted to think that a disposition of truth will make your life a bed of roses. You may hit trouble head on as soon as you make a stand for something. Consider the following scripture.

Matthew 5:10-11 (NKJV) Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11"Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.

Some people will encounter persecution because of their stance for the truth. There are people that are ostracized, criticized, condemned, and ridiculed because they refuse to believe something that a high standing minister or church official has declared. Even I have encountered this. Usually the course of action is to silence the disagreeing person instead of sitting down and talking about it and reasoning from the scriptures.

In any case, your stance for the truth or disposition of truth may cause you more trouble then you might imagine because not all care about the truth. There are many that just want your allegiance for their own personal gain.

The Man of God Disobeys

Consider the following scripture.

1 Kings 13:15-19 (NKJV) Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." And he said, "I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, 'You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.'" He said to him, "I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'" (He was lying to him.) So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

The man of God in this scripture was told by God not to go back the way he came, and not to eat or drink water with the King. However, he believed the words of another prophet of Bethel and disregarded what he was told by the LORD. The words of the old prophet for some reason transcended the word of the LORD. The consequence for believing a lie in this case was that a lion killed the man of God. Read 1 Kings chapter thirteen for the entire story. The man of God believed the lie probably based on the merit of the old prophet. However, he should not have strayed away from what he knew God told him. We do the same thing sometimes. We tend to believe something because pastor so and so said it or minister so and so preached it. It could cost you your life, family, relationship, and friendships.

How are lies affecting your life? What teachings have you bought home to your family that are not really true? What teachings have you imposed upon yourself that are not true? Sometimes we might blindly believe what we are told from the pulpit or from the mouth of a seemingly credible minister not realizing that what we heard was not necessarily the truth. The problem is that we take what we hear as truth and affect not only our lives but also the lives of those around us.

Adam and Eve Disobeys

Consider probably the greatest example of all of the consequences of believing a lie.

Genesis 3:4-7 (NKJV) Then the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.

The man and the woman abandoned what they knew to be true in order to believe a lie. The Bible says that the woman was deceived but the man sinned willingly (1 Timothy 2:14). In any case they both disregarded the commandment of God, the truth and believed (or responded to) a lie.

Now the consequences of pursuing the truth and believing a lie are diverse. The important thing is to have a disposition of truth so that you are less likely to believe a lie.

The Truth Of God's Word

I have found that there is a difference between what is preached and taught in the religious arena and what the truth in God's word is. There are many things that are taught that are not supported by the scriptures.

For example a little while ago I discovered something very important about the quoted scripture, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." My discovery was that such as scripture does not exist. I found that God is not a repentant giver. If he takes something back from us then we can be assured that it was for a very good reason.

Now that phrase is used many times to explain the loss of something. We might say something like, "The Lord gave it to me and now He has taken it back." However, the scripture, as we supposed, is not true and yet we quote it as though it were true. We believe that God gives and then takes away with no reason.

There are things that I have learned from listening to ministers, preachers, and people talk about Christian topics that I would like to share with you. This will help you to seek the truth and help protect you from merely believing what you hear. Here are some things that I have learned to watch for.

1.      Blanket statements: These are statements such as "God wants you to __________." Popular ministers make these statements and the weight or validity of such statements rests in the minister's popularity or standing in the Christian community. A godly theologian could make a statement on national television and get very little response but a popular TV evangelist could make a statement that is contrary to the Bible's teaching and get many "amens." Christians tend to honor popularity instead of truth. Christians tend to rely on the accuracy of the TV evangelist and the like instead of verifying statements using the word of God-the scriptures.

2.      Unsubstantiated statements: These statements usually follow a scripture reading. A minister may make a statement such as "This scripture is telling us __________" but have no scripture to really back what he or she says. However, many Christians will not compare the given scripture references with the statement. These ministers rely on the words of the scriptures instead of the message of the scripture.

3.      Statements that assume a presupposition: These are statements that are based on your assumption of an overall church doctrine, popular teaching, or dogma. The level of dogma in these types of statements is very high since scripture usually don't support them. For example, there are statements such as "Just believe you receive." It is assumed that you understand the popular but inaccurate teaching of Mark 11:23-24.

4.      Statements founded on one scripture reference: This is very similar to the unsubstantiated statements in that the Bible does not support these statements. However, the primary difference is that a person will take one scripture and develop an entire belief system or theology on it. For example, to use the reference given above, Mark 11:23-24. An entire "name it and claim it" teaching has arisen from this one scripture reference. However, the teaching is inaccurate because it does not include the knowledge and instruction gained from other scriptures that deal with the same issue of prosperity and prayer. Furthermore, I have never heard the greatly significant verses twenty-two and twenty-five included in this teaching.

There are other things to look for when listening to ministers, especially popular ones. The primary protection we have is knowledge of the truth in God's word. We are susceptible to believe the false teachings, inaccurate doctrines, and lies of ministers and other Christians alike if we aren't seeking truth and don't know what the Bible really says. This doesn't mean that you will never believe something that is not true. A disposition of truth will provide you with a means of minimizing acceptance of lies.

The Disposition of Truth

What is the disposition of truth? The disposition of truth is the pursuit for truth. People that pursue truth will tend to look at things more objectively and will definitely investigate what they are told. Those who do not seek the truth or do not have a disposition of the truth will tend to go along with the crowd. These people will believe whatever they are told, follow the rules, and live a life of bondage to man's doctrine in most cases. We should also consider that there are people that genuinely want a sustained and fruitful relationship with God and who are simply deceived. We still must commend these latter people on the disposition of truth because that disposition does not imply perfection.

Conclusion

Do you verify rumors that you are told or are you quick to pass information to the next person? Do you merely believe what you are told from the pulpit? What is your disposition regarding truth? Why do you believe what you believe anyway? Have you ever questioned the things that you were told from the pulpit, podium, classroom, etc? Of course, physical phenomena are more readily verified then conceptual ones such as religion. I couldn't tell you that the current in a wire has nothing to do with the voltage in the circuit that the wire is a part of. You could easily confirm this and I would be foolish to try to trick you into believing that. Also, it would be foolish of me to say that you do not have to blend the ingredients of a cake recipe and instead just put all of the ingredients in a bowl and the cake will come out fine. You could easily verify that by making the cake and seeing for yourself that I lied to you or you can just talk to those who have already made the cake.

Well be warned that there are a lot of foolish people out there. There are many people that attempt to fool you with teachings that can be readily verified. We merely need look at the scriptures to verify a claim about God or His kingdom for example and yet many do not. Instead they believe the foolishness that they have heard.

So I encourage you to pursue truth. Learn to live according to the truth that you know. Consider the following scripture for example.

John 8:31 through John 8:32 (NKJV) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

The truth that you know will free you. This particular truth (in the context of the above scripture) deals with the Word of God. However, the principle applies to all aspects of our life. Don't merely believe what you are told, though you will tend to give some people the benefit of the doubt because they have earned your trust. At least have a disposition of truth so that you are less likely to believe things and live according to things that are not true. Practice truth and practice knowing the truth. That will be a great protection to you, your family, and those around you. It will also help to protect the liberty that you have in Christ because you will not go after other teachings of the church that are contrary to Christ. Amen.