BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT

“Buy the truth, and sell it not; Yea, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” 

Proverbs 23:23

What is truth?  Our former president once said, "That depends on what the definition of is is."  The prophet Jeremiah wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds."  Jesus promised his disciples the Truth that would set them free. Let us wrestle with the questions that men raise against that truth.

Our religious world does not want to acknowledge the importance of loving and obeying the Truth. Almost everyone who claims to be a Christian understands how important it is to keep himself unspotted from the world (James 1:26-27).  Yet, Satan has succeeded remarkably in leading many into false doctrine or teaching.  He has led many to believe that doctrine and teaching have nothing to do with our eternal salvation.  I often hear folks say, “It is not doctrine that matters but the way one lives that counts,” or “It matters not what one believes as long as he is sincere.”  They have not analyzed or thought out such ideas very well.  God's Truth clearly teaches that what one believes and teaches does matter.  Consider Paul's exhortation:

"And with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.   Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false, in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness."  (2 Thess. 2:10-12)

Indeed, many think they are walking with God in Truth but are not keeping His commandments. They ignore that to walk in Truth, one must obey completely.  To walk in the Truth demands total commitment to the love of the Truth and following it.  It is not just an option but a command from God!  It is much easier to talk about, debate, and recite (memorize) the Truth than to put it into practice (walking in it!).  The fact is that Truth is an essential reality.

Many think they love the Truth, but do they genuinely love the whole Truth or the one that is convenient for them?  It is vital that we love the Truth if we are to be saved and not be condemned.  Sadly, many will perish because they did not love the Truth and refused to love it.  In John 8:32, Jesus said:

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Notice that Jesus says "the Truth" and not "some truth," "the truth that you like," "the truth that you want to accept," and so on. Instead, He simply says "the Truth,” the absolute Truth, all the Truth, and nothing else.  Alas, very few respect or revere the Truth of God (His Word, Law).  Few tremble at His Word because they do not love the Truth and are not "humble and contrite of spirit"  (Isa. 66:2).

This study will help us to love God's Truth humbly and not neglect it, holding fast to the Truth we have received (II Thess. 2:13-17; Heb. 10:23-25).

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18)

“But we ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the firstfruits to be saved, through sanctification by the Spirit and belief in the truth. To this he called you through our gospel so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.  So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.  Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace,  comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.”  (II Thess. 2:13-17)

I.   WHAT IS TRUTH?

"Then Pilate said to him, 'So you are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.'  Pilate said to him, 'What is truth?' After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them,'I find no guilt in him.'"  (John 18:37-38)

Our Lord Jesus confessed His high office and ministry of Truth in John 18:37-38 when Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?“  Indeed, he asked an excellent question, perhaps one of the most critical questions ever.  But Pilate could not receive it.

So, what is the source of Truth?  In John 1:17, we read:  

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

 Therefore, Christ is the source of all Truth.  

Jesus told the Samaritan woman His Father sought true worshippers who would worship Him in Spirit and Truth (John 4:23-34).  Alas, false teachers teach a false concept of Truth, which is but the result of Satan's lies that work through sinful hearts.

• The Truth is an essential reality:  “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

God exists!  Furthermore, He promises an eternal reward:  heaven or hell.  In John 3:33, we read.

“Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.”  

God always tells the Truth!  

"Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, 'That you may be justified in your words,  and prevail when you are judged.'"  (Romans 3:4)

•  The Truth is the opposite of a lie:  “Because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:25)

Those who are false christs teach lies and not Truth. The apostle Paul rebukes the Corinthians for their tolerance of false teachers, bringing them a doctrine different from what they had received. 

“Or if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or if ye receive a different spirit, which ye did not receive, or a different gospel, which ye did not accept, ye do well to bear with him.”  (2 Cor. 11:4)

Everything that is not truth must be a lie.  Every statement, idea, or opinion is one or the other, truth or lie.  Consider the first lie.  God said.  “Thou shalt surely die.”  Satan, the king of lies, said, “Ye shalt not surely die.”  Notice that the difference between life and death and heaven and hell was just one tiny word, not!  Therefore, all words, facts, and doctrines must be proven truth (Gen. 42:16; Deut. 13:14; I Kings 17:24; Job 9:2).  No lie is of the Truth (I John 2:21).  Thus, lies are incompatible and contradictory.  The one who contradicts the Truth of God has turned from the Truth to a lie; he has gone astray from the Truth (2 Tim. 2:18).  Period!

Therefore, we must know the Truth by studying and analyzing it carefully and, most importantly, by not going beyond what is written.  It is the will to obey the Truth that helps one to discern Truth:  

“If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God, or whether I speak from myself?”  (John 7:17).  

We must apply ourselves to love the Truth, understand it, and live it.  To continue in the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ is to live by His teaching or doctrine.  Let us put it into practice and not be just hearers!

All false “Christs,” false apostles (Rev. 2:2), and false teachers and preachers (Gal. 1:8-9) are not from the Truth but the lie.  Truth teaches that there is:  

1. One body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23).
2. One hope (eternal life).
3. One baptism (immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of sins, Eph. 4:4-6).

Therefore, the Truth is against all human traditions, superstitions, and the many “isms” (communism, sectarianism, Catholicism, Protestantism, millennialism, Adventism, Pentecostalism, institutionalism, etc.).  All “isms” have no reality (truth) before God's eyes but are merely man-made inventions.

We must understand the danger of false teaching and watch out. We may lose what we have gained or accomplished.  

“Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward.”  (2 John 8)  

And one can transgress, overstepping the bounds of safety!  

“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.”  (2 John 10-11)  

So, to welcome, encourage, or wish them well (false teachers) or, even worse, to spread their false teaching is to share in their wicked work. Take heed!

• Christ is the Truth:  Our Lord was a man of Truth (Matt. 22:16; John 14:6-9; 18:37; Romans 15:8; James 1:18).

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.  If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.'  Philip said to Him, 'Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.'  Jesus said to him, 'Have I been so long with you, and yet you have not come to know Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?'"  (John 14:6-9).

Christ is the Truth, and the Truth is in Him.  

“But you did not learn Christ in this way, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus”  (Eph. 4:20-21).

• God's Word is the Truth:  

“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” (John 17:17)  

“Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth.”  (Psalm 119:142) 

“You are near, O Lord, and all Your commandments are truth.”  (Psalm 119:151)  

“The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.”  (Psalm 119:160)

• The Gospel is the Truth:   

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him withthe Holy Spirit of promise."  (Eph. 1:13)  

“In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”  (James 1:18)  

“Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.”  (2 Peter 2:2)  

“But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.”  (Gal. 2:5)  

"But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, 'If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?'" (Galatians 2:14)

• The Doctrine of Christ is the Truth:  

"Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.  (2 John 9-11)

Indeed, many false teachers have the wrong concept of Christ and His doctrine.  As a result of this, they fail to obey the commands of walking in truth and love.  They likewise go beyond what is written. Notice what Paul told the Corinthians:  

“Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.”  (I Cor. 4:6)

• The New Testament is the Truth: 

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”  (John 16:13)  

The Holy Spirit reveals the Truth:

 “It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.”  (I John 5:7)  

The Holy Spirit has already revealed all the Truth.  Hence, the New Testament is “all the Truth.”  Lest we forget that the source of all truth is Christ and not the church. 

II.   LOVING THE TRUTH:

All those who possess God's excellent characteristics will strongly love the Truth. God's Word is Truth (John 17:17), and we must thirst, hunger, and long for it “like newborn babies”  so that we may grow in respect to salvation (1 Peter 2:2).

1. But we must diligently study it so that we might divide the Word of Truth rightly.
2. We must strive to understand the Truth because it is the will of God. 
3. We must not be foolish (Eph. 5:17).  
4. We must exercise our senses to discern between good and evil, not be tossed to and fro and carried away by men's doctrines, which are but error that leads to destruction.  
5. We are commanded to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. 

Like King Ahab in I Kings 22:16, one may pretend to love the Truth but not really want the Truth. Why?  When the Truth reproves, exhorts, and rebukes others because of their lawless deeds, sinful habits, and erroneous and contradicting teachings and practices, they refuse to accept it.   Many reject the Truth in matters of:

1. Bible authority and doctrinal error:  the divine pattern of worship (i.e., the use of instrumental music in worship; institutionalism, the tithe, the Lord's Supper, etc.).  
2. They don't accept the Truth in matters of the home.
3. The works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21; Eph. 4:22-32); fornication, marriage, divorce, adultery (although they call it "marriage"), worldly practices, bad habits.
4. Salvation, faith and works, grace, and discipline in the church.  
5. In other words, they do not want to accept God's whole counsel in every aspect of their lives.

Hence, in Acts 20:20, 27, the apostle Paul declared:

“How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house...  for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.”  

Sadly, our prejudices, preconceived notions, and preferences often weaken us, making it difficult to keep and obey God's whole counsel, the divine rules (I Tim. 5:21).

Again, in 2 Timothy 4:3-4, we have been exhorted to love the Truth because:

“For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.”

Those who do not love the Truth behave in this manner.  They profess to love the Truth but don't want it.  They reject the Truth when it condemns their errors or sins.

To love the Truth is to tremble at God's Word in awe and fear.  Few people respect and tremble at His Word because they are not humble in spirit.  They forget that the fear of God is the beginning of knowledge.

In Matthew 5:6, Jesus said,

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”  

We all understand what it is like to be hungry and thirsty.  We see this portrayed in the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:16-17. 

To hunger and thirst after righteousness means to have a strong and intense desire to know and follow righteousness.  Such righteousness is only found in the revealed Word of God, the gospel of His Son (Romans 1:16-17).  Righteousness is indeed not found in man's own wisdom and reasoning.  It is tragic when man establishes his own righteousness, not in agreement with knowledge and the righteousness of God (Romans 10:1-3).

The wicked hold the Truth in unrighteousness and change the Truth of God for a lie (Romans 1:18, 25).

When one diligently reads and studies the Gospel of Truth, he begins to learn of God's righteousness, and he will be filled.

 “If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.”  (John 7:17).

God praises and blesses those who believe, love, and know the Truth, but He also condemns those who have no love for the Truth (2 Thess. 2:9-12).  Therefore, we must love the Truth with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength to understand God's will and be saved.

“This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  (I Tim. 2:4)

Getting many to understand this principle and put it into practice is hard.

• Do you suppose all those who believe a lie will be condemned? 
• How can one say, therefore, that one doctrine is as good or sound as another?  
• Do you think we must abide in the Truth and not go beyond it?  
• Do you understand that false teaching is dangerous and that losing what one has accomplished or gained is possible?  
• Can one overstep the bounds of safety by transgressing? 
• Is it a sin to encourage false teachers in their error and false teaching?  

Let the Word, the Truth, be your judge!!

III.   DESPISING THE TRUTH:

Today, many Christians reject and despise sound doctrine, preferring to go after fables and myths rather than the Truth (2 Timothy 4:3-4).  Our generation wants fables rather than Truth:  fables such as:

• The fable of self-discovery or self-love.
• The fable of worship that pleases the public or casual worship.
• The fable of the freedom of those enslaved by sin.
• The fable of letting a child discipline himself and be creative.
• The fable of endless social programs.
• The fable of the prosperity gospel.
• The fable of interpretive dance, drama, and anything else to satisfy the flesh and not the Spirit. 

Many are willing to reject the Truth, preferring lies and hating all Truth (Proverbs 20:6; 21:2; Luke 6:26; John 8:45; Gal. 4:16).  They will slander Christians to avoid all correction.  This brings to mind the Galatians who were victimized and carried away from the evident Truth to follow the heresies of the Judaizers (Gal. 3:1).

"O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified."

Many are despised because “not all have faith”  but follow human reasoning (II Thess. 3:1-2).  Sin hardens the heart of man. Making him depart from the living God (I Tim. 4:2; Heb. 3:12-13).  Indeed, there are many powerful enemies of the Truth (John 8:40,44; Acts 13:10).  The wicked hold the Truth in unrighteousness, changing the Truth of God for a lie (Rom. 1:18,25).  Many despise the Truth and try to turn others from the Truth, claiming that God does not care:

• Consider Cain, who thought his version of the Truth was better than Abel's, but it was not so (Gen. 4:1-8). 
• Remember Nadab and Abihu, who thought God would accept their strange fire but did not (Lev. 10:1-7).  
• Remember Moses and Aaron, who thought that their overall obedience could allow some compromise (Numbers 20:7-13).  
• Then, there was King Saul, who justified his disobedience, saying he intended to use it for God's glory (I Samuel 15:20-23).  
• David learned the hard way about the consequences of not heeding what  Moses had commanded as to how they were to carry the Ark of the Covenant according to God's ordinances; forgetting the due order, he killed a man (I Chronicles 15:13).  
• Saul of Tarsus is another who thought he had the Truth but found out he did not (Acts 26:9).

IV.   TRUTH IS NOT SUBJECTIVE BUT OBJECTIVE:

The word “subjective” means  “of the subject” (personal, oneself).  Unfortunately, many believe truth is whatever one wants to do or believe.  It is said, “That is the truth for her or him.” “Subjective truth” is produced merely by one's thinking, reasoning, or feeling.  Such a thing is not, in any sense, the Truth.  The word “objective” means that truth is an external object.  It is a separate entity apart from one's mind.  What one thinks does not determine the truth.  Therefore, we must study and learn what is truth accurately rather than whatever we think or say about it.

Many believe that truth is not absolute.  For them, truth is whatever everyone considers to be the truth (subjective truth).  Such people contradict themselves because they affirm something as an absolute truth while they say that truth is not absolute.  My question is:  If there is no such thing as absolute truth, how is it that they can affirm as absolute truth that truth is not absolute?  

Truth is not whatever “one believes.”  It is not true that everyone is entitled to their own way of thinking or belief. If it is true that it does not matter what one believes in, then it does not matter what one believes or thinks, right?

Truth is not relative but absolute. Therefore, absolute truth is the divine rule that governs the life of every man:

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.”  (2 Timothy 3:16)

The Word of God plainly teaches absolute truths.  Truths such as:

1. Everyone can learn and obey the Gospel of Christ.
2. Christ built His church.
3. Those who are saved are added to the church, the body of Christ.
4. The church’s worship is simple and spiritual.
5. The Lord's Supper is every first day of the week (Sunday).
6. The church must not use instrumental music.
7. The church's offering(contribution) is not tithe.
8. All Christians are saints (sanctified, set apart from the world).
9. Each Christian must live “as strangers and pilgrims,” abstaining from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.
10. “Any man who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and a man who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” 
11. God has not called us to impurity but to holiness.
12. The Lord will return, the dead will rise, and all will be changed in a moment.
13. The dead will be raised imperishable.
14. The “heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
15.  It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.
16. Every knee shall bow to God, and every tongue shall praise God.
17. We all will give account to Him, who is ready to judge the living and the dead.
18. Those who reject His Son will go into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.  

These are all absolute truths and not relative truths in any sense.  

Indeed, the Truth is narrow because the Truth is the way to heaven!

1. The Truth is narrow, just as mathematics and scientific truth are narrow.  
2. Likewise, all historical truth is narrow.
3. All geographical truth is narrow.  
4. Truth does not change.
5. It does not fluctuate.  

Therefore, God's Truth cannot and must not be modernized!  The Truth affirms about:

• The deity of Christ.
• The plan of salvation.
• The church and its divine pattern of organization.
• Holiness, righteousness, etc., cannot be modified.  

Do we agree or not?  The Truth the apostles taught is the ONLY TRUTH we must teach and proclaim and nothing else!!  The Truth the first-century brethren obeyed is the only Truth that all must obey today.  The Truth never changes. It is eternal.  

V.   THE TRUTH IS NOT ONLY POSITIVE BUT ALSO NEGATIVE:

Today, in many churches, there exists another wrong concept, although very popular, that if a preacher is to preach and teach the Truth, he has to do it under whatever terms the church or their leaders choose to do it.  All they want to hear preached or taught is love and positive subjects or matters. They refuse to acknowledge that the Truth has to prick the heart and conscience to be effective.  The Truth condemns all error and sinful living (lawlessness), as light exposes darkness.  The Truth is to be lived by the teachings (doctrines) of Christ.  To be faithful to God, one must walk in the Truth (2 John 8; 2 John 10-11).  

The Truth is that the very Word of God (His Son) became flesh to show us how to live in holiness, according to God's commandments.

• Following God's commandments is our expression of love and obedience to Him.  
• To obey the Truth is to love our family, church members, enemies, and neighbors. 
• To love the Truth requires action. 
• Love for the Truth and obedience go hand in hand.  
• To know and love the Truth is to accept the Gospel of Christ and express it in love. 
• When the Truth is not put into action, it is not love.  
• If it is not love, then it is not the Truth either.  
• To abandon love is to leave the Truth.   
• One cannot love if one takes people beyond what is Truth.

In Mark 16:16, Jesus said,

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.”  

This is a positive statement.  Right?  But read the rest of the verse:

“but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

This is a negative statement.  Right?

As we read the New Testament, we find out that:

1. Christ and the apostles teach the positive aspects of the Gospel and condemn all false teaching, false religions, human traditions, hypocrisy, and all sin or lawlessness.  
2. It also condemns all of the errors and shortcomings of the Lord's church (I Cor. 5; Gal. 1:2; 6-9; Rev. 2 and 3).  

“For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”  (I Peter 4:17).

The absolute truth is that the Truth is transforming, but to transform us, it demands:

1. A change of living.
2. A renewal of the mind and spirit.
3. Putting off the old self (Eph. 4:22-32). 
4. It also requires that one leave (renounce) all error.

VI.  THE TRUTH IS TO BE SOUGHT AND LEARNED:

Those who love the Truth study diligently to learn the Truth.  In Acts 17:11, we are given an example of those who searched the truth to learn the Truth:

“Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

It is vital to read and study the Bible with all diligence.

“Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.” (Proverbs 23:23)

God wants and demands that all men learn the Truth.  The Bible is “God-breathed” (2 Tim. 3:16). God gave the Truth.  In 2 Peter 1:20-21, we learn “that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”

God's holy men spoke and wrote (I Cor. 2:10-13) as the Holy Spirit moved them.  Therefore, the Bible was written for all men.  Paul said,

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  (Romans 10:17) 

God gave us the Bible, His Truth, so we might believe (develop faith) in Him.  Without the Truth, we will be lost.

• Jesus compared the Truth of His kingdom to a “treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”  (Matt. 13:44-46)  
• Solomon described the hunt for Truth and wisdom as they search for a hidden treasure (Prov. 2:1-9).  
• Do you search for Truth?  
• Do you highly value Truth?  
• Do you pray for Truth?  
• Do you fight for Truth?

The Truth is easy to learn and understand.  God does not hide the Truth.  He “reveals” the Truth.  Therefore:

• The Bible is the Truth, the will of God.  
• God wants to save us.  
• He promises salvation to those who accept it but condemnation to those who reject it.  
• Why would God give us a revelation that cannot be understood when the salvation of our souls is at stake?

“Who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”  (I Tim. 2:4)

Think about that!

Jesus said,

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matt. 11:28-29)

“For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.  (Heb. 10:26)

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.  It is written in the Prophets,‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me— '"  (John 6:44-45)

Therefore, the Bible is understandable.  God would not give us a book that we couldn't understand. Those who believe and teach that we cannot all understand God's Truth, the Bible, alike, imply some terrible things about God and His wisdom or intelligence.  God is wise enough to have given us a book we can diligently study and understand correctly.  The Word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our pathway (Psalm 119:105).  The real problem is that many are unwilling to study it with a good and honest heart! (Matt. 13:15).  May it never be so!  May we always strive to buy the Truth and sell it not!

• We must exalt the Truth and seek it.  
• We must desire to know the Truth.  
• We must handle God's Truth with honor and reverence, respecting the context of each passage and the ordinary definition of its words to draw Biblical conclusions according to God's will.  

The Word of God is infallible and does not contain any errors whatsoever.  It has never been proven wrong and does not need to be corrected or improved to be implemented.  The Word of God is perfect as it is:

“The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.”  (Psalm 19:7)  

The Bible is the Truth!  (John 17:17).

God's Word is sufficient and able to make us “complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”  (2 Tim. 3:17).  

So often, prejudice prevents men from learning the Truth.  They prefer to judge before they investigate.  It is man's prejudice that does not allow the Bible to teach what it teaches.  If one is determined that the Bible teaches a certain doctrine, he will find such a doctrine in many texts.  Likewise, if one is determined that the Bible does not teach a certain doctrine or practice, such a person will not do it either.  Such a person will not allow the Word of God to teach him what God wants him to learn.

Therefore, it is crucial that we not make the same mistakes the Jews made by hardening our hearts the same way they did.  They could not understand the Truth because they had a veil over their hearts (2 Cor. 3:15).  So what was the veil?  It was their erroneous concept of the Messiah and His Kingdom.  You see, they had their own concepts and preconceived ideas. Although they heard the same Word of God, they could not understand it.  So the same is true for millions of people today who read the same Word of God, the Bible, but do not understand it since they have a veil over their hearts.  They can read a Bible text a dozen times and still not understand it.  That is tragic!!

What good does it do to know the whole Bible by memory and recite it but not understand it because of a mental block that blinds us to its true meaning?  We must have the right and proper attitude toward the Bible.  There is no other way!

To acquire a more in-depth knowledge of God's Word, one must diligently apply himself to his studies. This means being steady, enthusiastic, and tireless. Casual Bible reading will not do it. It is imperative that one show diligence and not get discouraged when searching the depths of God's Word, even if he finds a passage difficult to understand. Deeper knowledge of God's Word demands a lot of continual effort, but it is worth it. You may rest assured!

True and in-depth Bible study requires a genuine intention to grow to our maximum potential.  

VI.  THE TRUTH IS TO BE TAUGHT AND DEFENDED:

Jesus and the apostles taught and preached the Truth.

“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you.”  (2 Thess. 3:1)

In Jude 3, we are exhorted to defend the Truth:

“Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.”

We must give a defense and confirmation of the Gospel of Truth, fighting together for the faith of the Gospel:

“Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God.”  (Phil 1:27-28)

Therefore:

• We must always be ready to defend the Truth (I  Peter 3:15).  
• We cannot suppress the Truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).  
• The church must be the pillar and support of the Truth (I Tim. 3:15).  She is not the source of Truth but its support or pillar. Jesus is the source of all Truth (John 14:6).

VII.  THE TRUTH DOES NOT FELLOWSHIP ERROR:

• God does not fellowship with those who practice false religion (i.e., any religion besides what He has authorized in the New Testament).  
• God cannot have fellowship with man-made religions (i.e., Catholicism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Islam, etc.).  
• By the same token, God does not have fellowship with man-made churches (i.e., Lutheran, Methodist, Baptist, Catholic, Pentecostal, etc.).  
• God wants His followers to be saved through His Truth, which sets them free (John 8:32). It is not just part of the Truth, which is what man-made churches offer.

The critical question is:  Can a church or denomination that twists the plan of salvation and changes the Bible pattern for the work and worship of the church be in fellowship with God? Obviously NOT!  Why?  Because no matter how much they claim to follow the Truth in good conscience, they are still not teaching or following the Truth about God's plan of salvation, as found in the New Testament.  Indeed, God is disgusted with what He sees in the vast majority of the churches in the religious world today.  He will not approve of those who depart from His Truth, nor will He approve of those who have fellowship with them.  They are under His curse!  (Galatians 1:8).  When man alters the Truth of God, His Word, in some way (by adding or taking away and not being silent where the Truth must be), such person is under God's condemnation!  They are rebellious and in sin and must repent and submit to God's will.

Sadly, we live in times when man does not want the Truth.  The modern man resents the doctrine of Christ (II Tim. 3:1-4:4).  Men are addicted to all doctrinal error and all carnal pleasures.

• They prefer to learn from error rather than the Truth.  
• They prefer fables and myths to the Truth (2 Tim. 3:7; 4:3-4).  
• Many false teachers pervert the Truth, knowing nothing (I Tim. 6:3-5).  
• Indeed, we live in times when men agree to allow anything except God's Truth!

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul warned us of error and false teachers that would eat like gangrene.

"Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus."  (2 Tim. 2:17)

These false teachers do not handle the Word of Truth rightly. Alas, how many souls have been perverted by false teaching!   

False doctrine grows worse and worse, eating away the soul as gangrene eats away the flesh.  God rejects both the false teacher and his followers.  In Matthew 15:14, Jesus said,

“ Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 

Paul also warned of those who were “insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach.”  (Titus 1:10-11)

Likewise, Peter said about false teachers,

“And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.”  (2 Peter 2:3)

Thus, anyone who holds to error is condemned, whether they be the instigator, promoter, or follower.  Let us take heed and not lose what we have gained!

Sadly, many today willfully and knowingly fellowship error and false teaching.  And when one points out the error, they say, “I don't believe everything my “church” teaches” or “I don't go along with all that my “church” does or teaches.”  Some even dare to admit their  “church” is getting farther and farther from the Truth.  My question is:

1. Does recognizing and rejecting certain error free one from all responsibility in the matter?  
2. Can a person close his eyes to error and be willing to stay in a group (church) that does not teach the Truth and that he knows is wrong and in error?  

They don't realize that they are under condemnation for partaking in error rather than exposing it. Instead, they must “rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith” (Titus 1:13-13). The same must be applied within the Lord's church when error is being taught.  It is our obligation before God!  Therefore, one cannot continue to be in fellowship with those who believe and practice error.  Instead, we are responsible for rebuking and warning them with the Truth (2 Tim. 3:16).  Silence is dangerous!  Why?  Because by one's silence, he is approving and partaking of that which is error and thus is sinning.  As long as one is a member of any church that teaches error, he is associated with error and identified with the same.  Take heed of what Jesus said, 

“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.”  (Matt. 15:13) 

It means that those who fellowship error will be rooted up along with his followers on the last day. Therefore, it is vital to identify error so that one may be identified with God's faithful followers.

VIII.  THE TRUTH IS TO BE OBEYED:

Those who believe the Truth, obey the Truth to purify their souls.

“Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. ”  (I Peter 1:22-23)

In Galatians 5:7, we are told to obey the Truth and not be hindered from following it.  Those who disregard and despise the Truth will bring severe judgment and delusion from God (2 Thess. 2:8-12).  Truth demands obedience to God's commandments.  Therefore, we do not have the Truth if we are walking in darkness and not keeping His commandments (I John 2:4).  

It is not enough to say “Lord, Lord” if we do not obey the Truth and do the will of God (Matt. 7:21).  Likewise, we must not be just hearers but doers of the Word of God (James 1:22-24).  We must also walk in the Truth (3 John 4).  So those not walking in the Truth of the Gospel must be rebuked (Gal. 2:14; 4:16).

“Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”  (Gal. 4:16)

CONCLUSION:

Jesus did not establish His Kingdom with the sword but rather with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  He did not use political means or fleshly tactics.  He used the straightforward preaching of the Gospel.  Jesus said, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” So, are we of the Truth?  Do we love the Truth?

It is impossible to worship God without the Truth.  Truth is fallen in the streets, and the Lord is challenging everyone to see if they care for the Truth.  Christ is the Truth, and the Word of God is the Truth.  The Gospel is the Truth.  Christ's doctrine is the Truth.  The New Testament is the Truth. Thus, there is no substitute for the Truth.  All man-made laws and traditions of all man-made churches do not work because they do not free us from sin. They cannot do or accomplish what the Truth can.

The Truth is not subjective but objective.  The Truth is not what everyone wants but what the Bible teaches.  The Truth is not relative but absolute.  The Word of God, the Bible, teaches absolute truths, undeniable truths, and irrefutable truths.  For example, Christ is not “a god” as the Watchtower Witnesses claim, but rather, God is true, almighty, or omniscient.  The Truth says there is only one church and that to be saved, one must be baptized for the remission of sins.

If we are indeed apostolic Christians, we must contend earnestly for the Truth (Jude 1:3-23). The more one loves Christ and walks in Him, the more one will love the Truth, for He is Truth.  We must prove Truth and hold that which is good (I Thess. 5:20-21).  

The church is the pillar and ground supporting the Truth, and we must do our part to help her.  The Truth is the opposite of error; error is ignorance; compromise is rebellion (II Tim. 1:12-13).

Those who contend for the Truth are a small minority, and we must continue to contend earnestly as false teachers decline.  We must not compromise anything in matters of doctrine and godliness. We must obey the Truth, lest He remove our understanding and withdraw Truth.  God cannot fellowship with those who practice error and false teaching.  He has fellowship with those who walk in the Truth, the Light.  But to walk in the Light, one must obey the Gospel and live it faithfully according to the New Testament pattern.  Many out there are teaching a different Jesus and a different Gospel.  These are but man-made churches that despise the Truth of God.  And God is very disgusted with them!  He disapproves of their departure from His Truth.

Many in our culture are religious but not in the right way, God's Way. On the day of Pentecost, 3,000 devout religious people realized they needed to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of their sins. They were religious but not right with God! There are many like these in our culture today. Therefore, we must reach out to them to teach them the Truth, though we cannot approve of or share in their errors.

Therefore, let us tremble at His Word with awe and fear!  Let God be true and every man a liar.  We must never apologize for the Truth.  We must pray for God's enlightenment to understand the Truth and not be deceived (Eph. 1:15-19; 3:18; Prov. 2:1-9; Psalm 119:18, 131; Col. 4:2-4; James 1:5). We must give thanks for the Truth, the Gospel news, and our understanding of it (II Thess. 2:13-15; Romans 10:15; Psalm 119:14,111,162).  We must never despise the Truth, sound doctrine, but obey it if we are children of Light.

Those who love the Truth have their minds open and receive the Truth with all eagerness to learn all the counsel of God (Acts 17:11; Acts 20:20, 27).  Such don't have any prejudice; the number one enemy of the Truth.  Likewise, those who love the Truth learn the Gospel of Christ, believe His Gospel, and obey His Gospel.  They love God with all their heart, repent of their sins, confess their faith in Christ, and are baptized for the forgiveness of sins.  They also continue living faithfully and obeying the Truth (Gal. 5:7) even though the Truth might rebuke, correct, and exhort them as a sharp knife.

In the same manner, those who love the Truth teach and defend it, because the Truth is precious to them.  They buy the Truth and sell it not because they accept it at all costs.  They will surely never wander from it (James 5:19).

May we buy the Truth and sell it not.  May the Truth never fall in the streets.  May we never harden our hearts to the Truth because of sin and error.  May we be bound to thank our God for the Truth and for saving us from condemnation and delusions.  May we love the Truth and highly value it as God's precious Words.  May we always read and study God's Word with great pleasure and zeal to learn the Truth.  May we never be satisfied with mediocrity regarding our understanding of God's Truth. Finally, may we always teach and defend the Truth to others even when everyone seems to despise the Truth.

Luci

THE HARVEST THROUGH THE EYES OF JESUS

 "And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. When He saw the crowds, He had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then He said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"

Matthew 9:35-38

How do you describe a "search and rescue" mission? A child disappears from the home. The mother calls the police and family members. The community goes into high gear to find and save the child. The insanity of sin makes "search and rescue" much more challenging because supposed rational, mature adults don't realize the danger they are in. The Son of God knew exactly what He was doing when He began the daunting task of "search and rescue" of those lost in sin. Let's try to see through the eyes of Jesus just what He saw.

As I read the words of Matt. 9:35-38 and John 10:7-11, I cannot help but be moved by Jesus' compassion for the multitudes since they were distressed and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd. They were perhaps also harassed by fears and anxieties. Jesus is the good Shepherd of the flock (John 10:1-18) who came down to earth to gather the fold and give them rest from the heavy burdens of sin, laying down His life for them. Indeed, the good Shepherd genuinely cares and is moved to compassion for the souls of men (Matt.11:28-29).   Even though He was saddened by the foolishness, the sins of men, He never loathed them or spoke contentiously about them. And though He was the King of kings and Lord of lords, He loved sinners with all His heart. 

Our Lord and Savior looked upon the multitudes in a manner worthy of our imitation. Since He was a man of great feeling (emotion, love, affection, tenderness, compassion, sympathy, empathy), He was "moved with compassion."  His heart yearned with compassion for the people, among whom He walked. His love was awakened. He couldn't be indifferent to the mass of men who were shepherdless sheep, whose souls were fainting and ready to die. Rather than moaning, He enthusiastically took action, being stirred up in His heart to help those He pitied. Jesus was never discouraged in laboring for the sake of people. He never said it was useless to preach to the wicked and sinful multitudes. He chose to persevere until His work was done.

The problem is not the fields but the laborers. Jesus, Our Lord, is trying to say something:

1. Jesus saw the pitiful state of the harvest through merciful eyes.   
2. Jesus saw the potential of the harvest.  
3. Jesus saw the problem of the harvest.
4. Jesus commands His disciples to pray for laborers to be sent into His vineyard.  

We will discuss this further in my study.

Because of Jesus' great compassion for the souls of the crowd, He turned to His disciples saying, 

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few."  

Here, Jesus compares the world of that time to a harvest because many were ready and thirsty for knowledge and eager to become His disciples. Sadly, the only thing that was lacking was teachers. Therefore, they were instructed to "pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  

I.   JESUS SAW THE  PITIFUL STATE OF THE HARVEST:   

"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

When our Lord Jesus looked at the multitudes, He realized they were lost.  He saw them as who they were. Jesus was able to look beyond the facade of self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, and self-confidence. He saw the pain, the helplessness, the hopelessness, the anguish, and the lonesomeness caused by the burden of their sins. Likewise, Jesus was aware of the unreasonable and unrealistic expectations their religious leaders (teachers) forced upon them.  He saw the people as "scattered" and slated to be cast down or thrown out; people who were walking the path of life aimlessly with no direction whatsoever. Jesus knew the religious leaders were leading them into error and were shamefully neglecting their duties. Jesus looked at the crowds with compassion because He knew these religious leaders performed their duties without heart, zeal, or sincerity. 

Today, we live under the same conditions. How many of those who know the Truth lack the zeal, love, and faith concerning Jesus and the power of His glorious Gospel to save souls? Though many would preach the pure Gospel of Christ earnestly out of a good heart, some don't. Sadly, many preach some measure of Truth but often do not preach or teach it boldly as they should. Neither is there enough concern for the souls of men among them.  

Jesus declared,

"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’?  There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.  Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.  For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’  I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.  Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me all that I ever did.' So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days.  And many more believed because of his word.  They said to the woman, 'It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.'"  (John 4:34-42)

Oh, how we need to see the multitudes through the eyes of Jesus! The way Jesus saw them. Sadly, many Christians sit on their beds of comfort, ignoring those souls who are on their way to hell. Oh, Christian, open your eyes to the world around you! There must be more to this world than the things that surround us. Arise and open your eyes! Let us take Jesus' words to heart. Let's take His words seriously. Jesus never intended for us to be this way. Jesus says that His food is to do the will of the One who sent Him. Can we say that too? Are we partaking of the same food He ate? Are we living on what He lived? What is the food Jesus was talking about?

• Soul-winning.
• Seeking and saving that which is lost.
• Saving the world that is full of darkness from the bondage of sin.
• Finding the lost sheep.  

Christian, this is the work the Father wants us to do for Him, a work that we are neglecting!!

Indeed, the fields are white for the harvest. We cannot afford to be idle, sit back, and say it is the world's fault since they are too sinful and unwilling to obey and come to Jesus. No! We must teach them through the Gospel how to be saved from sin and condemnation. We will be accountable on the Day of Judgment if we don't.  

Knowing the immediate need and how serious it is to preach the Gospel of salvation to every man and woman that they might not perish eternally, it is hard to imagine how some who profess to be followers of Christ see the souls of those who are made in the image of God. Why do I say this? Simply because they fail to lift up their eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest!! Many souls are ready for spiritual harvest. They are ready to be reaped.

Many good souls out there are desperately seeking and searching for the Truth. Souls that are waiting to be sown with the seed of God's Word. They want to be righteous. Their souls are thirsty for the living water like the Samaritan woman. When she heard Jesus, she shared her faith with great joy, bringing others to Christ. Oh, complacent Christian, there is no time for us to waste in the salvation of men! They are not going to live forever. They will be buried, perhaps without the hope of salvation. You must reap at once, or they will be destroyed. They are crying out, "We are perishing. Will you let us perish?"  "Will you teach us the Gospel of salvation now? Or will you delay?" 

Why is it that so many Christians refuse to see the harvest through the eyes of Jesus?! I see many who confess Christ but refuse to see the harvest as precious, as weary and scattered, like sheep without a shepherd; as perishing even though they are ripe for harvest; as a crop to be reaped and ready to be saved by the blood of Jesus. I grieve because many souls are dying without knowing Jesus "and the power of his resurrection" that they may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death. 

II.    JESUS SAW THE POTENTIAL OF THE HARVEST:  

"The harvest is plentiful."

When Jesus looked at the harvest (the world), He declared that it was plentiful and worthy of our prayers. He also recognized the main problem:  few laborers were working in His Father's fields! Why? Because He saw a multitude of lost souls all around Him.  

Jesus, our Lord, who "ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things. He has given us the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ"  (Eph. 4:11-13).  

Jesus saw souls that needed to be saved through His glorious Gospel of Grace. He saw a harvest that was ripe for the picking! He saw the crop's potential:  He saw souls that could be delivered from the bondage of sin; changed and regenerated beyond their lost condition; He focused not on the problem but on the potential of the harvest.

Every day we see lost souls, sinners, all around us. Lost in filthiness and lawlessness like lost sheep. Jesus saw them as lost sheep who needed a Shepherd to guide or lead them, as sick souls who needed a Great Physician. Therefore, we must see the harvest through the eyes of Jesus. Jesus wants laborers who will go down into the wheat. One cannot reap wheat without standing close to the stalks. He wants Christians who will move people's hearts, bringing them to Him.  Laborers who will walk among the stalks of wheat. Workers who will swing the sickle, cutting the wheat and casting it to the ground. God wants workers who don't come with soft and delicate words, flattering doctrines, self-help, and earnest endeavors. He curses such laborers. God's servants must call a sin a sin as one would call a spade a spade. The Gospel is intended to wound the hearers, hurt their conscience, cut through the heart of men so that the soul might be separated from sin and self as the wheat is divided from the soil. The sickle is made sharp so that it can cut. The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword.

In Matt. 9:35-38,  Jesus' disciples failed to see the people of Samaria as fields that were white for harvest. By nature, harvesting is a slow process. The Samaritans were pouring forth to come and see Jesus. Jesus saw them as a harvest of souls who were thirsty and hungry. Likewise, He saw them as souls planted with the seeds of Truth sown by the Samaritan woman. They were ready to develop and ripen and bear fruit by the power of the Gospel. 

Sometimes, the harvest is rapid. Joy, satisfaction, and profit are the result of a good crop. Those who sow and reap the fruit of the harvest receive everlasting wages according to their labor. They will rejoice together as well (I Cor. 3:5-15). Those who reap are blessed by those who have sown before them. In John 4:35-42, Jesus’ disciples were about to benefit from those who had labored before them: the prophets, John the Baptizer, and all others who proclaimed God's message.

You see, the Jews of Jesus' day despised the Samaritans. The Samaritans were the product of intermarriage between the Jews with the Babylonians, who lived in Israel during captivity. When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman (a sinful woman), He saw her not as who she was but as a soul that needed to be saved, a soul hungry for the food He was offering. Jesus' disciples were about to notice a rapid harvest from the seed of Truth, which they had not sown themselves. They would reap where they had not sown before, and, of course, this was seen when the church was first established. We are often discouraged by the lack of active and visible results. When Jesus sowed, the results were certainly not obvious, but later the apostles, as reapers, gathered many souls on the day of Pentecost in just one day; more than Jesus did throughout His ministry (Acts 2:41).  

Yet, those who obeyed were His, and the work His disciples did in reaping the harvest was His as well. Evidence of this is found in John 4:39 in those who believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony.   Although Jesus came to His own people, the Jews, they did not receive Him (John 1:11), but the Samaritans did! When Philip and the apostles preached the message of salvation in Acts 8:5, they were ready! Jesus reached the heart of the Samaritan woman because she was hungry for the food He offered her. And as a result of this woman's receptive heart, multitudes of people hungered for the same Truth. Isn't this an incredible joy! May our Lord help us to see the harvest through His loving eyes.

III.   JESUS SAW THE PROBLEM OF THE HARVEST:  

"But the laborers are few."

Few laborers were working in His Father's vineyard! We have the same problem today! Reaping the soul harvest is hard work indeed, and few are willing to do it. Jesus in Matt. 4:18-22 called His disciples to follow Him and promised to make them "fishers of men."  Of course, this would require the fisherman to go and gather the fish. Farmers know well that the harvest does not collect itself. They need laborers to gather in the harvest, doing the arduous and dirty work of collecting it. The same is true in bringing souls to Jesus. We cannot sit in our beds of comfort and wait for the harvest to reap itself. We must reach out to the lost. We cannot sit and wait! It is hard and dirty work, but it must be done if we want the harvest to be reaped. 

The harvest indeed is great, but because so few laborers are willing to work, the work that God wants to be done will not get done. Take heed! Oh, unconcerned Christian, this ought to shake us to our core! Have you no tears for the lost souls of men? Are you not concerned that we will give an account of what we have been doing with our lives? Surely, we will stand before the most excellent Judge of all as wicked and slothful servants who are not worthy of Him. Our greater fear should be that He will take away our crown of life and cast us into the lake of fire.

As faithful followers of Christ, we must preach and teach His Gospel of Grace to the lost.  When we fail to pass it along, we don't love the glorious Gospel of Christ.  Is that not right? Since we have the Good News to proclaim, we must be compelled to share it. We must mention Him and His words of salvation to the lost. How can we, who possess the seeds of the Truth, the Gospel of salvation, be at ease while souls are dying without hope and going to hell? My heart is heavy and burdened! My fervent prayer is for the Lord to send into the fields sincere laborers that they might yield a great harvest of souls for His glory.

As I look around me, I see scores of people, both men and women, going to hell without their Savior, our Lord Jesus. It grieves me!!   And until we see our neighbors with eyes of compassion like Jesus did, as scattered, distressed, and weary souls because of sin, we will fail to lead them to the good Shepherd, Jesus Christ.  As those who love our Lord and Savior, we must understand the significance of seeing everyone as a being made in the image of God.  We must see everyone as those who have eternal souls that one day will have to give an account to the Creator for their deeds. We must commit ourselves to planting the seed of God's Truth when we speak to our neighbors. Jesus did not look upon men as things to be despised but rather as precious souls, even as wheat is valuable to the farmer.

The fields are just ripe and ready for the crescent sickle. Precious souls are decaying and perishing. It grieves the Great Farmer that it should be so. God, our Father, loves the souls of men so much that He gave His only begotten Son to bleed and die that they might not perish but have everlasting life. Lift up your eyes and see! There is a mighty work to be done!  Preach the Good News of Jesus and His precious blood, teaching all men that whoever heeds Christ shall be saved. I suspect many will hear you gladly! Let not the grain perish. The fields of standing grain are begging to be reaped. Sadly, there are not enough reapers, even though many lost souls might be approachable. What country in this world is not approachable to hear the Gospel preached by Christians with enough gumption, faith, and courage? Countries in Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and worldwide are eager to listen to the Gospel with an open heart today more than ever. It moves me deeply! The world as a whole lies open before the reapers of our Almighty God, but where are they?

Jesus wants workers who will labor intensely and not live a comfortable life of idleness or laziness. Laziness is a form of rebellion and selfish, self-centeredness. An idle or lazy person has no right to the kingdom of our Lord, His vineyard. Why? Because he is Satan's instrument in damning the souls of men. The one who labors must proclaim the Good News of salvation. But he must read and study to keep his mind sound. He must effectively tell the Truth. Above all, the laborer must put his whole soul into what he teaches that he may stir up men unto good works. We need such workers! Laborers who will awaken those who sleep because of sin; laborers who will not promote creeds, doctrines of men, philosophies, and human reasoning but rather prick consciences with the Word of God (Heb. 4:12).  

We need laborers who will make the lost aware of their dangerous condition before the Creator. We need workers, not idlers! The kingdom of Christ is in desperate need of workers on fire. We must pray for such workers to be sent to work the fields. The harvest is indeed in need of good laborers willing to reap. Laborers who will do Christ's work and not be ashamed. Laborers willing to sweat at their job since nothing can be done in the harvest fields without hard work and the sweat of the soul. 

So, God sends laborers into the fields to gather more laborers, Christians who will edify others in the faith. Alas, so many laborers are scatterers, rending churches and souls to pieces! Alas, many are lost because they are not taught the Truth, the message of the saving Gospel of Grace! 

Sadly, many laborers seem to be more concerned about politics, the presidential elections, sports, economics,  slandering the authorities, refusing to give due honor to them, disobeying the Lord and displeasing Him, complaining about their rights being violated, and so on.   Why not preach Jesus and the power of His Gospel of Grace to save souls? Go to the lost sheep and show genuine compassion! Work together with zeal and enthusiasm in the kingdom of God. When we focus on the salvation of souls, we will face ridicule and persecution. Accept it and embrace it! After all, we are here to please God and not men (Gal. 1:10). Oh, how we need laborers who will use sharp cutting sickles upon ungodly hearts!

Likewise, we have many laborers who seem to be more focused on being patriotic than being faithful to the kingdom of heaven. They appear to forget that patriotism does not equate to spirituality and the furthering of the glorious Gospel of Christ. Many confuse our nation with the kingdom of heaven. American patriotism does not equate to godliness. As Christians, we are not seeking an earthly kingdom, but a heavenly one; one that has already been established and we must be willing to be in subjection to Christ. Our love for Christ and His kingdom and the souls of men must move us to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:2) rather than on earthly and temporal leaders.

Such laborers seem to forget that the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ surpasses all other civil authorities. God, the Father, has given Him all authority in heaven and earth (John 17:2; Matt. 28:18).  Jesus is our Supreme Ruler. He is greater than any authority here on earth (Eph. 1:21). He is "far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."  All authorities have been created by and for Jesus, and He sustains them all! (Col. 1:16-17). Jesus is above every emperor, king, queen, president, and prime minister.  However, Christians must submit to their earthly rulers since Christ gives them their authority (Romans 13:1-7).

We must understand that there is no authority given except from God and that those authorities that exist are appointed by Him whether we like it or not. God has a purpose in establishing them. God uses all nations as instruments to accomplish His will, whether they are good or bad. All civil authorities are God's servants, and we see it throughout the Old Testament when He used pagan nations to humble His people, the Israelites. Today, God demands that each Christian submit to whatever government he finds himself under. We are commanded to obey civil authorities rather than resist them. To resist them (God's ministers) is to oppose God! We owe this to our earthly authorities even when they are wicked. Our love for Christ must move us to bow before Caesar, the civil authority established over us by God. Our good works must shine before men that they may glorify our Father in heaven.

God alone is due our worship, love, and obedience, yet Caesar is God's established ruler over all things of a civil nature. It is easier to submit and honor a civil leader who is righteous, but Jesus commands us to submit to them and honor them. We can disagree respectfully without being slanderous! We do not have to like or approve of their political agendas to honor their office, but we must honor them since God has appointed them in that charge. Honoring them does not mean engaging in their evil behavior even if they try to force us to commit sin (Acts 5:29). Most Christians don't have a problem with obeying when it comes to paying taxes and complying with government regulations. Where they have a problem is with showing respect. Their attitudes and speech often communicate bitterness and slander toward their civil authorities.

Our brethren back in the first century had to endure severe persecutions from unbelievers and civil authorities, yet Peter exhorts them to submit and give honor to them (I Peter 2:13-17). Nero, the Emperor of those days, murdered Peter and a great number of Christians by setting them on fire like torches, feeding them to the lions for sport. If anyone understood the price of submitting to and honoring wicked civil authorities, it was Peter.   To reject or despise authority is ungodly (II Peter 2:10; Jude 8). Jesus is another good example who did not despise authority when He was beaten brutally and unjustly crucified by the Romans (Acts 8:32).  Christians must not speak evil of others. Period! Let the words of Ephesians 4:29-31 sink deeply into your heart.

I am perplexed by the behavior of many Christians on social media who utter disrespectful and indiscreet words about our government authorities.  We ought to be praying that God give us just and wise rulers.  When we rail against them, we dishonor our God, who placed them in their positions of authority.  Why not pray for them that we may live in peace and that many doors may open to the Gospel? This is agreeable to the Gospel rule:  "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people,  for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way."  (I Tim. 2:1-2)

Let us get busy teaching the Gospel to the lost!  The things that distract us keep us from sowing the seed of God's Word.  Leave the results to God (I Cor. 3:6-7).  Let us do our best to save souls.  We must be governed by the need to save souls!  Their needs are paramount. 

Our Lord Jesus wants volunteers to work in His vineyard.  He would rather not force anyone to work for Him  (Rev. 22:17). He wants faithful, humble, and sincere workers rather than lukewarm, proud, indifferent, and selfish ones (Rev. 3:15-17). Many souls are called through the Gospel (II Thess, 2:13-14) to come and enter God's vineyard as laborers, but unfortunately, few are chosen. What does that mean? It means that many are not willing to sincerely labor for the Lord and enter His vineyard under His conditions. And although many might reject the Gospel message as foolishness, that still does not change the fact that God is long-suffering and compassionate and is seeking sinners who are eager, hungry, and thirsty for righteousness to come to Him.

The Master of the vineyard commands His laborers to work in the field all day (Matt. 20:14). Our service is what counts with God and nothing else! Let us labor faithfully,  "without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world" (Phil. 2:14-18). Let us always remember that no one will be saved without God's Gospel of Grace. Therefore, we must proclaim it! One day we may say we could have done more with deep regret! And let us also remember that the laborer's work is never done until the wheat is housed, stacked, and put into a barn. His toil is never over. He never stops caring for the souls until they are saved. 

IV.   JESUS COMMANDS HIS DISCIPLES TO PRAY FOR LABORERS TO BE SENT OUT TO            HIS HARVEST:  

"Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”  

Since the laborers are few, Jesus commanded His disciples to pray for the Lord to send them. Our Lord Jesus cares a lot about the souls of men. He does not want any soul to perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). We must labor hard to bring in the harvest. Eternal souls are at stake. Jesus loves the souls of men.

"The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.  The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made"  (Psalm 145:8-9).

Throughout the Bible, the LORD refers to His people as a Vineyard. He tended, pruned, and watched it with love and delight. The workers are called to labor at various times, as in the parable of the workers of the Vineyard in Matthew 20:1-16. 

"For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness,  but behold, an outcry!"  (Isaiah 5:7)

The Landlord in this parable is the LORD of all creation, the God, and Father of our Lord and Savior. He loves His harvest zealously. God, above everything, is seeking us out in the slave market of sin. Jesus said, 

"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost"   (Luke 19:10).  

God cares greatly about His harvest and desires that all His servants (those who have been redeemed) go to work in His vineyard. Therefore, workers are indeed needed to do this service.  

"And He said to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."'  (Luke 10:2).

Once we hear and obey the calling of our Lord, God's servants are commissioned to work in His fields. Our Lord needs men and women willing to bring in the harvest. We must see the souls of men as Jesus did:  plentiful, precious, perplexed, and perishing. He will reward us with eternal life according to what we have done in His kingdom (Rev. 22:12). Jesus has well established the needs of the harvest, and He has told us what to do:  Pray! Why pray? Because God will not supply us with laborers who will work for Him in His vineyard if we neglect to pray for them. So who is to blame?

Too many precious souls are perishing every day because we are not praying, "Thy kingdom come."  We must start praying for God to send forth laborers to His harvest. Yes, we must pray to God because it is the LORD'S business! Only He can send the right laborers to work in His vineyard. It is His harvest, and He has every right to send whom He wills to work in His fields.  We must pray continually to Him (the Lord of the harvest) for a supply of earnest laborers. Take heed that the harvest be not ours but His! And if the harvest perishes, it is our heavenly Father's harvest that perishes. This ought to put a heavyweight on our soul!! 

As we begin to see the souls of men as Jesus sees them,  then:

• We will start praying for the harvest. 
• We will pray for the salvation of the lost.
• For the church to be trainers of reapers.
• For men and women to go into the harvest.  
• We will pray for workers, laborers, servants, and givers.  

****But we must do more than pray. We must take full responsibility for the harvest. Think of all the souls with whom you come in contact every day:  family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, the woman behind the cash register, the school teacher, the guy at the car wash and dealer, our gym, our crafts, and sewing class, Facebook and all social media. The list is endless!! The harvest must be our priority. There is a great urgency to bring in the harvest. Remember,  the Gospel can only be Good News if it arrives on time. It demands urgent action! Our job is to tell all those lost souls the Good News of the Lord of the harvest, the Gospel. If we don't go, who will? Let us not be a people of silence. It is a sin. Let us not make the Great Commission into a significant omission. There is so much to do; the harvest is so vast; the needs are overwhelming! What can you do?

Hence, we must keep praying as often as our prayer is in our heart; as often as we see the need, that the fields may not rot before our eyes. Let us pray for boldness to share the Gospel and reach out to the souls of men that they may know the goodness of God. Let us compel men through the Gospel to come to repentance. The world is dying! Hell is boasting, and yet we have the Gospel that is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes!"  

• Can it be that we do not care to win souls for the Landlord of the Vineyard and the Master of the harvest?  
• Can it be that we don't care whether men are damned or saved?  

May the Lord awaken us from our slumber, from our stony heart, and make us care for them, pray for them and work for them until He sends forth laborers into His harvest.  May we never have to regret that we could have done more for God's harvest.

CONCLUSION:

We must see the harvest as Jesus saw it so that we may win souls to Christ effectively. Jesus saw the harvest as plentiful, precious, harassed, helpless, hopeless, perishing, and as a priority. Jesus saw the harvest as lost souls dying and facing judgment (condemnation) eternally.  

Every day we see people dying without Jesus and the hope of salvation. Until we see their souls as precious, we will not lead them to Christ. Why not commit ourselves to speak with at least one soul each day regarding their salvation? Why not focus more on personal evangelism day after day, week after week, year after year? What do you see when you see souls (friends, relatives, coworkers, classmates, etc.), crowds of people? We must learn to see souls like Jesus does: souls made in God's image with an eternal soul who will one day give an account to the Judge of all. Therefore, let us have eyes to see! There are many sincere souls out there seeking and searching for the Truth. Our focus must be on sowing and watering the seed of God's Word (wherever we can), letting God give the increase (I Cor. 3:6-7). Are we doing that? Are we trying to speak with someone about their soul? It will help us to see people's souls as God sees them. We are here to please God and do His will.

There are many lost souls everywhere. Are you able to see them? Are you doing anything today to teach them the Good News of salvation? Are you wasting your time on something else rather than proclaiming the Gospel to the lost?

So let us start plowing in hope that we may be able to share in the crop (I Cor. 9:10). The farmer that plows and threshes in hope will one day have the joy of reaping and partaking of his hope. It is hope that moves the farmer to work the soil while he can. Let us also sow in faith, trusting our Lord to give us "rains from heaven and fruitful seasons" to produce a good crop. "Faith sees a beautiful garden blossom in a bulb, a lovely garden in a seed, and a giant oak in an acorn."  Faith is vital for the work of harvesting. Faith causes us to plant a seed in the soil so that the Lord may multiply it (II Cor. 9:10-11). Sowing the seed demands hard work and diligence. Farming is not for the lazy or idler because it is hard work. It requires the sweat of one's brow (Gen. 3:19). Daily work is required, "for it is the hard-working farmer who ought to have the first share of the crops."  Sowing also requires vigilance. Not only does the farmer plow the ground to sow the seed, but he also guards the crop, the harvest. Many things can destroy the crop. The farmer must carefully guard what he has planted. Otherwise, the harvest may be lost. We must also sow in patience. Farming requires patience, lots of patience. And so is the harvest of souls. Finally, we must sow in joy. The farmer plants, plows, labors, watches, and waits so that he may reap. When the farmer finally reaps or harvests his crop, there is great joy indeed. The Psalmist says, 

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!   He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:5-6).  

Let these precious words sink deeply into your hearts!!

As spiritual farmers today, we must plow in hope, sow in faith, work with diligence, guard in vigilance, and wait in patience. If we do this, we will reap in joy. The fields are white for harvest and laborers to work it, but the laborers are few. Praise be to God for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, the harvest! The Giver of eternal life and living water.  

We must pray to the Lord for open doors to present His Gospel of Grace to the lost. Too many souls are lost because we are not aggressive enough to offer them the saving Gospel message. Many souls are seeking the Lord. They need to be encouraged to seek the right way.  I was one of those souls! They need to be taught why they need forgiveness and what it means to be saved. These precious souls need to be taught about heaven, hell, and eternity. They need to be taught the will of God. We must pray fervently that we find such seekers , such precious souls. What a joy it is when we find someone who is sincerely seeking to know the will of God! Jesus said, 

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  (Matt. 7:7).  

The one who is a sincere seeker will want to believe and obey the Truth and will understand it.

It is a tragedy that so many souls are deceived by lies and that many souls will be lost as a result. That is why we must pray for the good laborers to be sent to work in the harvest of the Lord. Laborers who will share the simple Truth about Jesus (the Messiah as the  Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world) and His requirements for salvation.

Therefore, we must pray for laborers who will preach Jesus, sin, condemnation, and eternity rather than something else (false teaching, interpretations of prophecies, human philosophies, emotional experiences, etc.). God has already done His part by making redemption accessible and possible. He is inviting all sinners into His Grace. God, in His providence, makes every opportunity possible for each soul to be saved. God provides all we need to be saved by sending our laborers to work in His vineyard. 

May we be like the Samaritans who developed a genuine faith in Jesus. May we also be like the Samaritan woman sharing our faith with the lost, bringing them to Christ, the Owner of the vineyard. and the Master of the harvest. May we show commitment to His cause rather than complaining and disobeying Him.  May we live for Christ and learn that our chief goal in life is not self-gratification but the total commitment of one's whole being to do His will. May we hold fast to the Word of life so that in the day of Christ, we may rejoice that we did not run in vain or labor in vain (Phil. 2:14-16). Finally, may we pray for the harvest that He send forth laborers into His harvest to yield a great and mighty harvest of souls for His glory.

The following song, "Send The Light," compels us to sound forth God's message of salvation.   It is a song that motivates us to proclaim the Gospel that saves souls because they are precious to God (Matt. 16:26; Heb. 10:39).  It stresses the need to pray for those who are lost and for the preaching of the Gospel of Grace to abound everywhere (Rom. 10:1; 5:15-20).   Our song compels us not to grow weary in sending the light.  We need to persevere in gathering jewels, souls, for God which will be our joy and crown (Phil. 4:1).  Thus, Chrisitans must share the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ everywhere.  Let the light of the Gospel shine from shore to shore and forevermore.  Let us send the light!  The blessed Gospel light!  Let it shine forevermore!

Send the Light by Charles H. Gabriel

There's a call comes ringing o'er the restless wave, 

"Send the light! Send the light"

There are souls to rescue, there are souls to save,

Send the light! 

Send the light!

Chorus:

Send the light the blessed gospel light;

Let it shine from shore to shore!

Send the light the blessed gospel light;

Let it shine forevermore!

We have heard the Macedonian call today, 

"Send the light! Send the light!"

And a golden off'ring at the cross we lay,

Send the light!

Send the light!

Let us pray that grace may ev'rywhere abound, 

"Send the light! Send the light!" 

And a Christ-like spirit ev'rywhere be found,

Send the light!

Send the light!

Let us not grow weary in the work of love, 

"Send the light! Send the light!"

Let us gather jewels for a crown above,

Send the light!

Send the light!

Luci