Buy The Truth

Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Proverbs 23:23 KJV

Our Pastor recently preached a message with this title and I cannot get it out of my head. I wanted to really understand what God was trying to tell me, so I did some studying.

This scripture is telling us to buy four things and no store carries them. We need all four, or we are not prepared for success in life. We will certainly get in trouble without them. They are
Truth:   the quality or state of being in accordance with fact or reality, accurate or exact
Wisdom: the quality of having experience, knowledge and good judgment; the quality of being wise
Instruction:  directions and teaching from others wiser than you
Understanding:  comprehending the value and use of truth and wisdom

Do you want them? What will you pay for them?

When we purchase something we are giving something of value to get something we value more.
My husband tells the story of how when God saved him. He was in his 30’s when he turned to the Lord and had a lot of friends that he needed to cut from his life, otherwise they would have pulled him right back to where he came from. So, he says that he carried his Bible everywhere and he worked Jesus into every conversation. This would do one of two things. It would either win them to Christ or they would choose not to have further contact with him. The truth cost him friends that he had known for years, but they were “friends” that he needed to cut ties with. God helped him weed out the ones that would possibly pull him away from the church and the plan that God had for him. My husband bought the truth and has held it tight ever since. He knows and understands the value in the truth that God has revealed to him.

There is only one way to buy something – you must pay for it. So buying the truth requires paying a price. Since no one cannot afford to buy everything we want, we need to prioritize our desires. We spend our limited resources by the priorities we set. And here Solomon tells us to put truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding at the top of the list.

So, what is the cost? Every true Christian should understand that the truth costs. If you don’t think so, make it your own, value it, defend it, stand for it, and see if it doesn’t cost. Before you are through it may cost you far more than you ever thought — hours of ease and pleasure, friends and money. Yes, the truth costs. Salvation is gloriously free but the truth costs — that is, if you want it for yourself. Many who know the truth won’t buy it. They won’t pay what it costs to say: “This is what I believe. This is my conviction.” The truth isn’t worth that much to them.

The truth cost the apostles beatings; the blind man his social acceptance; Stephen his life; early Christians their freedom; John the Baptist his head and Jesus his life. These people paid dearly for truth and when given the opportunity wouldn’t sell it, even when it cost them their lives. Truth was more valuable then their very life!

Many people in America have lost their appreciation for truth. Many have been brainwashed into believing that truth is simply an interpretation with many shades of gray. We have reached the point that if you believe there are absolute truths that you depend and rely on you are considered “uneducated”. To state and stand by these established truths is labeled as “intolerance” which seems to be the most objectionable act possible. America seems to be in the process of rejecting truth but the word of God plainly teaches the value of truth. According to God’s word, we should choose the truth, learn it and love it. We are to walk it, speak it and obey it from the heart.

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,⁵⁶ And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. ⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, ⁵⁸ And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. ⁶⁰ And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7: 54-60 KJV

Think about that – Picture it! Stephen was speaking truths and they hated it so much that they bit him. When he told them he saw Jesus in the heavens they covered their ears, took him outside the city and stoned him to death. But Stephen never sold his truth. It was too valuable, he even went as far to ask the Lord to “lay not this sin to their charge“.

Jesus said “…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
John 8:32 KJV

Free! Free from what? They answered and said they had never been in bondage so what will truth free them from?

³³ They answered him, We be Abraham’s seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? ³⁴ Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. John 8:33-34 KJV

Truth will free us from sin! That’s the promise! It will free us from those things in this world that have a hold on us, things that we don’t want in our lives but we’re in bondage to them. There are so many people who think they are free. They say they can do anything they want, which is true, God gave each of us free will. But are they really doing what they want or are they bound to something they didn’t fully understand when they started? My Pastor’s wife often says that “Sin will take you farther than you intended to go and cost you more than you wanted to spend.” I know of people who started smoking to look cool in High School or to “fit in” not fully understanding the hold it would have on them. Those same people have tried to quit smoking and just couldn’t do it themselves. They tried everything, patches, gum, even hypnotism, but nothing worked. They were still in bondage to nicotine, but when they came to God and bought His truth, the cravings for nicotine and the urges to smoke vanished. God through His truth freed them!

So what is truth? The source document for truth and wisdom is the Bible. If it doesn’t line up with The Word of God, then it’s not the truth. You need to have it preached to you often by a man that will not compromise its truth. But today so many Christians and churches prefer entertainment and fables instead of truth. I am thankful for my Pastor. I need him and I value the truth that he speaks into my life.

Value the truth, hold onto to it because eternity depends on it. I’m not a football fan but living in a house with three boys and a husband that enjoy it, I’ve seen a few games. When the quarterback throws that ball and the receiver catches it, he tucks it in close to his body. He does his best to hold onto that thing even when he’s been hit and knocked to the ground. He doesn’t give it up easily. How much greater should we hold onto this truth that God has revealed to us?
Buy the truth and don’t ever sell it!!