Sanctified by the Truth

(Article for publication week of 11-30-2011 AD)

“Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth” (John 17:17). These words are found in our Lord’s High Priestly prayer recorded for us in John 17. The Lord Jesus Christ is the High Priest of His elect people. If you are a believer in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ prayed for you in John 17, and He intercedes for you even at this present moment (Romans 8:34).

Our Great High Priest prayed for the sanctification of His elect people. They were set apart for God’s use in eternity by the unalterable decree of election (Ephesians 1:4; Jude 1). They were set apart (sanctified), by the redeeming work of Christ (Hebrews 10:10,14). And they are sanctified (set apart) by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit (II Thessalonians 2:13-14). Their sanctification is progressive as they are set apart from the world by God working in them of His good pleasure, so that they work out their own salvation (Philippians 2:12-13).

The Word is the means that God uses in the sanctification of His people. Note well that God’s word is THE truth. Our Lord did not say that the Word contains the truth. This is a most vital point in our day and time. The word of God has been under attack from the very beginning when Satan asked Eve, “hath God said?” Satan is still trying to get you to doubt the word of God.

The present attack on the word of God is very subtle. One of Satan’s schemes has been the proliferation of modern translations (so called). Actually this began back in the 19th century when two heretics, Westcott and Hort, compiled a new Greek text to replace the Received Text. Most all the modern translations are based on this corrupt text based on the Alexandrian texts, which had long been rejected by the True Church. These corrupt texts have subtle attacks on the deity of Christ. Most of the modern translations have notes that question the inspiration of much of the Bible. Some of these notes say things like, “older and better manuscripts”, etc. (The reason they are “older” is because they were never used by true believers, and believing scholars do not believe they are “better”.)

God’s word is THE TRUTH. He promised that He would preserve His word for all generations (Psalm 100:5). The God that cannot lie promised that though heaven and earth would pass away His words (note well the plural) would not pass away (Matthew 24:35). God is determined that His people will be sanctified by the word of truth.

One great test of a person’s standing with God is whether or not he believes the word of God. Dear reader, if you do not believe the word of God YOU ARE NOT SAVED. Now you mark that well friend. If you value your eternal soul, read the word of God, and BELIEVE it. There is no salvation apart from the truth of God’s word. It is the means that God has appointed for the sanctification of His people. Do you suppose that God would ordain sanctification through the word and then hide it from His people? This is the theory of liberals and “moderates” today. They will have you think that you cannot be sure if the Bible is God’s word or not. Take my text to heart. Our Lord plainly said, “Thy word is truth.”

The English-speaking people have been blessed for four hundred years with a faithful translation of the inspired word. Our Authorized (a.k.a. King James) version has been honored by the Lord in the sanctification of His people.

I have two booklets I want you to have absolutely free- “By What Standard”, and “The Excellence of the Authorised Version.” If you will call me at 601-927-5070, or email me at brick Floyd@bellsouth.net, I will get them into your hands so you can study this most important subject for yourself.

May the Lord bless you all, my dear readers.

The Truthfulness of God

(Article for publication week of 11-23-2011 AD)

“In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie promised, before the world began” (Titus 1:2).

Our text presents us with a Divine Impossibility- God cannot lie. This Divine impossibility is no limitation on God’s omnipotence, but rather a very strong declaration of His holy character. It is impossible for God to quit being God. That ought to be self-evident, and I invite you to meditate on it and let it sink in. God cannot quit being God, and He will not quit being the Thrice Holy, unchangeable God, and so He cannot lie.

Be sure, God has never gone back on any promise He has ever made. There is nothing in His ways, character, or actions that have ever needed concealment or covering up. Truth is so much of what and Who God is that the God Man proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth and the life.” God will not, yea, cannot lie.

Now this is a most comforting truth for the Christian. Our God is a promise making and promise keeping God. Our text has special reference to the promise that God made with and to Himself in eternity. God made a promise to and with Himself before the morning of time. I love the words of our text this week! “Before the world began”! Oh! What a delightful word to sound forth to the Lord’s people who know their own weakness! God promised eternal life before the world began, before there was a man to try to help Him or try to take any credit for salvation!

We might well ask, “To whom was this promise made, seeing as how it was made before the world began?” The obvious Biblical answer is that God made this promise with and to Himself. God made an everlasting covenant before the world began to give eternal life to a multitude of Adam’s race. This covenant was between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God gave a people to Christ for Him to save. Christ tells us of it in John 6:37-39. “All that the Father giveth to me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine Own will, but the will of Him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which He hath given me, I should lose nothing, but raise it up again at the last day.” God the Father promised God the Son that He should have an innumerable seed. The Son eternally agreed and promised to become Surety for all His people’s obligations to God. At the appointed time, Christ came into the world to redeem us from our sins, as He had promised before the world began. God the Holy Spirit, eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son, promised in eternity to impart salvation to all this chosen and blood bought host, thus they shall all come to Christ as he said.

Praise the Lord, salvation is not dependant on the fickle will of man, but on God Who cannot lie. Salvation has been an accomplished fact from eternity in the mind of God, and not one part shall fail, because again, God cannot lie. The Christian’s hope is well grounded, as our text says, for it is in God Who cannot lie, not in puny man.

God cannot lie!