BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT

Proverbs 23:23; Matthew 13:44-46; 19:16-21

Pontius Pilate asked Jesus a question while He was brought to him for trial. He asked, “What is Truth?” (John 18:37-38). This confusion about what is truth is still in the world today. Though there are many scientists, philosophers, psychologists and teachers of different religions who claim that they know and teach the truth, but they bring confusion and error into the lives of many. Listen to what Jesus told Pilate in (John 18:37), but Pilate did not understand. The voice of Jesus is the voice of Truth. The word of Jesus is the Word of Truth. Jesus Christ is the Truth. If you belong to Jesus, you belong to the Truth. If you believe in Jesus you believe in the Truth. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6)

We are therefore commanded to buy the truth and sell it not. This is the whole body of truth of Jesus Christ – His birth, His death, and His resurrection. This is the body of truth that leads to salvation; that produces sanctification; that releases the baptism with the Holy Spirit. This is the body of truth contained in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. This is the body of Truth that leads to heaven, an eternity with God at last. All other so called truth, whether scientific, philosophical, psychological or religious, which are opposed to the Truth of Jesus Christ, are simply confusion and error. Flee from such confusion and error. Buy the truth and sell it not.

1.    The Proposition and Purpose of the Truth to Purchase (Prov.23:23;2Tim.3:16; Isa.8:20; John 8:31-32)

To buy the truth we need to acquire the precepts of the Word of Truth, which is the word of God.  To buy the truth means to possess the word of God, to own the word of God, to be changed and transformed by the word of God. This will lead to salvation, sanctification and baptism with the Holy Spirit. To buy the truth means to practice the word of God, to live by the word, to be governed and ruled by the word of God (1Tim.4:16). To buy the truth means to preserve the truth of the word of God, to defend the word of God. To buy the truth means to propagate the word of God. Propagation of the word of God will counter the error that circulates around us today.

The truth of the word of God is our source of true spiritual experience. God’s truth is our shield and buckler. It is the source of our deliverance. It is the source of our freedom. The word of God is the light that shows us the right way. The word of God is the bread of life that satisfies our hunger and longing. The word of God is the sword of the Spirit leading us to victory in the battles of daily life. He is a poor and defeated Christian who neglects the word of God, who sells the truth!

2.    The Purchase and Possession of the Truth (Prov.23:23; Mat.13:44-46; Isa.55:1-2; Rev.3:18)

Any valuable thing you want to buy will cost you money. Sometimes we save money in other to buy an appliance we need. Last year Michael and I began to save money which we had intended for a holiday. As it turned out we did not go on holiday. Michael would put all his gift money in the piggy bank. I was making regular deposits into it too. When I came back from Lagos we broke the bank and recovered nearly £800. Michael gave me another £80 and we put everything together and two of us rushed to PC world and bought a 47-inch flat screen 3D internet TV. It was a time of great excitement. If we can take all that trouble to buy something that is perishable, that will go out of date after some years, then how much more care should we take in purchasing eternal truth, imperishable truth, and priceless truth?

Jesus used two parables to explain the importance of sparing no cost to possess the riches and the blessings of the Kingdom (Mat.13:44-46).

The man in the story finds (1) a valuable treasure, (2) but a veiled treasure. The word of truth which leads to salvation and deliverance from sin and slavery to Satan is a valuable treasure. The word of holiness and righteousness without which no man shall see the Lord, is a valuable treasure. The value of this treasure is not apparent to the world. It is hid from their eyes. Billionaires of this world lavish spending in grand and opulent homes, on expensive cars, on private jets, but the value of the riches of the Kingdom of God is hid from their eyes!

How much do you value these spiritual matters – the salvation of your soul; the sanctification of your soul, the Holy Spirit’s baptism; righteousness; holiness without which no man shall see the Lord?

How much are you prepared to stake for the Kingdom of God? Are you sure that you are putting the right value on spiritual matters? We are proposing to buy some PA system for the Church which will probably cost us up to £2000. Are you willing to stake your resources to help purchase the best for the Church? This is just one little example. The men in our parable joyfully staked everything they had to purchase that treasures.

In (Rev.3:18), Jesus is counselling us to buy gold tried with fire – this is the word of God that is pure, unadulterated and imperishable (Psalm 12:6-7). He says to buy a garment of white. This represents the righteousness of the saints (Rev.7-8).

Buy righteousness, buy holiness, buy the truth and sell it not! A man came to Jesus and wanted to know the thing he must do to enter into the kingdom of Heaven (Mat.19:16-21). He wanted to justify himself. He claimed to be doing all the right things. But Jesus bust his balloon. He deflated hid ego and pride. He challenged him to go sell all that he had and come back and follow Him. He went away sorrowful. He came face to face with the truth but valued his earthly possession more!

3.    The Pitiful Poverty of Bartering the Truth (Prov.23:23; 2Tim.4:10)

One of the most tragic stories of the Bible was that of Judas Iscariot. He was a chosen disciple of Jesus, one of the twelve. He saw all the miracles of Christ. He saw bread multiplied, lepers cleansed, blind and lame seeing and walking. He saw Lazarus raised from the dead. Yet he literally sold the Truth! He was lost forever. Demas sold the truth for the love of this world. We never heard about him anymore.

Selling the truth is like selling the soul to the devil. Any soul sold to the devil will be lost in eternity.

Let us close with the challenge from the story of the sons of Rechab (Jer.35). The children of Rechab are here presented as examples of consistent obedience to their father’s commandment. We see how God responded to them. You have been taught much in this Church about the whole counsel of God. Are you practicing the truth as you have been taught? Are you going to preserve the truth? Will you pass it on to the next generation?
Preserve the truth. Contend for the truth. Practice the truth and pass it on!