Proverbs 23.23
“Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.”
The Christian community must pursue the full spectrum of truth. We cannot — we must not — be lazy or sloppy in the way we handle truth. Indeed, scripture tells us that the church is “the household of God … a pillar and bulwark of the truth” (1 Timothy 3.14-15). We are called to be truth agents. This means committing to the pursuit of truth in five areas:
1) The truth of God’s Word.
We must study, know, and obey scripture. The Lord has given us his word as a light to guide and direct us in the way he wants us to live and work. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119.105)
2) The truth of human relationships.
There is a way the Lord has designed human relationships to work, and it is our responsibility to apply God’s standards to how we interact with others. Scripture gives us many instructions about how to go about our relationships:
“Speak the truth in love.” (Ephesians 4.15).
“Be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” (James 1.19).
“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4.32
3) The truth of the physical world that God has created.
The Lord created the world and the physical laws that govern the way it operates, and the Lord created mankind to be the overseers and stewards of the world and all that is in it. Fulfilling our stewardship responsibility demands deep respect for and knowledge of the physical laws the Lord designed. To neglect to study and understand God’s physical laws is deeply disrespectful to our Creator.
“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” (Genesis 1.27-28)
4) Truth in your profession.
Every job has specific principles and skills that must be mastered. Every job has standards of excellence, and Christians are called to know the standards and to do their jobs in alignment with the standards.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (Colossians 3.23).
“Do you see a man skillful in his work? He will stand before kings; he will not stand before obscure men.” (Proverbs 22.29)
5) Truth in the society and culture in which you live.
The Lord sends us into the world to be agents of his kingdom. We are to engage the culture, and be salt and light in the midst of the culture. Fulfilling this great purpose and calling requires knowledge, wisdom, and skill. It requires wisdom and understanding in response to the culture-shaping ideas and institutions of our time. It means a working understanding of philosophy, politics, economics, and leadership.
“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity.” (Proverbs 1.1-3)
“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5.13-16)
The calling is crystal clear. Don’t be lazy. Don’t be sloppy. Trust God and do the work of pursuing the full spectrum of truth.
