Proverbs 23.23
“Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.”
The people of God are called to be agents and ambassadors of truth in the midst of a confused and broken world. The Lord commands us to pursue truth and gain wisdom and insight through the disciplined process of learning. That is the message in this proverb. Indeed, it is the core message of the entire Book of Proverbs.
Possibly you have heard the statement, “All truth is God’s truth.” It is an accurate statement that captures a critical challenge facing the Church in the 21st century.
It is the responsibility of the Christian community to be agents of the full spectrum of truth. Not just truth in the spiritual realm, but also truth in the physical realm. If the Church’s definition of truth (or primary emphasis) is limited only to biblical doctrine and so-called “spiritual truth,” then we will have not have the wisdom or credibility to be effective agents of change in a post-truth world.
Christians must commit to the diligent study of the truths of the physical world that God has created, as well as the operational truths of the social systems and cultural institutions that mankind utilizes to function in society. If the Chrisitan community fails to make a disciplined commitment to the full spectrum of truth, the world will continue to operate according to secular principles and standards.
The Lord calls us to embrace all of reality. As a community, we must pursue truth and do the work to learn wisdom in how the world works and how we work in it. But the Church has not done that. The Christian community focuses on doctrinal truth, and it emphasizes morality, but it is not committed to pursuing the truth of the physical world, nor is it committed to pursuing the truth of the functional world.
As a result, the Christian community makes no significant contribution to the physical sciences. Nor does the Christian community have any credible influence in the functional operation of the primary culture-shaping institutions of our nation. Until the Church takes seriously the full spectrum of truth, it will be relegated to the margins of society, and its influence in the world will be diminished.
The book of Acts tells us that “David served the purpose of God in his own generation” (Acts 13.36). We serve a great and mighty God, and we must diligently pray and ask for revival. We must intercede in prayer, seek his wisdom, and do the work required in our time and place in history. We must be agents and ambassadors of truth.
“Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.” (John 17.17-19)
Tomorrow I will share action steps we need to take in the pursuit of truth …
