Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore, let us go forth to him outside the camp, bearing his reproach. For we have no continuing city here, but we seek one to come.
Select a thought to read by choosing a collection, the month, and then the day:
"These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination
to Him."
David, to his young son Solomon, in Proverbs 6:16
This is the second of the seven things King David told his son Solomon that God especially despises.
Truth is precious. Without it, nothing can succeed. The foundation of all progress is truth, whether that progress is the exploration of space, painting a house, or following Jesus. Every endeavor on earth fails without truth and can only succeed as the truth is known and adhered to.
The builder must have truth from the engineer. The farmer must know the truth about seasons, seeds, and the soil. The mother must know the truth about the needs of a baby. The President of the United States needs truth from his advisors; otherwise, his decisions can be disastrous for millions of people around the world. The peace and prosperity of every nation on earth, whether a "super-power" or a third world country, depends entirely upon the truth being told by those who know it and being learned by those who do not. God despises liars because they are a threat to the health and welfare of every person and every society on earth. Lies undermine every good thing.
Most important to people, of course, is the truth about God. No one will meet God in peace without responding obediently to His truth. The truth about God is that Jesus is His Son (1Jn. 4:15; 5:5) and that no one comes to the Father except through faith in Jesus (Jn. 14:6). The truth about God is that Jesus sent back the holy Ghost to baptize into the congregation of the Lord all who obey him (Acts 5:32; 1Cor. 12:13). The truth about God is that if we obey His will, we shall live forever and that, if we disobey Him, we will be cast into hell (Mt. 7:21). The truth of God is that Christianity is not of God and that God is calling His people out of that religion (Rev. 18:1-5). The many lips that deny these and other basic truths of the gospel are in error. They haven't yet come to the knowledge of the truth.
God has chosen us to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth (2Thess. 2:13). But if the truth is never preached, how can God's children hear and believe it? We are telling the truth we have from God, and telling it as clearly and as often as we can. We may not have all the answers, but what we have from God, we give. God has more that He will teach us all, and we pray to be worthy to hear and believe what He will say to us next. But what we have learned, we are passing on, and what we are telling you now will play a part in the healing of the divided family of God-not because these things are of us but because they are the truth, and the truth heals.
The truth is precious. God hates the tongues that dim with lies the hope that Jesus offers to men, and He will severely judge those who do so. Be wise. Speak truth at every opportunity, not only truth about Jesus and his Father but truth about every thing.