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 “Buy
the truth, and sell it not; Yea, wisdom, and instruction, and
under- standing.” (Prov. 23:23) God’s truth is treasure of
immeasurable value. It alone anticipates and provides for man’s
every spiritual need because it, as man, has come from God
Himself. Only this truth shows man how to be freed from sin and
how to serve God. By it comes faith, unity of the Spirit and
sanctification. It is the only adequate defense against Satan.
This truth is the second-most precious thing to come from the
Father.
However,
to accomplish its Divine purpose, truth must he appropriated
into the lives of individuals. This is what our text calls “buying”.
The price of truth is that which it requires of those who
would embrace it. As with most truly precious things, truth
cannot be bought with money. Those who would buy it must pay for
it in the coin of learning, belief, and obedience.
Truth
must be known to be owned: learned to be earned. God endowed man
with both mind and truth but has left it to man to get truth
into his mind — and this is achieved only at the price of
mental industry. Such learning leads to Christ: “Every one
that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto
me” (Jn. 6:45). The blessings of truth are many and great, but
every one of them is predicated upon its being known.
Needless spiritual poverty abounds because so many are unwilling
to pay the price of’ learning in order to acquire truth. “My
people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge...” (Hos. 4:6)
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But,
neither can one claim truth as his who does not believe it.
Knowledge is not faith; knowing truth is not the same as
believing it. Rather, knowledge is to faith as cause is to
effect (Rom. 10:17). ”These things are written that ye
might believe” (Jn. 20:31). Saving faith is
unfaltering trust in God and His Son founded on a firm
conviction of His truth. Apart from this truth there is no
faith: there is nothing of faith, claims to the contrary not
withstanding. The excellence of genuine faith lies in WHAT is
believed. “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of
God is greater.” (1 Jn. 5:9)
Finally,
truth is owned through obedience. At this point, much alleged
faith proves counterfeit. Many say “Lord, Lord” but refuse
to pay the price of doing His will (truth): hence waive
its purchase. Contrary to the popular and contradictory concept
which urges all men to do their “own thing” in their “own
way”, God is only served in the doing of His will. There is
much doing that is not serving in truth (Josh. 24:14; 1 Sam.
12:24; Matt. 7:21). Only wrath and indignation await those who
obey not His truth (Rom. 2:8).
This
precious truth is available only in the market place of the
Bible. Those who would buy it must pay the price individually
and on the lifetime installment plan. Faithfulness means meeting
all installments coming due on truth — even “unto death”.
This
truth IS the pearl of great price — a bargain at any price!
Buy it and sell it not. Dan S. Shipley
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