Present Truth
[Ill.u.s.tration.]
Nehemiah Viewing The Ruins Of Jerusalem. "And they said, Let us rise up and build." Neh. 2:18.
1. By what are men sanctified?
"Sanctify them _through Thy truth_: Thy word is truth." John 17:17.
2. To what knowledge would G.o.d have all men come?
"Who will have all men to be saved, and _to come unto the knowledge of the truth_." 1 Tim. 2:4.
3. After receiving a _knowledge_ of the truth, what must one do in order to be sanctified by it?
"G.o.d hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and _belief of the truth_." 2 Thess. 2:13.
4. And what besides a mere belief in the truth is necessary?
"Elect according to the foreknowledge of G.o.d the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, _unto obedience_." 1 Peter 1:2.
5. What effect does obedience to the truth have?
"Seeing _ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth_ through the Spirit." Verse 22.
6. How should the truth ever be cherished?
"Buy the truth, and _sell it not_." Prov. 23:23.
NOTE.-That is, buy the truth at whatever sacrifice or cost, and sell it under no consideration.
7. Does the Bible recognize what may be called "present truth"?
"Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the _present truth_." 2 Peter 1:12.
NOTE.-Some truths are applicable in all ages, and are therefore _present_ truth for every generation; others are of a special character, and are applicable to only one generation. They are none the less important, however, because of this; for upon their acceptance or rejection depends the salvation or loss of the people of that generation. Of this kind was Noah"s message of a coming flood. To the generation to whom it was preached that message was _present truth_; to later generations it has been _past truth_, and not a present, testing message. Similarly, had the first advent message of John the Baptist, of the Messiah at hand, been proclaimed in the generation either before or after John"s time, it would not have been applicable-would not have been _present truth_. The people of the generation before would not have lived to see it fulfilled, and to those living after, it would have been wrongly timed. Not so with general truths, such as love, faith, hope, repentance, obedience, justice, and mercy.
These are always in season, and of a saving nature at all times.
Present truths, however, always include all these, and hence are saving in character, and of vital importance.
8. What was the special message for Noah"s day?
"And G.o.d said unto Noah, _The end of all flesh is come_ before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, _I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopherwood._" Gen. 6:13, 14.
9. How did Noah show his faith in this message?
"_By faith Noah, being warned of G.o.d of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark_ to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith." Heb. 11:7.
10. How many were saved in the ark?
"The long-suffering of G.o.d waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, _eight souls were saved by water_." 1 Peter 3:20.
NOTE.-Doubtless many who were lost in the flood held, in a nominal way, to faith in G.o.d; but the test as to the genuineness of this came with Noah"s special message; and the difference between their faith and his was made plain when they rejected the saving truth for that time,-the warning message concerning the coming flood.
11. What special message was given to Jonah for Nineveh?
"So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.... And Jonah began to enter into the city a day"s journey, and he cried, and said, _Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown_." Jonah 3:3, 4.
12. What saved the people from the predicted overthrow?
"So the people of Nineveh _believed_ G.o.d, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the least of them.... And G.o.d saw their works, that _they turned from their evil way_; and G.o.d repented of the evil, that He had said that He would do unto them; and He did it not." Verses 5-10. See Jer. 18:7-10.
NOTE.-So likewise would G.o.d have spared the antediluvian world had they received Noah"s message, and turned from their evil ways.
13. What was the special mission of John the Baptist?
"There was a man sent from G.o.d, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, _to bear witness of the Light_, that all men through Him might believe." John 1:6, 7.
14. What answer did he return when asked concerning his mission?
"He said, _I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias_." Verse 23.
15. What did Christ say of those who rejected John"s message?
"But the Pharisees and lawyers _rejected the counsel of G.o.d against themselves_, being not baptized of him." Luke 7:30.
16. What did those do who were baptized of John?
"And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans, _justified G.o.d_, being baptized with the baptism of John." Verse 29.
NOTE.-That is, they honored G.o.d by this act, which showed their faith in His truth for that time.
17. Did G.o.d"s chosen people receive Christ when He came?
"He came unto His own, and _His own received Him not_." John 1:11.
18. What reason did they give for not receiving Him?