We invite you to explore the rich teachings from the International Gospel Hour as we revisit Mike Bestel’s compelling article, ‘Whatever Happened to Truth?’ Uncover the critical difference between relativism and biblical truth, and how standing firm on the latter can guide your life with integrity and conviction. Don’t miss the insights on why truth is a priceless commodity that should never be sold.
Buy the truth and sell it not were words of old that are valid today. Let’s talk real truth today from the International Gospel Hour. Stay right here.
SPEAKER 01 :
Hi, this is Jay Webb for International Gospel Hour.
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For 90 years, churches of Christ have proclaimed God’s word through International Gospel Hour. You were about to listen to another Bible-based lesson with Jeff Archie of International Gospel Hour, starting now.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, greetings, everyone. Thank you once again for being with us here from our International Gospel Hour broadcast, from here from the International Gospel Hour studio. We’re honored that you’ve joined us as we study the Word of God together. We appreciate our Jay Webb, and you’ll hear from Jay throughout our broadcast, and we’re grateful for his work as our announcer. Friends, we want to mention quickly as we begin our YouTube channel. If you’d like to view International Gospel Hour, then we are available throughout the world via YouTube. Just go to YouTube, type in International Gospel Hour. It will take you to our page, and you can see our videos and all the studies that we do there via television. That’s the YouTube channel, International Gospel Hour. Friends, we’re going to reach back for our special article broadcast today. And we’re going to focus on real truth. The truth which we can know, John 8, 32. And the truth that sanctifies, John 17 and verse 17. Now, we’re going to return in a moment to study a couple of good articles together from days gone by. And since this is our special article broadcast, how about a free publication from International Gospel Hour? For more details, here is our Jay Webb.
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Our free publication today is Reason and Revelation, a monthly journal courtesy of our friends at apologeticspress.org. International Gospel Hour has secured a limited supply of this awesome publication of apologetics well proven over 40 years. Get your free copy today by calling toll-free at 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Reason. That’s it. Again, that’s 855-444-6988. Leave your name and address and just say, Reason. You can also send your request through our website at internationalgospelhour.com. Click on the Contact tab and leave us your name and address and put Reason in the message box. We will send you a copy. Again, we have a limited supply, so get yours now.
SPEAKER 03 :
Now, friends, from the publication Power, from 2001, Whatever Happened to Truth, by Mike Bestel. As far as much of society is concerned, truth has been placed on life support, and few seem to care. The idea that truth is real, that it is objective and absolute, is an absolutely archaic idea in a world where, philosophically speaking, negativism or relativism rules. And the people of God have not been immune to this problem. Many Christians are scurrying for cover as they struggle to be true to the truth of God’s Word. They want to take truth seriously, to live it faithfully, and to express it articulately to others, but the world seems to be making that more and more difficult. Christians are constantly bombarded by a worldview that says things like, Christianity is true for you, but not for me. Everything is relative, and who are you to be so judgmental and intolerant? Don’t you know you can do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anybody? Christianity is just one path among many to God, and the underlying assumption of statements like these are indeed a world away, this one and the next, from the view contained in Scripture, John 8, 32, John 17, 17, 1 Thessalonians 2, 13 and 14, and Acts 4 and verse 12. Christians may be tempted to embrace relativism, But to do so is to be caught in the crossfire of what men think and what God’s truth actually is. Hear the word of God on this matter. Buy the truth and do not sell it. Also wisdom and instruction and understanding. Proverbs 23, 23. Throughout the Bible there is an emphasis on the fact that truth is real and universal in its scope. Truth is true even if the majority do not know it. Truth is true even if it is not popular or admitted. Truth is true even if you agree as to what it is. Exodus 23 verse 2 and Matthew 7, 13 and 14. Truth is true even if a few follow it. John 14 verse 6, Hebrews 5, 8 and 9. Truth is true even if no one but God grasped it fully. Notice that Proverbs 23, 23 deals with a commodity, an acquisition, and a prohibition. First of all, here is the commodity, the truth. There are other choices out there on the market, but the commodity desired is truth. As relativism has increasingly become the norm of our culture, fact and fault have increasingly diminished. Most institutions of higher learning, the media, and many politicians obviously embrace the belief that universal objective truth number one does not exist or number two cannot be known. By denying the existence of any ultimate authority or standard, relativism implies that the pursuit of truth is an exercise in futility. Everything or almost everything falls into the gray area of opinion. It is highly significant that 2 Thessalonians 2.11 speaks of people being condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Truth is a commodity that is not to be mocked or taken lightly. And truth is to be found in God and His inspired word, Numbers 23.19, Romans 3.4, 2 Timothy 3.16-17. Now, the acquisition. By the truth. Jesus on one occasion spoke of the kingdom of heaven being like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and hid, and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Matthew 13, 44. We use similar terminology today when we say, I just don’t buy it, or he sold me a bill of goods. So, truth is to be bought. We are to buy what is truly the truth because there are many counterfeits, 1 John 4, 1 and 1 Thessalonians 5, 21. We are to buy only truth because Satan is a master at mixing truth and lies, John 8, 44. We are to buy the truth at any price because it is to be prized and valued. Truth is precious, practical and useful, both now and forever. Truth is to be bought now. So many people seem to have good intentions, but the someday of doing what is right never comes along. And now the prohibition. Do not sell it. Truth is an investment that is not to be sold under any circumstances. A person cannot love God without loving truth, since he is the very embodiment of truth. John 14, 6 and Hebrews 6, 18 and 19. Truth is to be bought at any price, but to be sold at no price. Some sell out truth for financial gain, others for respectability for fame or position. Others sell out truth in order to please family and friends, while some sell out truth simply because sin gave them temporary pleasure. Hebrews 11, 24 and 25. The cost of truth may be great, but to sell it is to cheapen and diminish its eternal value. To speak of the value of truth is not to speak the language of arrogance or isolation. It is to speak the priority of integrity and intelligent conviction. There must be a standard that is authoritative and true. There is something within men that desires such, even though many dismiss and disparage it. To the relativist, everything is relative. That is, everything except the universal truth that is, everything is relative. Go figure the reasoning on this. But further, the relativist is unwilling to… Relativize his relativism. They claim to be very tolerant, but many relativists are amazingly intolerant and inconsistent when people do not buy into the everything is relative philosophy. But why aren’t they? If what is true is true only for you, then I see no reason why it has to be true for me. Friends, I’ve got to pause and comment on this article. This is from the publication, Power, of November 2001. Reading and looking back over, as of now, 23 years of history from this writing, did I mention things that you’re thinking, man, that’s the world today. Friends, I submit to you, it was going to seed as the old saying goes then. When it goes to seed, regrettably, it can be sown. I want to spend a little more time with this when we come back from our brief break. And I had mentioned to you about our YouTube channel. But I want to share with you some work from our friends at the World Video Bible School. Here is our J-Web. And I’ll be back to wrap up our broadcast.
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Streaming television content is quickly growing, and with that said, check out our friends at World Video Bible School. Their website is wvbs.org. Between listening to us here at International Gospel Hour, check out over 2,400 videos and get this, enroll in their online school and work at your own pace absolutely free. That’s wvbs.org. Again, that’s wvbs.org.
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Folks, my plan today to share a second article with you will not be able to address that, because the wonderful article, Whatever Happened to Truth by Mike Vestal, has taken the time in a great study variant of Proverbs 23, 23. As we have shared with you content that you can stream and things that you can watch and our free publication offer of Reason and Revelation, don’t forget that you can always receive our Bible study course by mail. If you’ll call us at 855-444-6988, leave your name and the address and just say Home Study, we will send that Bible study course to you. It’s by mail, it’s free, and it’s available to everyone. Again, that’s 855-444-6988. Leave your name, address, and just say Home Study, and we’ll send it right away. Friends, we will stand for truth. That is God’s Word here from International Gospel Hour. And we’ll continue our studies and search at another time. Thank you for joining me today on the International Gospel Hour. I’m Jeff Archie, and friends, keep listening.
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Thank you for listening to our broadcast today. To God goes all the glory, and we hope that our study today will draw you closer to His Word to walk in His way. To listen to it again, or our other broadcasts, please visit our website at internationalgospelhour.com.
