2nd Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
This passage of scripture contains a strong warning against the habit of choosing error over truth because it may be popular or convenient to do so. The truth is the truth, and should be accepted on its own terms, without any man-made additions, subtractions, modifications, or interpretations. This is what God has stated several times in His word, and as His earth-born children, we should espouse His commands on this matter. Let's read:
Deuteronomy 12:28 Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God.32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.
Praise minus obedience is equal to flattery, a common problem in Christendom today, where millions have come to regard God as a sort of Santa claus. The gifts and material blessings of God are eagerly sought by many, while the laws He has given us for our own good sit idly on the back burner, and as a result, we now have a situation where worship to God focuses heavily on praise, while obedience to His word takes a back-seat. This is the condition that the Hebrews had descended into, which sadly is being repeated in our day. Let's read:
Psalms 78:36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. 37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.
When the truths of God's word are presented to us, we should be willing to accept them for what they are, and be ready to surrender our own ideas and concepts if they are not in harmony with what is written. It is important for us to understand that not everything which God has commanded we might understand or agree with, yet in deference to Him as our Maker and Redeemer, we should be willing to follow where He leads the way.
One of the reasons why we should always cultivate a love of the truth is because it sets us free, whereas erroneous teaching tend to bring great spiritual darkness upon our minds. Any one who loves the truth for what it is, will accept Jesus as Lord and Savior, for He is the way, the truth, and the life. Let's read:
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 14:5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? 6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
A striking example of how the love of the truth works in a practical way, was displayed when Christ communed with the woman at the well. After offering her eternal life, to which she responded gladly, He then asked her to go call her husband, even though he knew this would be a sore point for her, since she had been married five times, and the man she was currently living with was not her husband. Yet because of her sincerity and love of the truth, she put aside her pride and her personal feelings, and acceded to what Jesus was saying. She then left her water-pots and brought out the entire city to see Jesus.
In our day there are millions of excuses that are offered for not obeying and accepting the truths that are especially pertinent to our times. For fear of ridicule, or because it will call for sacrifice, and a renouncing of previous ideas and practices, many people prefer to hear "Smooth things" that will not arouse conscience, nor call to repentance, and as a result, many televangelists have watered down the truth in order to please the sin-loving multitudes of our time. Some of the vices now condoned and and perpetuated by members of the clergy would cause the apostles to turn in their graves, for there exists great spiritual and moral darkness in the churches now professing Christ.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages us to lay aside the false teachings of modern Babylon, and return to the plain unadulterated truths of the scriptures, for it's only in doing so that Christ can make us free from sin and its penalty. Let's read:
Revelation18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
May we now begin to heed the call, for the time is at hand. God bless!