Four Attitudes Toward Truth

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Text: 1 Kings 22

John Dryden: “Truth is the foundation of all knowledge and

the cement of all societies.”

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We Need the Truth

• The Truth Is Indispensable to Our Relationship with God and Man. – Proverbs 3:3-4—Let not mercy and truth forsake

you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart, And so find favor and high esteem in the sight of God and man.• Psalm 119:151—“Thou art near, O Lord,

and all Thy commandments are truth.”

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We Need the Truth

• Nothing can take the place of truth. Everything should be done to secure and safeguard the truth. – Proverbs 23:23— Buy the truth, and

do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

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We Need the Truth (James 1:18)

• We should be thankful that God has made the indispensable truth available and knowable today. – The truth is available.• Psalm 119:151; John 17:17

– The truth is knowable.• 1 Timothy 2:3-4; Eph. 5:17

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We Need the Truth

• Because the Truth Is Indispensable the Man of God Is to Live By the Truth.– He will upon Jehovah in truth. (Psalm 145:18) – He will serve Jehovah in truth. (Joshua 24:14) – He will walk in truth. (1 Kings 2:4) – He will worship God in truth. (John 4:23-24)

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We Need the Whole Truth

• Those who do not love the truth will be led away in apostasy. – 2 Thess. 2:10

• The key to spiritual survival is to love all the truth.

• The Holy Spirit delivered all the truth to the apostles. – John 16:13

• Those pleasing to God will cling to all that God has delivered. – James 2:10; Matthew 28:19-20

• Those who do not love the truth will be led away in apostasy. – 2 Thess. 2:10

• The key to spiritual survival is to love all the truth.

• The Holy Spirit delivered all the truth to the apostles. – John 16:13

• Those pleasing to God will cling to all that God has delivered. – James 2:10; Matthew 28:19-20

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We Need Nothing But the Truth

• In truth there is just one Gospel.– Gal. 1:6-9

• We cannot add to or take away from the truth.– 1 Cor. 4:6; Rev. 22:17-18;

• Therefore we need the truth.• John 8:32—“And you shall know the truth, and the truth

shall make you free.” • John 14:6—Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the

truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

• In truth there is just one Gospel.– Gal. 1:6-9

• We cannot add to or take away from the truth.– 1 Cor. 4:6; Rev. 22:17-18;

• Therefore we need the truth.• John 8:32—“And you shall know the truth, and the truth

shall make you free.” • John 14:6—Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the

truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.”

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John Locke—“to love the truth for truth’s sake is the principal part of human perfection in

this world, and the seed-plot of all other virtues.”

WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARD

THE TRUTH?

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FOUR ATTITUDES TOWARD TRUTH

• AHAB HATED THE TRUTH– Five things that indicate Ahab hated the truth.

• Ahab already decided what he would do before consulting the truth. (1 Kings 22:3)

• Ahab gathered “prophets” who would tell him what he wanted to hear. (1 Kings 22:6)

• Ahab did not consult the true prophet of God because he did not want to hear what Micaiah had to say. (1 Kings 22:8)

• When Ahab heard the truth, he rejected the message. (1 Kings 22:14-18)

• When Ahab did not like the message he punished the messenger. (1 Kings 22:26-27)

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Are We Like Ahab?

• Do we decide what we want to do before consulting the truth?

• Do we look until we find a preacher who will approve what we desire to do?

• Do we refuse to listen to anyone who instructs us contrary to our desires?

• If the truth is presented do we reject it?• If we don’t like the message do we slay the

messenger?

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Four Attitudes Toward the Truth

• THE PROPHETS PERVERTED THE TRUTH.– Two Ways that the Prophets Perverted the Truth:• The prophets were willing to tell the king what they

wanted him to hear. (1 Kings 22:6, 11-12)• The messenger who was summons to retrieve Micaiah

plead with him to confirm the words of the other prophets. (1 Kings 22:13)

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Application:

• Do we have the backbone to declare the truth when majority thinks otherwise?

• Do we have the backbone to declare the truth when we know it will not be received well?

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Four Attitudes Toward Truth• JEHOSHAPHAT WANTED THE TRUTH ON HIS

SIDE.– Jehoshaphat did want to consult and consider the

truth. (1 Kings 22:5, 7)– Jehoshaphat was only interested in the truth if it

supported what he already decided to do. (1 Kings 22:4)

– When it is confirmed that Micaiah spoke the truth (vv. 17-24) Jehoshaphat went into battle anyway. (vv. 29 ff)

• JEHOSHAPHAT WANTED THE TRUTH ON HIS SIDE.– Jehoshaphat did want to consult and consider the

truth. (1 Kings 22:5, 7)– Jehoshaphat was only interested in the truth if it

supported what he already decided to do. (1 Kings 22:4)

– When it is confirmed that Micaiah spoke the truth (vv. 17-24) Jehoshaphat went into battle anyway. (vv. 29 ff)

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Application:

• Do we over look God’s laws on marriage, divorce and remarriage when they apply to us or our children?

• Do we use to be to prove what we want it to say?

• Do we go to God’s word to commend our actions or to read what we find?

• When Mark Twain was found reading his Bible. He declared he was looking for loopholes.

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Four Attitudes Toward the Truth

• MICAIAH WANTED TO BE ON THE SIDE OF TRUTH. – Richard Whately: “It is one thing to wish to have

truth on our side, and another to wish sincerely to be on the side of the truth.”

– Micaiah loved the truth because he was willing to declare it at great personal cost.

– Micaiah spoke the truth even though being personally insulted. (v.24)

– Micaiah spoke the truth even when it meant imprisonment. (v. 26-27)

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R.L. Whiteside: “Much is said about preaching the truth in love, and so it should be preached. But in love of what? The preacher should so love the truth that he will not sacrifice any of it nor pervert it, and he should so love people that he will not withhold from even an unpleasant truth. He that does either of these things loves neither the truth nor the people. We frequently fool ourselves; we think we do this and so spare the feelings of others, when it is our own feelings that prompt us. “Preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”

What Is Your Attitude Toward the Truth?

• Are you like Ahab, who hated the truth?• Are you like the prophets, who perverted the

truth?• Are you like Jehoshaphat, who wanted the

truth on his side?• Are you like Micaiah, who wanted to be on

the side of truth?

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Bill Crews: If you are my friend, if you are concerned about my soul, give me the truth. Do not flatter me. Do not praise my virtues while

remaining silent about my vices. Do not fear that the truth will offend me. Do not treasure our friendship, our friendly relations, above my salvation. Do not think that by ignoring my sins you can help me. Do not think that being blind to my sins will prove yourself charitable. However I may react to it, whatever may be my attitude toward you after you have done it, give me the truth. For the truth, and only the

truth, can make me free from the shackles of sin (John 8:32), strengthen me in the pathway of righteousness and lead me to the joys of heaven. If I am wavering, weak, lukewarm, indifferent, neglectful; if I have been

overtaken in a trespass; if I have left my first love; if I have been led astray by error; or if I have done none of these, but simply need to grow

in knowledge and be edified, GIVE ME THE TRUTH!

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