Do you consider a half-truth a lie? Is partial truth enough for you or will you only accept the whole truth? In a court of law, partial truth isn’t enough. In fact, when you take the witness stand in a court of law you are asked to raise your right hand and take the following oath: “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” Half-truths hold no value.
Today some people look at scripture as a suggestion or guideline rather than a standard to live by. Jesus said “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” He Himself is truth [John 14:6]. John 1:14 says “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Therefore, Jesus is the Word and the Word is truth. The Bible is truth, period. We have to accept it’s all true or none of it is true. We can’t pick and choose which part of it is true and applicable to our lives today and what isn’t. If so, what would the standard be for making the choice? Who would determine what we take and what we throw away?
There are religions today that profess they believe in the Bible; however, they only believe their version of it, which isn’t the Bible because it has either had portions of the Word removed, doctored, or they’ve added to it. Revelation 22:18 says we aren’t to adjust the Word of God or the Lord will deal with us harshly. It isn’t a first draft that needs editing. It’s the real deal. As Charles Sineath likes to say “God said it; I believe it; that settles it!”
Galatians 1:7-8 says “I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you, and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” We aren’t to buy into the distorted versions of the Bible or the Gospel. They are only half-truths at best.
In 2 Corinthians 11:3 Paul warns believers: “I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.” We must cling to the full counsel of the Word of God and sift what we hear through it to determine if it is truth. It is the only way we can protect ourselves from the enemy’s deception.
In John 8:8:31-32 Jesus told the disciples: “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” What are you holding onto today?