2 Corinthians 4:1 - 2 “Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; (2) But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”
As our world remains to get worse and worse, as the deceivers
continue to deceive even the deceivers, churches and Christians must standfast in
the truth. God has put the gospel and the Truth of His Word in our hands to
hand down to the next generation, we cannot fail in our trusted job of keeping
it pure. God said in Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth, and sell it not; also
wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.” The word “buy” means - to
erect, that is, create and by implication to own it – You cannot rightly
worship God if your worship is not in Truth, “God is a Spirit: and they that
worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 The word of
God is without question Truth, just as God is Truth, just as Jesus is Truth,
God’s word is also Truth. Paul here is talking about since God has been merciful
and gracious to us, we must not faint when it comes to the Truth of His Word.
We as Ministers and Churches must look at what God has called us to, a glorious
ministry that brings people life, salvation, and righteousness; a ministry that
is able to totally change people’s lives. The one single true gospel saves
sinners, only the true gospel has that power because the Holy Spirit uses that
true gospel in salvation. God said, “For after that in the wisdom of God the
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to
save them that believe.” 1 Corinthians 1:21 That is the preaching of the true
gospel, no other version will God use to save sinners, because there is only
one. Many false teachers today claim to base their gospel message on the Word
of God, but false teachers handle God’s Word in deceptive ways. They lie about
God’s true Gospel as it is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3 & 4 “For I
delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ
died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and
that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:” anything
else is deception. The deceivers and false teachers handle God’s Word in misleading ways. You
can prove anything by the Bible, by twisting of the scriptures out of context
and rejecting the Truth of the Word. The Bible is a book of God’s literal words,
while it has been interpreted into English and many other languages, while there
were additions in italic,
it is still pure and cannot be changed. The deceivers of that day and of our
day were/are guilty of twisting the Scriptures to fit their own preconceived
interpretations, which is false. So, we ask, how is it that people will believe
the lie of deceivers over the truth of God’s proclaimers? Why are the false
teachers so successful in winning people’s hearts? It is because the mind of
the lost sinner is blinded by Satan, and fallen man finds it easier to believe
lies than to believe truth. Lies become truth to them because they are blinded
sinners and have no comprehension of biblical truth. God said, “But if our
gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: (4) In whom the god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
2 Corinthians 4:3 – 4 Not just the gospel, but the entire word of truth called
the bible. The bible is a manifestation which means it is revealed by the Holy
Spirit, people don’t understand the bible naturally, not even if their the smartest
among us. If there is no living spirit in a person then they are dead, and God
said, they are “spiritually discerned” 1 Corinthians 2:13 – 14 “Which things
also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy
Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual. (14) But the natural
man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness
unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”
Which means they are - non-physically, that is, divinely – spiritual – to make
sense of the truth. Therefore, it is our job as Christians and churches to keep
the truth real, honest, and strong. If we fall from the truth, then who will teach
the truth? When God said in Proverbs 23:23 “Buy the truth, and sell it not…”
He told us to own the truth and never surrender it, never ever! Listen very
closely to God: "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss
for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of
all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in
him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is
through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I
may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his
sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 3:11 If by any means I might attain unto the
resurrection of the dead." Philippians 3:7 - 11
