Jesus Christ is the way and the truth and the life. (John 14:6) The Holy Spirit, who comes in His name, bringing His own personal experience, is "the Spirit of truth." (John 14:17)
Not simply a truth, but the Spirit of it. That which sanctifies through the Spirit is the Word of God, which is truth. Only truth can sanctify; error cannot. "No lie is of the truth." (1 John 2:21)
Christ, the truth, is the life. Truth therefore is life; a lie is death. And everything that deviates from the character of Christ is a lie.
The truth sanctifies, and therefore saves. But the holding of no creed or articles of faith, however true, can ever save anybody. For no creed that men can formulate can possibly embrace all the truth. Therefore no man can be sanctified and saved merely through the holding of certain truths.
God does not save men as a reward for their acceptance of certain statements of truth; salvation is the inevitable result of receiving and being permeated and transformed by the truth, the whole truth; for that which is true is eternal. Not a few true things, but the Spirit of truth, received in the love of the truth, can save. "[God] desires truth in the inward parts." (Psalm 51:6)
It is not necessary that one should know all the things that are true, that is, all facts, before he can be said to know the truth. If it were, none could be saved, for eternity will be spent in discovering new facts. But, on the contrary, it is by the knowledge of the truth that we are able to distinguish facts from fancies. Only he who really knows the truth, cannot be deceived. "And we know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus. Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life." (1 John 5:20)
This is real life. "The Spirit of truth" (John 14:17) "is life because of righteousness." (Romans 8:10)
From all this we can see the importance of not simply having, but being, the truth. We must not only have the truth, but we must have no lie. "Speaking the truth in love," (Ephesians 4:15) this is the only way to make real growth in Christ. We must know that whatever we say is the truth. "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God." (1 Peter 4:11)
On this basis it is easy to see how gossiping, and the repetition of tales which one hears, cannot possibly be in harmony with truth. Many people who would he shocked at the thought of telling a lie, will carelessly repeat things that they hear about others, and which they cannot know are true.
Now whoever tells what he does not absolutely know to be true, thereby shows that he does not fear to tell a lie. It is not enough to say that we did not know a certain thing which we told was not true; we must know that it is true, or we must keep silent. Of course "speaking the truth in love" means refraining from repeating many things which we know to be true. "And now, little children, abide in Him; that when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming." (1 John 2:28)
God requires good works in His people. He wants to have "a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Titus 2:14)
And He desires it so much that He gave himself for us that the object might be accomplished. When God, who calls those things that be not as though they were, gives himself to make us zealous of good works, it is certain that the good works thus secured will be worthy of Him. In other words, God's own works will appear in those whom He redeems from all iniquity. The only way that this can be is for God himself to dwell in men, and work in them to will and to do. "[He] gave himself for us." (Titus 2:14) "We are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works." (Ephesians 2:10)
We are His workmanship by faith. When we cease from our own works and stop all boasting, and confess that: "It is He that has made us, and not we ourselves," (Psalm 100:3) we leave the way open for the Lord to display His own infinite workmanship. We simply show forth His excellencies. Whoever thus commits His way entirely to the Lord may rest in the knowledge that all is well. The good works which will be required of him in the Judgment, when God, without respect of persons, will judge according to every man's work, are already prepared. Indeed, they are finished; for the works of God were finished from the foundation of the world. We were then created in Christ Jesus, and when we acknowledge this, we know that His works are ours. "Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ." (Philippians 1:11)
The man who enters into this rest does not live a life of idleness. He is filled with fruit. He can enter confidently upon tasks which the most ambitious would judge beyond their powers, because he knows that, although the work may seem to call for more of ability and endurance than he has ever displayed in the past, it is not impossible of accomplishment, but is already prepared for him to walk in. He does not know how the work will turn out, but he walks in it, and step by step he finds the task accomplished, until when he gets to the end, he sees the completed work. He knows that He has not done it, and so does not glory in himself. He can only thank God for this fresh answer to the prayer, "Let your work appear unto your servants." (Psalm 90:16)
So the Christian life is made up. There is no fear of the hour of judgment, for those who live by faith are just. This is why the Gospel calls on men to glorify God, "for the hour of His judgment is come," (Revelation 14:7) and worship the Maker of all things. To give glory to God by allowing Him to reveal His creative power in us, and confessing that it is to Him alone we owe the works thus wrought, is the preparation needed for the hour of His judgment. The rest to which God calls us is so perfect that it is not disturbed by the anticipation of the most searching judgment. "You are complete in Him." (Colossians 2:10)
The perfect love which is shed abroad in our hearts, fulfilling the law, casts out all fear. (1 John 4:18)--Present Truth, December 29, 1898--Original title: Back Page.