p. 7 | THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH by C. L. Taylor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, Cal. · Mar 20, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 12.

"THE LOVE OF THE TRUTH."

By C. L. Taylor

THE basis of all true character, the very foundation of all divine workmanship in the lives of men, is the love of the truth. Inspiration has declared this concerning the Lord Jesus: "Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." The triumphs of truth revealed in the life of the Man of Nazareth were but the out-springings of this glorious principle.

Before entering upon His earthly work, the Son of God by prophetic tongue announced this same love of truth as the very essence of His being: "Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of Me, I delight to do Thy will, O My God; yea, Thy law is within My heart."

The absence of the love of truth is a striking characteristic of the professed Christian world. The great question, "What is truth?" has given place to this: What is convenient? This is a fulfilment of the word of the apostle which foretold a time when men would "turn away their ears from the truth." And the strange part of it is that those who do this will still continue to profess the name of Christ and think themselves the children of God. "Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity."

But how is it possible that people can come to the last day, expecting to receive the reward, and yet be so terribly disappointed? The scripture gives answer: "Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

There is a vast difference between receiving the truth and receiving the love of the truth. One may know the truth in form as did the Jews (Rom. 2:17-24), and in actual life be wholly unaffected by it.

In other words, it is entirely possible to be intellectually acquainted with truth and yet hold it down in unrighteousness, giving it no place in the affections, no opportunity to sanctify the life.

The love of the truth is the blessed gift of God to the child of faith. It is the love of God shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit. The lover of truth loves all truth, whether it come sweet or bitter, as a comforter or as a reprover. He loves truth for truth's sake—simply and solely because it is truth. It may crush all his earthly hopes and ambitions, deprive him of home and friends and business, ostracize and disfranchise him; yea, it may rob him of life itself, but he loves it just the same. "Tho He slay me, yet will I trust Him." "They loved not their lives unto the death."

The apostle Paul was a lover of the truth. The story of his labors and sufferings in the cause of truth abounds with incidents miraculous, but from first to last the story is but the outshining of this glorious principle. Speaking of bonds and afflictions, he said, "None of these things move me." And when his time came to die, he was still calm and peaceful and joyful in God, "ready to be offered." That he should be made a sacrifice was to him but a part of the truth which he loved, and therefore he counted it a matter for rejoicing. Thus it was with God's martyrs of all the ages.

The truth for to-day is most testing in character. As a part of that truth, the Sabbath of the Lord stands forth prominently. Thruout all the world, men and women and children are now having opportunity to accept or reject God's command to "remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." But tho testing it is, this truth is being joyfully received by thousands. They love it better than life. It cuts them off, perhaps, from all that was dear; it deprives them of nearly all the privileges that are counted of value; but it is truth, and truth carries within itself great reward.

Dear friend, do you love truth? In the days of the Saviour "many believed," but they did not "confess," did not take an open stand for the truth, "lest they should be put out of the synagog; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." God forbid that you should make this mistake.

The great need of the hour in which we live is that men pray most earnestly the words of the psalmist: "Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk. . . . Teach me to do Thy will." May the Author of truth, He who is the truth, discover to every needy one the blessing of truth, grant him the love of truth, sanctify him thru the truth, and thus prepare him to meet the God of truth in the day when truth finally triumphs.