Truth is a very interesting thing, yet very few people actually consider what it is or what is its value. This tract shall explain to you why truth is so important to a Christian.
Pilate asked Jesus: "What is truth?" Let me answer this question.
Truth is a quality or characteristic, which is common to every valid statement. To put it in different words: truth is that which makes something (anything) real. And making something real means causing it to exist and keeping it in existence. As this is a direct activity of God, (it is HE who keeps things in existence), truth is important IF one desires to learn about God. And what we can know about God must be true; otherwise we believe lies and/or deception. And if we do this, then our relationship with God is not real, but false.
The conclusion is this: unless we can understand, recognize, and identify truth, we can NOT be certain about what God is communicating to us.
IF man's salvation depends upon his meeting (or accepting) certain God ordained conditions, then if these conditions are not known, then they cannot be accepted. If they are not accepted, then salvation cannot be achieved. Therefore, salvation is directly connected with truth.
It is an undeniable fact that men disagree about what is true and what is not. Some truths may never be known this side of the grave. But such truths are not of interest to us in this tract. Let me simply say the obvious fact that some truths of God can be known by us. This is as a direct result of revelation.
Jesus is quite clear on this. He tells us that we will know truth, and that it will free us from sin (Jn 8:32), that we will worship in truth (Jn 4:23), that all those committed to the truth will hear HIS voice (Jn18:37), that He identified Himself with truth (Jn 14:6). The Epistles tell us that God has a plan by which all men may come to know the truth (1Tim 2:4). 1Pet 1:22 informs us that obedience to the truth purifies us. Rev 21:8 tells us that liars will not be saved. Once again we see the clear relation between truth and salvation.
There is another characteristic of truth, which should be examined. Truth MUST be unchanging. Truth can NOT change its value anymore than God can go against His own word or promise. As God is THE source of truth, once God declares something to be true, it is settled forever. Therefore, truth must be consistent, both with regard to itself and with other truths.
So far, this tract has been (I hope!) largely self-evident, and I doubt if even a Protestant would disagree with it. But truth is more than a theoretical value. The key issue is HOW does one determine the truth and HOW does one adhere to it. There are many people who claim to be "Christians," but who (formally) disagree on most issues. The very nature of truth compels us to realize that they can NOT all be correct and "true." There is, for example, no "acceptable" alternative position on abortion.
Yet Protestant groups state that these "differences" somehow really do not matter. They hold that if "church" A holds dogma A as true, while "church" B holds it to be untrue, both "churches" somehow still remain in the same "church." Yet, Jesus said "a house divided against itself" can NOT stand. The Protestant simply does not hold that truth is of any importance. To the Protestant truth is not worth the risk of offending another person. So everything becomes "true" depending upon the feelings and whims of the individual, or what is most profitable at collection time. To the Protestant it is not necessary to worship God in the unity of truth...despite Jesus' words. St. Paul informs us (Eph 4:5), that the true followers of Christ will have ONE faith, and that we must speak the truth to one another (4:25). Yet, the Protestant ignores these words also. But why should he pay any heed to them? The entire "faith" of the Protestant is based upon the position that truth does not matter. For if it did, then, as we Catholics do, they would DEMAND that others (who claim to be "Christians") MUST believe exactly what we do, and accept the authority of the Church exactly as we do, to be saved.
But they do not...because, to them, truth has no value.
But should all "Christians" agree? Sometimes men are misled, aren't they? St. James tells us that wisdom (which means knowing truth) will be given to ANYONE who asks for it with sincerity (James 1:5-7). And, as I mentioned before, Jesus tells us that EVERYONE committed to truth will hear HIS voice. So if anyone and everyone may learn truth, then there is no excuse for failing to learn it. But still the Protestant states that it does not matter if various people disagree on basic points of religious belief.
But the Bible itself teaches more on this subject. It is not mere human opinion, nor the Bible, that will defend, preserve, and sustain the truth of God for man. No, it is the Church (1Tim 3:15). But which Church?
The answer is simple: as truth is consistent, the true Church is the one, which does NOT change its doctrines and teachings. ONLY the Catholic Church has this characteristic. As truth is essential for salvation, the true Church must hold that the correct faith is necessary for salvation. The Catholic Church alone holds this. As St. Paul wrote of it as the pillar of truth, it must exist now and have existed then. Again, it is the Catholic Church. In conclusion, if truth mattered so much to Jesus, St. Paul, St. James, St. John, etc., then IF YOU are a Christian, THEN it must matter to you also...which means that you will become or remain a faithful, loyal submissive Catholic. For it is this Church, which teaches, preserves, and protects God's truth so that man may learn it and be saved (2Tim 2:4). So this is THE Church of God.
There isn't any other choice - not for a Christian.
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