Love On: A Study Through 1 JohnSample

By Rob Nieminen

“I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth.”—1 John 2:21 (ESV)

Yesterday, we explored the idea of anointing, and how this blessing from God is available for every Christian. We also noted how we can discern truth from falsehood because of the role of the Holy Spirit’s presence and anointing in our lives.

Today, we see the apostle John continue his line of reasoning that every believer can know the truth. He wasn’t writing to convince the early Church of something they didn’t know, but rather to point out that truth and falsehood cannot peacefully coexist . . . “because no lie is of the truth.” 

In Matthew Henry’s Bible Commentary, Henry offers a simple, yet brilliant illustration: “The line which shows itself to be straight shows also what line is crooked. Truth and falsehood do not well mix and suit together. Those that are well acquainted with Christian truth are thereby well fortified against antichristian error and delusion.”

In other words, trying to mix the truth of God’s Word with worldly ideas that sound true simply doesn’t work. For example, New Age guru Deepak Chopra once said, “I teach people that no matter what the situation is, no matter how chaotic, no matter how much drama is around you, you can heal by your presence if you just stay within your center.” On the surface, that sounds good. We can be the solution to our problems if we just sit still! But there’s no substance to his claim—and where is our “center” anyway? The Bible says God is sovereign over all things (Revelation 22:13; Colossians 1:16; Isaiah 45:7), and that He is our healer who binds up our wounds (Psalm 103:2-4, 147:3; Matthew 4:23).

But what’s so wrong with borrowing ideas or “truths” from sources other than the Bible? First, they aren’t reliable. German physicist Georg C. Lichtenberg said, “Even truth needs to be clad in new garments if it is to appeal to a new age.” Do you see the danger here? If truth is subject to popular opinion and needs to be updated to fit cultural norms, then we have no solid foundation upon which to build our lives. Thankfully, God has given us His unchanging Word, which is Truth—and it is the plumb line against which we can measure all crooked ones. 

DIG: Have you ever found yourself repeating popular sayings or proverbs such as, “God helps those who help themselves”? What’s the danger in mixing these ideas with what we read in the Bible? (By the way, that one is not found in the Bible!)

DISCOVER: Do a search for the word "truth" in the  Bible. What do these verses tell you about God’s view of truth?

DO: The next time you are confronted with an idea or “truth” that sounds good on the surface, take some time to pray and search the Scriptures for God’s perspective on the matter.