BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT

SERMON 24 BUY THE TRUTH AND SELL IT NOT
       
Buy the truth and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction and understanding"-----Proverb 23:23 KJV.

The word of God is the truth that all men should seek after. Everything written in the scripture is true and the truth is centered on Jesus Christ because he is the God of the truth. This peculiar fact is obviously seen in the gospel book of John 14:6, Jesus told Thomas, "I am the way, the truth and the life"

Truth means sincerity as opposed to falsehood. In our society, truth is always bitter in the ears of unbelievers. This contributed to the reason why some people oppose the teachings of our Lord Jesus. Christ is the only way who came to draw all men to God. Through him, there is salvation and forgiveness of sin. He is the truth because he always tells us what we ought to do. His word is full of wisdom and having spiritual insights to understand the mind of our Creator.

Buy the truth:

This theological idea entails plainly what professing Christians should do. They should seek a way of knowing the truth, either by selling everything they have, or by working hard to ensure that the truth is bought. The barrister who came to Jesus requested for what he would do to inherit the Kingdom of God. When Christ answered him, You know the commandments: `Don't  commit adultery,' `Don't murder,' `Don't steal,' `Don't give  false testimony,' `Honor your father and your mother,'" the barrister uttered that he observed them even right from his childhood and Christ said to him once again, "You still  lack one thing. Sell all that you have, and distribute it to the poor. You will have treasure in heaven. Come, follow me." Luke 18:20-24. In the real sense the man came to buy the truth about the kingdom of God. He claimed that his righteousness without considering the interest of the poor is enough for him to buy the truth. He was rather asked to sell all he has to give to the poor and then follow the truth which is Jesus Christ. But this man refused and went away, which means he had not bought the truth. We can never buy the truth unless we put aside the old adamic nature in us. We can only buy the truth when we do what Christ wants us to do. The barrister would have bought the truth if he had done what Christ asked him to do.

Sell it not:

The fact about the truth could be likened to the Parable of the Hidden Treasure that a man discovered in a field. In his excitement he hid it again and sold everything he owed to get enough money to buy the field. From this parable, "the hidden treasure" is very precious and important to the man who discovered it. And for him to get this treasure, he sold everything he has to buy the field in which the treasure is hidden. The truth is likened to the treasure and the kingdom of God. For the man to discover  the hidden  treasure and hid it again, reveals the significance of the treasure which every man should persistently strive to possess and the scripture says we should buy the truth and sell it not. When this man bought the field he did not sell it again because he has finally found the truth. Truth is needed in our lives. Many people today are still looking for the Messiah, some people claim Olumba, Muhammed etc, as their Messiah but we have found the truth and that is Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith.

Today truth is kept hidden like the hidden treasure and no one is willing to discover it. No one is eager to seek for the truth and that is why no one loves telling the truth. The few Christians who say the truth are always hunted down by those who hate the truth. John the Baptist was hunted down because he spoke the truth to Herod Antipas that it is not lawful, by God's ordinance for him to marry his brother's wife and he was killed for this. Truth has gone to market, buyers have left it behind. No one cares to buy the truth, they only wants things that will satisfy the flesh. The market symbolically is the church where men of evil mind have diluted the word of God. Truth is expected to be bought in the church but it rarely be found because hardly we say the truth. There is no truth in our mouth, we betray one another, we give falsehood against our neighbours and we claim that we are Christians. No, we have sold our truth. How can a Christian be bribed to tell lies in order to cheat and deprive people of their property or land. We need to return to God. If you know where you have sold your truth, go back now to buy it back. And as we do, may God bless us, amen.