The Naked Truth

Pastor Pruitt

Sunday, October 31, 2021

 

 

Scripture Ref. II Thessalonians 2:9-12 NKJV

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

 

Introduction (Allegorical tale)

One day a man named Truth and a man named Lie stood by a river just outside of town. They were twin brothers. Lie challenged Truth to a race, claiming he could swim across the river faster than Truth. Lie laid out the rules to the challenge stating that they both must remove all their clothes and at the count of 3, dive into the freezing cold-water swim to the other side and back. Lie counted to 3, but when Truth jumped in, lie did not. As Truth swam across the river, Lie put on Truth’s clothes and walked back into town dressed as Truth. He proudly paraded around town pretending to be Truth. Truth made it back to shore, but his clothes were gone, and he was left naked with only Lie’s clothes to wear. Refusing to dress himself as Lie, Truth walked back to town naked. People stared and glared as naked Truth walked through town. He tried to explain what happened and that he was in fact Truth, but because he was naked and uncomfortable to look at, people mocked and shunned him; refusing to believe he was really Truth. The people in town chose to believe Lie because he was dressed appropriately and easier to look at. From that day until this, people have come to believe a well-dressed lie rather than believe a naked truth.

 

If you remember our opening text stated, the ones who will perish will be the ones who “received not” the love of the truth. I have sometimes wondered why some people don’t love the truth. So, let’s look at some scriptural evidence as to why men don’t love truth.

 

Truth is not Loved because:

 

1)   It reveals what’s hidden.   If you recall in my opening allegory truth walked into town naked because he refused to be dressed as a lie. By doing so he revealed all that his twin brother lie was always covering up. And that is the same reason truth will never be loved by those living in darkness or the world.

 

There is a biblical synonym for truth which is called light. Light and truth are synonymous terms. And like truth, light reveals! In fact, light is the is the agent by which truth reveals. And this is the reason those who practice sin love darkness because light will reveal the truth of their sins!

 

John 3:19-21 NKJV

“And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.””

 

2)    It Requires a Choice. 

Most of us enjoy the “status quo”. Nothing to push on us or invade our comfort zone. We are happy to drift down the stream of life as it were without having to encounter the stronger currents pushing against us. We can live in a pretend world of make-believe deceiving ourselves and others into believing all is well and I don’t need anything or anybody.

 

But then truth comes along and holds the mirror of reality right to your face requiring you to make a choice. To believe or not to believe. To accept or deny. Making those choices many times are difficult and usually uncomfortable. So, we just rather not face the naked truth that we are sinners, lost without God, and doomed to an eternity of outer darkness.

 

When truth comes along you are going to have to decide if you are going to keep doing your own thing, or allow Jesus to become Lord of your life. Truth will require that! When Jesus came the first time he made the Pharisees face the name truth of who they really were. And the truth made them so uncomfortable they chose to reject him and turn their backs.

 

John 15:22 NKJV

“If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.”

 

If truth is anything, truth is fare. Truth will give you a chance to face him, but when you do, you will be required to make a choice. And that choice will determine your eternal destination!

 

James 4:17 NKJV

“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

 

Truth demands a choice. And the choice is yours. 

 

Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”