There Is Either Truth or Consequences  

Many of us were saddened to hear of the recent death of iconic TV host Bob Barker. Most people remember him solely from his longtime duties on the game show The Price Is Right. However, a few of us are old enough to recall his roles in previous programs. One of those was entitled Truth or Consequences. I can’t tell you much at all about the show. All I remember is that as a youngster I enjoyed watching it regularly, and part of that pleasure was due to its congenial host.

The title of that show brings up an issue that we would do well to remember in our day. There is truth. And if we refuse to believe it, receive it, and live according to it, there will be consequences for us to face. The truth is found in Jesus, who declared that He was the truth (John 14:6), as well as in the entirety of God’s word which is also clearly stated to be the truth (John 17:17; Psalm 119:160).

God plainly confronted the people of Israel with this principle about truth and the consequences of ignoring it. He promised them blessings if they chose to accept the truth He had revealed to them and live in obedience to it. At the same time, He warned them that there would be severe repercussions if they turned away from the truth and decided to disobey His commandments. The Old Testament provides a history of how that promise was proven true again and again. That principle also carries over into the New Testament. Those who receive Jesus and the truth are blessed with eternal life. Those who reject Him and the truth are condemned. Yes, a loving God does condemn sin. Out of His love and grace, He has made a way for us to avoid the consequences, but again we must believe and receive the truth in order to experience His gracious deliverance.

  Individuals and our society as a whole today are having to deal with the consequences of rejecting the truth. People wonder why they are so unhappy, angry, and unfulfilled. They don’t understand why their lives are in such a mess. Likewise, our society seeks answers to the growing problems we are facing today, such as violence, lawlessness, and the various outcroppings of hatred. The roots of many of our personal and societal ills can be traced back to the simple fact that we have chosen to snub the truth. In some cases, we deny truth in general or we make it totally subjective by referring to “your truth” or “my truth” instead of “the truth”. In other cases, people have flatly rejected some of the specific truths God has revealed, or they reinterpret His words in order to make them fit their own views.

There are ministers today who need to be reminded that there are consequences to rejecting the truth of God’s Word. They deceive people with their mishandling of the scriptures while accusing those who adhere to its clear teachings as the ones who are twisting its message. The Bible indicates that those who are in such positions of leadership who lead others astray through their deceptive teachings will have to face greater condemnatory consequences than others. That fact shouldn’t be declared with a self-righteous smile on our faces but rather with a mournful tear in our eye. We should be prayerfully burdened for individuals, for our society, for our nation, and for a church and its ministers who have turned away from the truth.

Let’s be committed to the truth – the truth revealed in Jesus and in the whole of scripture. If we ignore it or reject it, there will be consequences, even more than there already are.