by Pastor Patrick Cho
After giving it a lot of careful thought, I have concluded that I do not like Brussels sprouts. If you know me or have ever eaten with me, you might think this strange because when I eat in restaurants I order Brussels sprouts all the time. I thoroughly enjoy Brussels sprout dishes served at many restaurants, but I would still contend that I do not like Brussels sprouts. How is this possible? This revelation came to me when I asked myself if I would enjoy a Brussels sprout in all its naked glory. Would I enjoy a plain Brussels sprout simply cooked without all the accompanying accoutrements? Of course not.
I realized that it is not so much the Brussels sprout that I enjoy but the butter and bacon and caramelized onions and garlic and the other ingredients used to dress a Brussels sprout and make it not only edible but even enjoyable! You must admit that with enough butter and bacon, onions and garlic, you could probably make a bike tire sound somewhat appetizing.
What does this have to do with loving the truth? The truth is everything to a believer. It is by the grace of God, which leads us to the knowledge of the truth, that a person is saved (2 Tim. 2:24-26). Without a proper understanding of the truth, one cannot know God. Jesus emphasizes our need for the truth when He tells His disciples that if they continue in His Word they will know the truth and the truth will set them free (John 8:31-32). Truth is so vital to the believer that the Apostle John equates a person’s salvation to having the truth in them (1 John 1:8; 2:4).
But as you examine Scripture, you also see that true believers not only have the truth, they love the truth, as well. This is one of the marks of saving faith, that a person loves the truth (cf. 2 Thess. 2:9-10). The psalmist gives praise to God and thanks Him for His lovingkindness and truth (Ps. 138:2). Think of how often the psalmist proclaims His love for God’s Word, which is His truth (Ps. 119:47, 48, 97, 113, 119, 127, 140, 159, 163, 167). The sad indictment given in John 3 is that Jesus came as the Light of the world, but people loved the darkness more than the Light (John 3:19).
Many Christians will say that they love the truth, but their lives portray the exact opposite. When you read some of the accounts in Scripture and question God’s good character, when you dismiss biblical principles because to you they are not realistic or practical, when you would rather heed the counsel of your own heart rather than the counsel of the Word of God, you are not loving the truth.
Seeker sensitive ministries across the globe are filling their pews by offering an attractive service – amazing music, appealing stage design, shorter sermons, compelling drama, and delightful food. People will confess their love for Jesus and yet will often stand against clear biblical principles. When they come across scriptural teaching that does not sit well with them, they justify their unbiblical positions by arguing that God must have changed or that the Bible is somehow applied differently today. In the end, people are not submitting to the truth of God but forcing the Bible to fit into their own personal belief systems and agendas. This is not loving the truth. This is going to church because you like the dressing.
One mark of spiritually mature believers is that they love to hear God’s Word preached. Spiritually immature believers place a disproportionate value on the preacher or the delivery. You might prefer some preachers over others because of their style, but do you outright refuse to listen to pastors that do not appeal to you? Or do you find yourself constantly criticizing the delivery of a sermon rather than meditating on its truth?
As believers, we need to be very careful that we do not love the dressing more than the proverbial sprout. Do you love the truth? Do you come to church because you love the Lord and want to hear His Word, or do you come to church merely for social reasons or because you simply enjoy all the frills? With the psalmist, we ought to agree that God’s Word is “more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb” (Ps. 19:10). The truth of God is everything to the believer.