Purchase Power ~ Proverbs 23

“Buy truth and do not sell it…” Proverbs 23:23a ESV

              Say that you are itching for the shiny sports car of your dreams.  So, you visit the local dealership of your favorite automobile brand.  You briefly peruse the vehicles outside and then make your way into the glass-enclosed showroom, it calling you to come and see what treasures lay inside.  And it is there you behold the eye candy of the best and the flashiest.  In the center of that showroom, surrounded by shining metal, there she sits, your dream car.  Adorned in candy apple red metallic paint, she glitters like a cut diamond under the well positioned lights.  You slowly walk its perimeter, she speaks to you of speed, control, and engineering prowess.  And what do you do?  You walk back outside and buy a dull, boring, gray 4 door sedan that you don’t even want.  What?  What is the point of this ironic outcome?  We buy what we like.  We purchase what we eagerly desire.  We are only willing to part with our hard-earned dollars to secure something that we see great benefit in, and ultimately, benefits us greatly.  Yes, what we buy, in a way, defines what we truly value.

              Ok, here’s another contrasting scenario.  You inherit your dad’s classic 1969 muscle car.  Within the curving muscular lines of the hood, you see not beauty formed in metal, but the many weekends that you and your dad spent under that hood, tinkering, upgrading, and modifying to get an ounce more power.  Within the simple, black bucket seats, you see not the supple leather, but the long Sunday drives down the curvy back roads of your hometown, the conversation running from shallow to deep as you simply enjoyed your dad.  Yes, that car that sits in your garage speaks in more ways than just through its throaty, deep exhaust note, it speaks of treasured memories that are no longer within your reach.  And what do you do with that cherished piece of metal?  You sell it to a random stranger for $100.  What?  Come on, you would never sell something you cherish, treasure, and prize.

              Our two examples above make a rather obvious point.  We buy what we desire, and we keep what we treasure.  We are not quick to buy something that we see little value in, just as we are not likely to sell something that we see great value in.  And friends, right here in the 23^rd chapter of Proverbs, King Solomon hits us with an uppercut that really puts this idea where it belongs.  Not among the buying and selling of physical items…but the very truth of Almighty God.

              Truth is a fantastically popular topic in our world today.  And within those countless popular discussions of it, the truth is flippantly tossed about, beanbags of falsehoods and self-generated perceptions, the idea of truth played with as if a kid’s ball.  For example, the world tells us you can have your own truth, a truth that is 100% personal, generated alone by your thoughts, desires, and level of understanding.  You can also have religious truth, that is, whatever said man-made religion chooses to pander to you is your truth.  You can also have worldly truth, being whatever movies, commercials, politicians, pop media, and the news of the day defines as truth is what you are ready to hold close and take to the bank.  But the irony of genuine, authentic truth, is that if more than one truth exists, then no truth can exist at all.  For if many truths exist, none can be true.  And in the midst of this cacophony of truths that are promoted to us, each one declaring to be genuine, we must personally search and find the one and only genuine truth.  Folks, we humans have a difficult task.

              I would say the bulk of my job as an international missionary is just this…helping people in their search for the truth.  And the easiest part of that task is encountering people that are searching.  It is rare to engage someone in a spiritual conversation without having these words soon arise, “I am searching”, “I am looking for something”, or “I am looking for answers.”  Yes, since we are built in the image of God, our DNA is on an instinctive search for God and His truth about our existence and purpose.  And regardless of what the world will tell you, there is only one truth.  A truth created by God, issued by God, distributed by God, and protected by God.

              For me, my journey searching for that one genuine truth culminated in 1994 when I encountered the Word of God.  And praise be to God, His Holy Spirit met me in that moment and the two things necessary to see a soul redeemed from its sin manifested in my heart…the Word of God and the Spirit of God.  And just what verse called me to buy God’s truth, make it my own, and never sell it?  John 14:6, “Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.”  As my heart stood before this verse, it called to me to make a purchasing decision.  Was I willing to buy, in faith, that Jesus is who He says He is, the Son of God that came to this planet to die and be resurrected to conquer the death of sin forever…or would I reject God’s truth and refuse to buy it?  And friends, every single person on this planet has this very same decision before them.  But we only buy what we eagerly desire and the truth of who Jesus Christ is, for many, is simply unappealing.  Every whit and whim of this world competes with their purchase of God’s truth by offering them an appealing alternative.  A false truth that allows pride, ego, and ultimately personal sin, to politely exist along with their personally chosen truth.

              If you have found the One that calls Himself the truth, Jesus Christ, and then called on Him in faith as your personal Lord and Savior, you have bought something beyond priceless.  Don’t sell it.  This seems rather obvious, but there is an evil one in this world that will not stop coaxing you into selling the truth of Christ.  Yes, this evil one will continue his persuasive sales pitch to you until the day you take your last breath.  He will promise you to sell the truth and simply be satisfied in your sin.  He will promise you that the sin of your lust is normal and to simply accept it as ok. He will utilize group think mentality and tell you your sin is really not that bad or costly because everyone around you is sinning.  He will sell you the lie that your sin is your business, that private sin only hurts you and not others.  This evil one, this enemy of God, is ready to sell you any lie that you will buy in order to move you one step closer to selling God’s truth.  Buy the truth of God, hold it tight, and do not be willing to sell it at any price.

              Folks, today the message in the Holy Word of God is clear.  Jesus declares Himself as the truth and the only way to salvation and eventually eternity in heaven.  Sure, you can buy another truth, but they are all just cheap fakes meant to deceive, mislead, and condemn.  But to get the only real truth that has ever existed, you must buy directly from Jesus Christ.  And as you make that purchase, calling Christ to save you from you sin…never let Him go.

Blessings ~ Dan

“For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” John 18:32b

“So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8

Villa de Etla, Oaxaca, Mexico