What is the “truth” Jesus Christ mentioned?
“They [Christians] are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:16-17). Christ indicated that His disciples would be those who were sanctified—set apart—by the truth of God. For centuries mankind has debated what truth is. Adlai Stevenson, 20th-century American statesman, noted that “you will find that the truth is often unpopular and the contest between agreeable fancy and disagreeable fact is unequal.” So many have accepted fanciful traditions and customs as part of their religion that God’s truth is obscured. The truth of God is in the entirety of God’s Word, the Holy Bible, both in the Old and New Testaments (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17). The Word of God must stand as the basis for our beliefs, rather than the traditions and customs of men (Mark 7:9-13). Jesus said: “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition
