By John Mitchell
“The entirety of Your word is truth.”
(Psalm 119:160 NKJ version)
“The sum of Thy word is truth,…”
(Psalm 119:160 NAS version)
“Thy word all together is truth,…”
(Psalm 119:160 Berkeley Version)
These three Bible translations are all saying the same thing.
(NKJV) “The entirety”, means the entire amount of God’s word.
(NASV) “The sum”, means the sum total of all of God’s word.
(BerkeleyV) “all together”, means all of the word of God, all together.
When we put together, and study, ALL of what God’s scriptures tell us about one issue, then we have ALL of God’s truth about it. God wants us to search the scriptures for the truth. “Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15) If we take one scripture, out of context, and obey that one scripture, and ignore what ALL of the other scriptures say about one issue, we are wrong. We need to put ALL of those related scriptures together, to be able to know ALL of God’s truth, about any one issue. Following ALL of the truth of scripture will lead us to salvation. Following our feelings and emotions will lead us to our own destruction. “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12) Here is an example of following our feelings and emotions. “I agree with these scriptures, so I will do these things God’s way. But these other scriptures I don’t agree with, so I won’t obey them. For this one area of my life, I believe my way is better for me, than God’s way.” If we are following and obeying the word of God, that shows that we believe that God knows what is best. If we are not following and obeying the word of God, that shows that we believe that we know better than God knows what is best. It’s our own free will choice to make. Do we live our life God’s way, or our way? For our complete obedience to God, our reward will be greater than we can imagine. By not being completely submitted to God’s will for us, we are disqualifying ourselves from going to heaven. Our rebellion against God’s will for us, qualifies us for hell. “He who is not with Me is against Me…” (Matthew 12:30) The story about six blind men in India, who were told to say what an elephant is like, clearly shows, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE ONLY HAVE PART OF THE TRUTH. The first blind man touches the elephant’s trunk and says, | “An elephant is like a large snake.” The second man touches the elephant’s ivory tusks and says, “An elephant is like a large spear.” The third man touches the ears and says, “An elephant is like a large fan.” The fourth man touches a leg, and says, “An elephant is like a large tree.” The fifth man touches the side and says, “An elephant is like a large strong wall.” And finally the sixth man touches the tail and says, “An elephant is like a rope.” EACH MAN TOLD THE TRUTH. But each man only had a small part of the truth. ALL of their six parts of the truth, added together, would give us a better, and more accurate description of what an elephant looks like. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him SHOULD not perish but have eternal life.” Every one of God’s scriptures are true. It is true that we need to believe in Jesus for our salvation, but it is just one part of the truth. ALL of God’s scriptures about what is required of us, for our salvation, ALL added together, is the sum total of the truth about how to be saved. You have to accept and obey ALL of the truth of God to be saved. Some people don’t believe baptism is a part of being saved. They do not believe ALL of God’s word about baptism. “Repent, and let everyone of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38) “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) If we are not baptized for the remission of our sins, we can’t go to heaven, because without baptism, we have unforgiven sins in our life. Don’t stop at being baptized. Matthew 10:22, and 24:13, and Mark 13:13, all three tell us that, “…if we endure to the end we shall be saved”. We need to live the Gospel, and share it with others. “Go therefore and make disciples of ALL nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe ALL that I have commanded you…” (Matthew 26:19-20) Back to John 3:16. It says that if we believe in Jesus we, “SHOULD not perish”. Many times this scripture is wrongly quoted by people saying that if we believe in Jesus we, “WILL not perish”, instead of should not perish. SHOULD AND WILL HAVE VERY DIFFERENT MEANINGS. 2 Peter 3:9 says that, “The Lord is not willing that any SHOULD perish but that ALL SHOULD come to repentance.” We clearly know that ALL don’t repent. ALL SHOULD repent, but ALL don’t repent. ALL who believe in Jesus SHOULD BE saved, but ALL are not saved. “Many are called, but FEW are chosen.” (Matthew 20:16, 22:14) God wants us to be totally, ALL submitted to His Lordship and His will over our lives. No halfway double mindedness, “For not let that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in ALL his ways.” (James 1:7-8) “Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7) Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8-31-32) To abide in God’s word, is to be daily studying the word of God, and to make it a part of your daily life. In a court of law they want to know the whole truth, ALL of the truth. A witness has to say an oath that he will tell ALL of the truth. “I swear by Almighty God, that I will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” “If we don’t tell the truth in court, there can be serious, temporary consequences for disobeying the laws of man. If we don’t obey God’s laws, and will for us, there will be serious and severe, eternal consequences for us, for not accepting ALL that God has done for us. God’s plan of redemption and salvation, will guide us, and help us, to have the eternal joy and happiness in heaven, that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection made possible for us. Jesus died for us, to pay for our sins. We need to live our life honoring God, and obeying His will and plans for us. THERE IS NO BETTER PLAN FOR US, THAN GOD’S PLAN FOR US !!! If we live our life seeking to know, and to obey, ALL of the whole and complete truth of God, and endure to the end, then we can look forward to hearing, “…Well done, good and faithful servant; Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23)