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Today's Little Lift
by Jim Bullington
Although an astute Bible student could literally write hundreds of messages on The Love of the Truth, this particular message will conclude this series for now.
Paul wrote that the coming of the lawless one would be “...according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2Thessalonians href="https://pro.studylight.org/study-desk.html?q=2th+2:9-12">2Thessalonians href="https://pro.studylight.org/study-desk.html?q=2th+2:9-12">2 Thessalonians 2.9-12). As much as anything else the intent of this series has been to impress our minds with the seriousness of the matter at hand. The consequences are simply too dire to overlook or to underrate the implications of this passage.
From the beginning of this series we have emphasized the fact that the love for the truth is entirely different from the love of the truth. Men who do not even know the truth can have a burning love for the truth; Nicodemus seemed to be one of those men. When he first approached the Teacher, Nicodemus knew that Jesus was a “...teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs... unless God is with him.” (John 3.2). Here was a man who had an apparent love for truth, but who at that time did not even know what it meant to be born again. There is no way that he could have had The Love of the Truth (i. e. the love which the truth produces in the heart and life of the believer) at that time.
However, to further illustrate this vital difference, we will follow all that the Bible has to say about Nicodemus. The next time we encounter the man who came to Jesus by night, he is still a member of the powerful Sanhedrin and he boldly rebuffed his fellow rulers. When they would have illegally seized and prosecuted or killed the Christ, Nicodemus confronted them with the law and said, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” (John 7.51). So brash was his comment that it prompted his fellows to say, “Are you [Nicodemus] also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” (John 7.52). The man Nicodemus, though a member of the Sanhedrin, had an obvious love for truth, yet there was yet a lack in his life.
The third and final time we meet Nicodemus, he is in time and distance near the cross of Christ. But for all practical purposes he might as well have been a million miles away. He came late to the scene bearing an immensely costly mixture of spices to be used in the burial of Jesus. However, one must wonder where was he during the trial? Where was he in the days and weeks that immediately followed the crucifixion? Where was he on Pentecost when Peter and the rest of the apostles hazarded their lives to reveal the gospel in its entirety? Where was he when Peter and John were arrested and drawn before the Sanhedrin where they were commanded to no longer speak or teach in the name of Jesus? Where was he when the persecutions against believers became so severe that almost the entirety of the church in Jerusalem was forced to leave for their own safety?
The tragedy with Nicodemus is this: He knew an essential truth, i. e. that Jesus' was confirmed to be from God by the signs which He performed, yet he failed to receive The Love of the Truth. Every opportunity was afforded him, but his biblical history ended with an offering of things and not the offering of his heart! The Love of the Truth cannot be suppressed externally; it thrives on persecution and grows even more persevering. You are challenged to rise to the occasion, reject all error in spite of your personal preferences, and receive The Love of the Truth, God's insurance against deception!
Questions:
1. Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus by night (see John 3.1-2)? Are you absolutely positive of your response because the Bible states or implies the answer you gave?
2. What essential truth did Nicodemus profess when he came to Jesus? Why is this an essential truth?
3. What is the Bible's last mention of Nicodemus? Do you think his history would have ended here had he become a full-fledged and bold follower of Jesus?
4. What is God's insurance against spiritual deception? How valuable would you say that insurance is?
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