Don't Dilute The Truth : Pastor Tony Samuels

This past Wednesday, I ministered a word on how to stay free in the freedom that Jesus has purchased for our lives. To live in true freedom, we have to walk in the truth of what God says. John 8:32 says, “…and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” One look at our society, and we can definitely see there is an attack on freedom. For the most part, the attack is coming from those who despise truth. What we need in this day is what I call raw truth; truth that is not diluted. I looked up the word dilute, and it means: to make thinner or weak by the addition of; to make fainter as a color; to reduce strength and force by adding mixture. So when you dilute something, you make it weaker; you reduce it from its original potency. 

The Apostle Paul had to deal with the dilution of truth. Look at what he said in Galatians 3:1: “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth.” What happened was, this church was being influenced by a different message. They received a message of freedom, but another message tried to dilute the truth they had initially received, in an attempt to take away their freedom. 

You see, when truth is in jeopardy, freedom is in jeopardy. We are living in a time of vast information; a time when social media has provided everyone with a platform. Millions are able to get their views and opinions out without any checks and balances. We as believers have to be careful of who and what we are listening to, and make sure it lines up with the truth of the Word of God.

Hebrews 2:1 tells us we must pay much closer attention than ever to the things we have heard, so that we do not, in any way, drift away from the truth. When I hear those words drift away, I think of a boat sitting in a harbor with no anchor. Eventually, the currents and winds will cause even the biggest boat to begin to drift away. 

This thought is supported by Ephesians 4:14: “So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].” Jesus and His truth are our anchor. We can’t just embrace the person of Jesus and disregard His truth, because the Bible says that He is grace and truth; it’s a package deal. 

I’ve learned this year that truth has the power to bring people together, but it can also cause division. One of the greatest pressures to dilute the truth comes from wanting to be accepted. When your primary goal is the acceptance of man, you will be tempted to dilute and adjust truth. I’m amazed at how, when a believer takes a stand for the truth, he backs down at the first sign of backlash, and will even retract what he was standing for and say, “I didn’t really mean it like that.” No, God says what He means, and He means what He says. To keep truth from being diluted in your life, you have to more concerned about the acceptance of God than man.

So, my brothers and sisters, don’t dilute the truth. Turn off social media and pick up the Word of Truth. Shape and mold your convictions by His Truth, and feel your spiritual walk begin to get strong again. To dilute is to weaken; God wants you strong, so fill up on His presence and His truth!

 December 6, 2020