Topical Bible: Truth: The Wicked Resist

◄ Truth: The Wicked Resist ►

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In the biblical narrative, the concept of truth is foundational, representing the divine order and the ultimate reality as established by God. However, throughout Scripture, there is a recurring theme of the wicked resisting this truth. This resistance is not merely a passive ignorance but an active opposition to the divine will and revelation.

Old Testament Insights

The resistance to truth by the wicked is evident from the earliest biblical accounts. In Genesis, the serpent's deception of Eve (Genesis 3:1-5) marks the first instance of truth being challenged. The serpent's cunning words directly contradict God's command, illustrating the wicked's inclination to distort truth for their purposes.

The Psalms frequently highlight the contrast between the righteous, who embrace truth, and the wicked, who reject it. Psalm 1:1-2 describes the blessed man who delights in the law of the Lord, implicitly contrasting him with the wicked who do not. Psalm 52:3 states, "You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth," underscoring the wicked's preference for deceit over divine truth.

The prophets also address this theme. Isaiah 59:14-15 laments, "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands at a distance. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter. Truth is missing, and whoever turns from evil becomes prey." Here, the prophet depicts a society where truth is not only absent but actively suppressed by the wicked.

New Testament Revelations

In the New Testament, the resistance to truth becomes even more pronounced with the advent of Jesus Christ, who embodies truth. John 1:14 declares, "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." Despite this revelation, many resisted Him.

Jesus Himself addresses the resistance of the wicked to truth in John 8:44-45 , where He confronts the Pharisees: "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, refusing to uphold the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, because he is a liar and the father of lies. But because I speak the truth, you do not believe Me!" This passage highlights the spiritual battle between truth and falsehood, with the wicked aligning themselves with deception.

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on this theme in Romans 1:18-25 , where he describes how the wicked suppress the truth by their unrighteousness. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness." Paul explains that although God's truth is evident in creation, the wicked choose to exchange it for lies, worshiping created things rather than the Creator.

Theological Implications

The resistance of the wicked to truth has profound theological implications. It underscores the spiritual blindness and moral corruption that sin brings into the world. This resistance is not merely intellectual but deeply spiritual, rooted in a rebellion against God's authority and order.

Throughout Scripture, the resistance to truth by the wicked serves as a warning and a call to repentance. It highlights the necessity of divine intervention for the transformation of the heart, as only through the work of the Holy Spirit can individuals come to embrace the truth of God fully.

In summary, the biblical narrative consistently portrays the wicked as those who resist truth, choosing instead the path of deception and rebellion. This resistance is a central theme that underscores the ongoing spiritual conflict between the kingdom of God and the forces of darkness.

Nave's Topical Index

2 Timothy 3:8
Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.
Nave's Topical Index

Library

One Saying from Three Men
... it is the expression of a certain and blessed truth. ... The 'wicked' man's true faith
is this, absurd as it ... Then you must be strong enough to resist every tempest ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/one saying from three men.htm

The Wicked Heart Set to do Evil.
... as in stealing, and even far more wicked: for be ... of His feelings and so reckless
of the truth that for ... almost an omnipotence of strength to oppose and resist! ...
/.../finney/sermons on gospel themes/viii the wicked heart set.htm

The Doctrine of the Truth Continued.
... X. Chapter XXIX."The Doctrine of the Truth Continued ... obey Him that has created thee,
and resist not now ... regard of our desiring anything that is wicked, or our ...
/.../hippolytus/the refutation of all heresies/chapter xxix the doctrine of the.htm

The Doctrine of Satan.
... 2. RESIST HIM. V. HIS DESTINY. ... Matt.13:19, 39""Then cometh the wicked one . . . . ...
That he was once in the truth but fell from it is evident from John 8:44. ...
/.../evans/the great doctrines of the bible/the doctrine of satan.htm

Seventh Sunday after Trinity Exhortation to Resist Sin.
... "Now, if you cannot understand this truth from my ... is able to interpret the Law, to
resist them who ... to every sort of unholy life, every wicked work, committing ...
/.../luther/epistle sermons vol iii/seventh sunday after trinity exhortation.htm

A Sermon Made by M. Hugh Latimer, at the Time of the Insurrection ...
... But if we will resist strongly indeed, we must he clothed ... a new canker to rust and
corrupt the old truth? ... the violence of the flaming darts of the most wicked. ...
/.../latimer/sermons on the card and other discourses/a sermon made by m.htm

(On the Passion, viii. : on Wednesday in Holy Week. )
... for though, if He had willed to resist, their wicked ... they could think of nothing
but their wicked deed, having ... illumined by the Spirit of Truth, foster with ...
/.../leo/writings of leo the great/sermon lix on the passion.htm

Letter Lxxxix. (AD 406. )
... when it is administered by a wicked man, whose ... 6. Notwithstanding the impression
which truth so obvious ... that rather than yield, they will resist both authority ...
/.../augustine/the confessions and letters of st/letter lxxxix a d 406.htm

The Wicked Husbandmen.
... Lord unrevealed, and a terror to wicked men unspoken ... That he might proclaim the whole
truth, and leave ... men inflict upon themselves when they resist the Redeemer ...
/.../arnot/the parables of our lord/xi the wicked husbandmen.htm

Commandment Twelfth. On the Twofold Desire. The Commandments of ...
... sir," say I, "are the deeds of wicked desire which ... yourself with the fear of the
Lord, resist them. ... You will practice righteousness and virtue, truth and the ...
/.../the pastor books first second third/commandment twelfth on the twofold.htm