TEXT: PROVERB 23:23(a&b)

"Buy the truth, and sell it not..."
Truth is fidelity, constancy,facticity, factuality, sooth, trueness, verity and actuality! Truth can be sold: it can be purchased therefore! It is on sale and for purchase! It has a seller: there is a buyer as well. The buyer are admonished not to sell it out once it is purchased. There is a seller on one hand and a buyer on another hand. We are not told from whence the seller gets this "commodity" known as the truth: but we are sure that he came into possession of the truth by some means. For no man can recieve(have) anything except it is received: it is recieved from a giver.

The buyer, of course buys from the seller. Where does the seller gets this truth from? No man can have anything which is not given to him! The seller must have gotten the truth from some where.

There is a one that invites men to come eat and drink for free: Isaiah 55:1

"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he
that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy
wine and milk without money and without price."

How could a man buy something without money? Waters, bread, wine and milk are procureable without money. The Bible says "...thy word is truth..." the word is truth and the truth is the word. The word here is the word of God! The word of God is seen as the sincere milk, bread, water and wine. This fact is littered all over the scripture. The truth in our text is the word of the gospel! The gospel is not suppose to be on sale! With what then are they procured? Vs3 says,

"Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul
shall live..."

The only price with which this seller buys the truth is his ear: he Incline his ear! He heeded an invitation. After procuring the truth by this means, he proceeds to sell it. He puts price tag on the truth: he puts a price label on reality. The salvation of the spirit, soul and body of man is a truth and an eternal fact. Man's salvation is free! His healing is free! His blessing is not for sale at all!

He needs not actually do anything independent of Christ death to get joy and happiness in life. To put price tag on anything divine amount to a serious perversion of the gospel of Christ. Nothing of God goes for money. Truth with any man is held in trust for the sole benefit of the household of the giver thereof.

Any spiritual enablement and endowment is exclusively for the profitability of the offspring of the daity. Making it unreachable and impervious has serious consequences against the trustee. Freely ye receive freely ye must give it out.

The trustee must be approachable and the beneficiaries must be given a deep impression that both the trust and the trustee are theirs. Every shell or coat around the trust and trustee must be cracked away. Truth should be accessible.

Truth must not be sold! Even though it is bought with a price of our ears and attention, men must not be made to think it is a difficult thing to come buy. Some one may ask, "What about making profit from publishing Christian materials?" If God is the owner of the publication, then a man needs not to be worry whether he makes profit or not.

I believe that if Jesus was to publish a book during His earthly ministry, He would not have desire to make profit therefrom. To trade with the truth is not wholesome. It is enough if a man gets back the money invested in the publication. If it is of God, then it should not be for monetary gain.

Genuine servants of God never see the gospel as a means of livelihood! They consciously make the truth affordable and accessible. Their publications are cheap, affordable acceptable, accessible yet deep and edifyingly loaded. How can men walk in the truth if same is made far away from them by reason of its imported price tag. Moses told Paul this truth and Paul in turn told the Romans about the the nearness and accessibility of the word of God when he says:

"For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not
hidden from thee, neither is it far off It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto
us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea,
that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring
it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very
nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest
do it."
This is how truth is meant to be held before men: it should be at their disposal. "...the word(the truth) is very nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou gayest do it." If it is not near, available, accessible and at hand, it cannot be done. A truth made rare and scarce, is a useless truth: truth is only relevant when it is made handy! a preacher should be bold to cry out, "The word is right here and now--as near as the tongue in your mouth, as near as the heart in your chest. Just do it!

Buy the truth but do not sell it! Amen! To be continued.

_________________
Emeka Joe Uzosike