Truth is what the Word of God is (John 17:17, Psa. 119:160). The Bible is the Truth in written form. Its first verse starts with It, and Its last verse ends with It. Our universe is governed by It and all things are made by and from Truth.

Some people abuse Truth. Some twist It to mislead many. Others bend It to support their own interpretation and agenda. Some even misuse It. But no matter what they do, Truth is Truth. EVEN OUR LORD GOD HIMSELF CANNOT CHANGE IT, FOR HE IS THE TRUTH. He cannot contradict Himself. You may fool some of the people with lies all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, BUT YOU CAN’T FOOL ALL THE PEOPLE ALL THE TIME. There will always be people whom God will use to reveal His Truth. And at the end of the day, Truth will always prevail.

TRUTH IS THE WORD OF GOD

I have stated above that God Himself cannot change and cannot contradict the Truth, for Truth is His Word (John 17:17, Psa. 119:160). And He and His Word are One (John 1:1-2). It is His very nature. God Himself is the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). Since the Word of God is Truth and the Word is God (John 1:1), therefore, GOD HIMSELF IS TRUTH. This is why God cannot change the Truth for it is Him. He cannot contradict Himself.

This is also the reason why it is impossible for God to lie (contradict the Truth, Heb. 6:18) for He cannot contradict His Word (Truth). God cannot change the Truth because He cannot change His nature. He is not a man that can be changed (Num. 23:19). This is why we make the Word of God our Standard (Absolute), because it is unchangeable. We would be in chaos if our standard is changeable. Imagine a weighing scale that has no fix weight for a 1 kilogram. That’s why the saints of old are proclaiming “Sola Scriptura” (Scriptures alone) in protest to the Roman Catholicism standard which includes the ever-changing traditions of their church.

TRUTH IS LIFE AND LIGHT

When I say Truth, we are not talking here about our concept of reality for reality is ever-changing. We are talking here about what was really in the beginning, for that is the Truth alone. That is the Original. The Bible told us that “In the Beginning was the Word (John 1:1a),” and therefore, the Word is the Truth. OUTSIDE THE WORD OF GOD, NOTHING IS TRUE.

I have also stated above that all things are made by and from Truth. This is because all things are made by and from the Word (John 1:3). Without the Truth, nothing can be made. This is also the reason why Truth is Life for all forms of life came from It. Outside of Truth, there is no Life. Outside of Truth is death. And according to John 1:4 “this Life was the Light of Men”.

Just like Sunlight that gives life to Earth (for without Sunlight plants cannot photosensitize), Truth also is our Light. It extinguishes darkness to those who are in It and gives Life to them. Outside of this Light is only darkness. In Truth, “there is no darkness at all” (1 John 1:5).

We are made by and from the Truth. All seeds of God are part of the Truth. That’s why one day, all of us that are part of It will return to It. For Truth is Life, this is also the reason why we have Eternal Life.

TRUTH IS INDESTRUCTIBLE

No one can destroy Truth. Not even our Lord God Himself. Because Truth and God are one (John 16:13). God cannot kill Himself. This is the reason why we read in Hebrews 6:18:

“That by two immutable things, in which IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO LIE, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.”

It is impossible for God to lie (destroy the Truth). He cannot kill Himself. Those who are part and are of Truth cannot be destroyed in the Lake of Fire. Because Truth is indestructible. No one can destroy Truth. That’s why all of those who are part of It are Eternal and cannot be destroyed. If you part of the Truth, then you will certainly love the Word, for our Lord Jesus said:

“Every one that is of the Truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:37c).

TRUTH IS A PERSON

Truth is not a philosophical concept. Truth is a Person. And that Person is no other than our Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6).

Because Truth is the Word (John 17:17), and this Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14), therefore Truth became a person. He is our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the Truth in flesh. If you love the Lord Jesus, then you Love the Truth. If you love the Truth, then you love the Lord Jesus. You cannot separate Truth from the Lord because It is Him. You cannot say that you love the Lord but at the same time, cannot accept the Truth. If you don’t accept the Truth, then you don’t accept the Lord. Our Lord said, “I am the way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6). Those who are professing that they Love the Lord but do not love the Truth, do not actually love the Lord Jesus.

FACT VS. TRUTH

Fact is different from Truth. According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, Fact is defined as:

“Something that has actual existence; a piece of information presented as having objective reality; the quality of being actual.”

Whereas, we have known that according to the Bible, Truth is a Person. Truth is the Word of God that became a person Who is our Lord Jesus Christ. Outside the Word of God, outside our Lord Jesus Christ, there is no Truth at all.

Therefore, not all Facts are Truth. And since by definition, Fact is based on our reality, and we have known that our reality is ever-changing, therefore, Facts are also ever-changing. Truth on the other hand, remains the same. It is unchangeable. He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Heb. 13:8). Just like what Matthew 24:35 says “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” That’s why every Child of God should make Truth as their standard, not Facts.

To better understand the difference between Facts and Truth, here are some Biblical examples:

1. The Fact is: We are materially poor and stricken in poverty.

But the Truth is: “We are blessed with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ (Eph. 1:3).”

2. The Fact is: We are sinners and “good-for-nothing” here on Earth.

But the Truth is: “We are holy and without blame before him in love (Eph. 1:4).”

3. The Fact is: We are still suffering sickness and diseases.

But the Truth is: “By His stripes we are already healed (Isa. 35:5).”

4. The Fact is: We still die here on Earth.

But the Truth is: We are eternal people. “We have eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 6:23).” We cannot die.

5. The Fact is: We can’t afford our own house here on Earth.

But the Truth is: “We have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1).”

6. The Fact is: We are slaves and are lowly people here on Earth.

But the Truth is: “He had made us kings and priests unto God and his Father (Rev. 1:6).”

7. The Fact is: We don’t see ourselves as important people in this world.

But the Truth is: We are the apple of God’s eye (Zec. 2:8, Psa. 17:8). We are His masterpiece (Eph. 2:10). We are kings and lords of heaven (Rev. 17:14, 1 Tim. 6:15).

Can you see now the difference? Facts only deal with the things that can be observed in our physical universe (our reality). But Truth is beyond physical. It deals with spiritual things (what is really the original). Things that are at the Beginning (John 1:1). Things that are part of the Word. THINGS THAT ARE TRUE. And these are the things that we should be concerned about. These are the things that we should focus on. Because these things are lasting. They cannot be destroyed. They will last forever. Unlike the physical ones that are only temporary. Focus on the Truth for it is Eternal.

Things like sickness, poverty, death, sins, these things are only temporal. They will not be here forever BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT PART OF THE TRUTH. They are not part of the Original. Unlike Truth, They are not here from the beginning. This is why the Bible told us in Philippians 4:8:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are TRUE, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Yes, we need to think of these things. Because they are the things that cannot be destroyed and are eternal. They are the most important of all.

FOCUS ON THE TRUTH, NOT ON THE FACTS

Matt. 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

Matt. 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Matt. 14:30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Here, we read that Peter receives a revelation from God that if it is really the Lord Jesus walking in the water, then He can also make Peter walk in the water if the Lord will just say the Word. And indeed, the Lord Jesus says the Word. We then read, “when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.” Indeed, Peter did walk in the water! He is not afraid even if the wind is boisterous. He doesn’t care even if the giant waves are crashing. Why is this? Because He is only focusing on the Truth which is the Lord Jesus in front of him.

The wind and the waves are there, but he doesn’t care. He doesn’t care about the Facts. His only focus is on Truth in front of Him. He knows that Facts cannot harm him if he is focusing on Truth. This is why he gets out of the boat and walks on the water unafraid even in the presence of boisterous winds and giant waves. And indeed, the wind and the waves (Facts) cannot harm him as he walks!

But then Peter started to be out of focus on the Truth. He starts giving his focus to the Facts of which he is not afraid from the beginning. When he stepped out of that boat, the wind and the waves are already present. The storm was already upon them. Peter took all of these into account before he stepped out of that boat. Nothing new has arisen when he stepped out of that boat. He was already walking on water. He was doing it! All he needs to do was to keep on doing what he did at first! He just needed to continue focusing on the Truth. He just has to keep looking unto the Lord Jesus. But he started to give his focus on the Facts and that’s why he started to sink.

Just like Peter, this is also what will happen to all of us if we start to give our focus on temporal things (Facts) instead of the eternal ones (Truth). The giant waves and the boisterous winds can easily crush us in this life. Sickness, problems and life’s stresses will prevent us from walking towards our Lord if we will focus on them. That’s why we should ask ourselves: Where are we focusing on? Is it to the Facts or to the Truth?

GOD CAN LIE WITH THE FACTS, BUT HE CANNOT LIE WITH THE TRUTH

We must always remember these words from Hebrews 6:18:

“That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie.”

And because we have known that God is only concerned with His Truth and not with the ever-changing Facts, the “lie” mentioned in this verse is contradicting the Truth, and not contradicting the Facts. God can always and will always contradict the Facts but it is impossible for Him to contradict the Truth, for It is Him. He cannot contradict Himself.

Consider these examples:

1. The Lie of Rahab

In Joshua 2:1-5, Rahab hid the two Israeli spies in her house who were sent by Joshua to spy the walled City of Jericho. When the king of Jericho asked Rahab about the whereabouts of the two spies, Rahab lied and told the king that they are already gone and that she doesn’t know where they went.

Clearly, we can see here that Rahab is lying. But she is only lying with the Facts, not with the Truth. As we know, Truth is God Himself. And God (Truth) here, wanted Israel to conquer Jericho. So Rahab here is only contradicting the Fact. But she is siding with the Truth (God) by saving the two spies from being killed by the king of Jericho. She never contradicts the Truth. Instead, she put herself in danger by contradicting the Facts and siding with the Truth in helping Israel. This is why God rewarded Rahab by saving her and her whole family during the destruction of Jericho.

2. The Lies of Shiphrah and Puah

In Exodus 1:15-21, there were two Egyptian midwives named Shiphrah and Puah who were tasked by Pharaoh to kill every baby boy that is born upon the Israelite families. But we read in verse 17 that these midwives feared God and instead of killing the Israelite baby boys, they saved them. When Pharaoh asked them why they are not killing the babies, they lied to him and told him that all those boys are already born before they arrive at the scene to assist a Hebrew woman in giving birth (Exo. 1:18-19).

Again, we can see here that these midwives are lying. But they are only lying to the Facts, not to the Truth. They are siding with the Truth. The Truth wanted that baby boys to be born in Israelite families especially Moses whom He will use to deliver the Israelites from their bondage from Egypt. And the midwives did exactly what the Truth wanted to happen. They contradict the Facts just to side with the Truth. Therefore, the Truth rewarded them (Exo. 1:20-21). Anyone who sided with the Truth will be rewarded.

If there is something that we can learn from Rahab and the two Egyptian Midwives, it is to always side with the Truth. If you are in a situation where you have to contradict the Fact just to side with the Truth, then contradict the Fact and always side with the Truth. For at the end of the day, TRUTH WILL ALWAYS PREVAIL!

TRUTH IS GREATER THAN LOVE

We can read in 1 Corinthians 13 that among these three: Faith, Hope and Love, Love is the greatest. But if Love is compared to Truth, Truth is always greater.

It is true that among the fruit of the Spirit of God, Love is the greatest. But Love only came out from the Truth and it is only one of the fruits of the Spirit (Truth). We need also to have Faith, Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Godliness and Brotherly Kindness (2 Pet. 1:5-7). All of these are also fruits (products) of the Spirit (Truth). These fruits are different from Love. This is why Love cannot be greater or equal with Truth.

This is also the reason why it is correct to say that God is love but it is wrong to say that “Love is God.” Because Love is only one of the fruit of God, it is not His totality. But Truth is the totality of God. All of the fruit of the Spirit are produced by the Truth. This is why we read in John 16:13 that what we are given is called the Spirit of Truth (God) and not the Spirit of Love. Because Truth is God:

“Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

Love only follows the Truth. Love is only a product of Truth. You cannot have Love if you don’t have the Truth first. Take for example Rebekah. Rebekah heard the message first from Eliezer. That message of Eliezer pointed her to the Truth who is Isaac. She follows the Truth by following the message of Eliezer that leads her to Isaac. Then Isaac brought Rebekah to his mother’s tent and there, they consummate their love (Gen. 24).  

Truth here is represented by Isaac and Love here is represented by his Bride, Rebekah. Only the Truth (Groom) alone can produce genuine Love (Bride). For Love always follows the Truth. The Bride (Love) is the product of Christ (Groom, Truth). The Bride is taken out of the side of the Groom. Love is taken out of Truth. The Groom is the head of the Bride just like Truth is the head of Love. You cannot have Agape Love if you don’t have the Truth. You cannot find agape Love to people who are not in the Truth. This is why if someone truly loves you, he/she will lead you to the Truth.

This is also true to us who are the Bride of the Lord. Unless we don’t have the fullness of the Word (Truth) yet, we cannot attain Perfect Love. Today, little by little our Lord is revealing His Truth (Word) to us. Someday, the fullness of Christ (Truth) will be upon us (Eph. 4:13). When this happens, we will then attain Perfect Love. For Truth produces Love. Concentrate on the Truth (Word) today and someday, we will reap Perfect Love.  When that day comes, all our disagreements will be gone. Don’t waste your time trying to attain Agape Love today when you don’t have the whole Truth yet. Remember: Love is the product of Truth. If you have the Truth, you will automatically have Love. Why do believers have disagreements today? Because we don’t have the full Truth yet. Why do ministers have disagreements now? Because we don’t have the full Truth yet. Do you want Love? Then have Truth.

Today, many ministers are saying, “I would rather have a right Spirit than right doctrines (Truth). I would rather have love than having the truth without love.” These ministers do not actually know what they are saying. None of us can have a right spirit being in the wrong doctrines. None of us can have agape Love if we are not in the Truth. We must remember that only the Truth (right doctrines) can produce agape Love. Those who are not in the Truth, cannot have Agape Love.

There is only one Right Spirit, and that Spirit is the Holy Spirit Who is the Spirit of Truth (John 16:13). To have this right Spirit, you must have the Truth ( Word, right doctrine) because they are one. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ANYONE TO HAVE THE RIGHT SPIRIT WITHOUT HAVING THE RIGHT DOCTRINES. Just like it is impossible for us to have Love without having the Truth. Those who claimed that they have the Right Spirit but are staying in the wrong doctrines are either grieving the Holy Spirit in them or are not having the Holy Spirit at all. Because the Spirit of Truth cannot stay on false doctrines.

REVELATION IS THE TRUTH THAT BECOMES YOU

Revelation is a digested Truth. It is the Truth that is revealed to us. It is the Truth that becomes part of us. It is the Truth that became us.  When revelation is given to you, you have the responsibility to live It and to share it with others. And the Lord will be with you in sharing it. If other ministers will prevent you from sharing It and you stop sharing It, those ministers cannot be blamed because they have not received that revelation, it is you who is to blame (Matt. 25:26-30). It is your responsibility.

Truth does not go back from whence It once came from (Gen. 24:6). It progresses. This is why Revelation is also progressive. It is okay to be like Martin Luther in the sixteenth century, because Truth was given to him at that time. But it is not okay to be like Martin Luther in the eighteenth century. That Truth will not be sufficient. It is okay to be like John Wesley in the eighteenth century, but it is never okay to be like him in the twentieth century. It is okay to be like Bro. William Branham in the twentieth century, but it is not okay to remain like him in this twenty-first century. Your Truth will never be sufficient. You will be like the Foolish Virgins whose oil was not enough (Matt. 25:1-13).

Truth progresses. And we are now in the ministry of the Five-Fold (Eph. 4:11-14). They are the ones being used by our Lord to feed His flock today. God will never be run out of ministers whom He can use to reveal His truth. Because Truth needs to progress until the Church will possess Its fullness.

IF YOU HAVE TRUTH, YOU HAVE EVERYTHING

If you have the Truth, you also have all of these: Love, Light, Eternal Life, Grace, Peace, Wisdom, Righteousness, Mercy, Goodness, the Rapture, the fruits of the Spirit and all other attributes of It. For all of these flows from Truth. This is the reason why Truth is prioritized by the saints in the Bible. They have seen It and they did everything to possess It. They had given up everything they possess here on Earth just so they can possess It. That is how Truth is so important to them.

Here are the seven men of the Bible who sought Truth and gave everything they have in order to possess It:

1. Enoch – The great testimony of this man is that he “walked with God” all his days (Gen. 5:22). The word “walk” here indicates intimacy, fellowship and obedience. Enoch sought Truth and he found Him. After he found Him, he never let Him go by walking with Him the rest of his life. Enoch also leaves everything behind just to follow Truth. And therefore, he was raptured (Gen. 5:24).
2. Abraham – This man leaves his home place just to follow Truth. He sojourns in a strange country and leaves everything behind just so he can follow Truth (Heb. 11:9). For this man, possessing Truth is his exceeding great reward (Gen. 15:1). It is the most important thing to him that he is willing to give everything, even his only son Isaac just so he can follow It. And indeed, Abraham was right. If we have Truth, we have everything. Truth is the exceeding great reward that we can ever have on this Earth.
3. Jacob – Just like his grandfather Abraham, he also did everything to possess Truth. Jacob wrestled with It from evening to daybreak so he can possess It (Gen. 32:24-30). He never let it go even though God dislocated his thigh’s joint (Gen. 32:25). Jacob was so determined in possessing It that he won’t let It go even if It means losing his life. For Jacob, possessing It is the most important of all. He would rather lose his life than not possess It. It was this determination and the love for Truth that the God of heaven and Earth gave up and bless Jacob (Gen. 32:28-29). And indeed, Jacob prevails!
4. Moses – This man has the most one-on-one experience with the Truth. It is him who had seen the glory of Truth (Exo. 33:14-21, Exodus 34:5-8, Exo 34:28). Unlike the others above, Truth was so pleased with Moses that it is the Truth Himself Who wanted to reveal Himself to Moses (Exo. 33:17). Moses is so one with the Truth that the Truth Himself harkens to his advice. There is one time that God would want to destroy the Israelites because they repeatedly disobey Him, but then Moses advises the Lord not to do it and the Lord harkened to Moses’ advice (Exo. 32:9-14). These two (Moses and the Truth) are so one that they listen to each other like best friends. Moses was like the best man of the Groom (Truth). And like best friends who would reveal to each their secrets, the Truth also reveals His Himself to Moses. 
5. David – If Moses is Truth’s best friend, David on the other hand, is the “man after God’s own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14). If Moses was the best man in the wedding, David on the other hand, was the Bride of the Groom (Truth). It is for David that the heart of Truth belongs to. David types the Bride of the Lord Jesus Christ (Truth). And just like a lover, David wrote many poems, songs and love letters for his beloved. Psalm 63 is one such Psalm where he states:

“My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus, I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.”

This is how much David loves the Truth.

6. John – Just like David, the Apostle John also pictures the Bride of Christ whom the Lord loves so much. The Bible often referred to him as “John the beloved” or “the disciple whom Christ love” (John 13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7). Among the twelve he is the closest to the Lord Jesus. He is often pictured as the one leaning to the Lord’s bosom (John 12:33). Among the twelve, he is the one closest to the Truth’s bosom. This is why it was to John that the Lord reveals the things written in the Book of Revelation. The Book that contains some of the greatest Truth ever revealed.

7. Paul – Well, among all of these people mentioned, if there is someone whom I admired most for his great love for the Truth, it is this person – the Apostle Paul! Words are not enough to describe this man’s love for the Truth. It is in his letter to the Ephesians that we read how Paul advises us to concentrate and always prioritized the Truth. He had experienced many times being beaten, stoned, suffered shipwrecks, perils, hungers, pains and even beheaded just to proclaim this thing called TRUTH (2 Cor. 11:23-28). And we can read this in his statement in Philippians 3:8,10:

“I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord… I want to know Him and the power of His resurrection…”

For Paul, all other things are nothing compared to the value of knowing Christ. That is the most important to him. Everything else is secondary.

Compared to these seven men’s love for the Truth and their zeal to know the Lord, I am nothing. We are nothing. These men are willing to give everything, even their lives just so they can know our Lord, just so they can possess the Truth.

But they are great reminders to us that even though we are only ordinary people just like them, we can walk with the Truth every day until we are raptured like Enoch. That we can follow the Truth wherever It will lead us for It is our exceeding great reward that we can ever have on this Earth just like Abraham. That we can prevail and possess Him just like Jacob. That we can be one with Him because he wanted to reveal Himself to us just like Moses. That we are His Bride and are after His own heart just like David. That we are His beloved and that He wanted to reveal great things to us just like John. And most of all, this is to remind us that He is all that we need. He is our everything. When we have Him, we have everything we ever need. And to know that our Lord Jesus is our goal, our surpassing value and the greatest treasure we can ever have just like Paul.

Today, on our spiritual journey here on Earth, many are prioritizing the gifts, some are prioritizing the signs and wonders. Some are even prioritizing the rewards that they will get someday in serving the Lord. While these things are good, many didn’t realize that the most important possession they can ever have here on Earth is no other than knowing our Lord, that is, POSSESSING THE TRUTH. Those seven men I have mentioned above, they are the people who realized this. They are overjoyed when they possess Him. All of the other spiritual things like gifts, signs and wonder, rewards, the rapture – all of these are only secondary to them. And they got all of these after possessing Him first. For them, their exceedingly great reward is the Truth Himself (Gen. 15:1).

THE MISSION, VISION AND THE GOAL OF THE 5-FOLD MINISTRY

In our generation, many believers have lost focus on the Truth. We are preoccupied with many things of less value. We are the generation that is fittingly described in these verses:

Matt. 22:29 “Jesus answered, you err because you do not know the Scriptures.”

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

Most ministers today are focusing on signs and wonders, healing and even financial wealth. They even belittle the Truth. They do not know that the most important of all is to possess the Truth. This is the reason why our Lord has given us the Five-Fold Ministers (Eph. 4:11). They are true ministers of God whose mission, vision and goal focus on the Bride possessing the fulness of the Truth. But you must take note that not all who claim today to be an Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastors or Teachers are truly a minister of God. Today, there are many false ministers. If these ministers’ aim is not about us possessing the Truth, then they are not ministers from God.

The Five-Fold ministers are given a mission, vision and a goal that revolves around the Bride possessing the fulness of Truth. If you are a member of the five-fold ministers of Christ today, then you need to know them. The purpose of Christ in giving the mission, vision and goal for His five-fold ministers are for them not to be out of focus AND FOR THEM TO CLEARLY KNOW THEIR PURPOSE. But before we go to them, let’s first define what is a mission, vision and goal.

Mission – a mission are the things that you need to do in order to achieve your Vision.

Vision – a vision is where you want to go or what you want to become/achieve. It is the result of doing the mission.

Goal – a goal is the endpoint of your vision. Achieving the goal is the ultimate aim.

After giving gifts to His ministers, our Lord Jesus Christ also give His mission, vision and goal for these ministers to where they should use their gifts. Here are the mission, vision and goal of the five-fold as written in Ephesians 4:11-14:

THE FIVE-FOLD – Eph. 4:11 “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.”

MISSION – Eph. 4:12 “For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.”

VISION – Eph. 4:13 “Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

GOAL – Eph. 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

MISSION

Remember that a mission are the things that the five-fold needs to do in order to achieve the vision. In Ephesians 4:12, there are three things defined by our Lord Jesus that the five-fold needs to do in order to achieve the vision. They are the following: (1) For the perfecting of saints; (2) for the work of the ministry and; (3) for the edifying of the body of Christ.

We will tackle them one by one:

1. “FOR THE PERFECTING OF SAINTS”

The word “perfecting” here came from the Greek word “katartismos” which means “to fully furnish.” Indeed, one of the things that the ministers of Christ need to do in order to achieve the vision is to fully furnish the Bride. Furnishing means “providing what are needed” or “providing what are missing.” Remember that we are the temple of Christ (1 Cor. 3:16). We are His Spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:5). Before the fullness of our Lord can fully dwell in us, this House should be fully furnished first. All that is needed should be present. And one of the missions of the five-fold is to provide what are missing in the House. They can do this by ministering to us the Word (Truth). For it is the One that provides what’s missing in us.

2. “FOR THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY”

This is one of the most important missions of the five-fold which is often missed. The word “ministry” here came from the Latin word “ministro” from the root word “minus” which means “less”. Therefore, if you are a member of the five-fold, you must work like a servant. You must be less than the one you are serving (John 15:20, 13:16). If you are a minister, you must not think that you are above the believers that you are serving. Remember always that you are lesser. This is the only way that the Spirit of the Lord can freely work in you. But most ministers today fall into Nicolaitism (Rev. 2:6,15). They think that they are above the believers. If these happen to the members of the five-fold, then most likely, they cannot achieve their vision.

3. “FOR THE EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST”

The word “edifying” here came from the Greek word “Oikodome” which means “to build up.” Building up means equipping. The five-fold should equip the Bride in order for the building of God to be finished. How can they equip us? There’s no other way to equip us but by feeding us the Truth (Word). Again, it is only the Truth that can equip the Bride to make herself ready and to meet her Groom. To do this, this building of God should be fully polished for the construction to be finished.

If only the Five-Fold ministers of Christ will just focus on their mission, I am very sure that the vision will be achieved. The problem is, most of the time, ministers are out of focus. Instead of focusing on the Truth, they are preoccupied with the things of this world.

VISION

Just like what I have stated above, the vision can only be achieved if everybody is doing the mission. Achievement of the vision depends on the five-fold’s doing their mission. If they are often out of focus, then expect that the vision will not readily achieve. And according to Ephesians 4:13, this is the vision:

“Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.”

This is the result of sincerely and attentively doing the mission. This is the result of focusing on the Truth. This is what our Lord Jesus wants to achieve for her Bride. It is for us to have unity of faith, having the knowledge of the Lord, being perfect and finally, having the fullness of Christ (Truth). Again, it all ends for us to fully possess the Truth.

GOAL

To achieve the vision means automatically achieving the goal. And what is the goal? It is this:

“Eph. 4:14 “That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”

This is the endpoint of fully possessing the Truth. We can never be deceived anymore. We are no longer bound by sin. We are free from sin’s penalty and power. And this is true because our Lord told us that the Truth shall set us free.

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32)

We will be completely free. And after these, the ministry of the Five-Fold will end because they have already achieved their goal. The next ministry to set in is the ministry of the Seven Thunders who has a goal to glorify our bodies.  

CONCLUSION

If you a believer living today, then the Lord requires you to focus on the Truth. That should be your mission, vision and goal.  If you are a minister called by the Lord today, then the Lord requires you to prioritize the Truth. Your mission is to proclaim the Truth so that the Church will be edified and will be perfected. He wants you to concentrate and prioritize the preaching and teaching of the Truth. If you are a Five-Fold minister today, you are not called to concentrate on miracles, healing, signs and wonders. You are called to proclaim the “Voice of the Archangel” (1 Thes. 4:16). He needs you to proclaim His Truth. This is the only way that the Bride will be perfected. DO NOT BE OUT OF FOCUS.  

One day, these signs and wonders, miracles, healing and even the resurrection of the dead will be emphasized in the ministry of the Trump. This is the mission of the Seven Thunders. Their message will change our bodies. When that time comes, then we must listen to them. BUT TODAY IS DIFFERENT. THAT IS NOT YOUR MISSION TODAY. THAT IS NOT THE MISSION OF THE FIVE-FOLD. The mission of the Five-Fold is to minister the Truth that’s why you are called in the Voice of the Archangel not in the Trump. DO NOT BE OUT OF FOCUS.

I hope you are also one of the people whose greatest happiness is to know the Lord, that is, to possess His Truth. And that you have also realized that the exceedingly great reward you can have on this Erath is to fully know Him.

Lastly dearly beloved of the Lord Jesus Christ, love the Truth with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the secret of knowing our Lord. Only a few people love Him. But not you, not us. We came from the Truth that’s why we love It. Just like what our Lord Jesus said:

“Every one that is of the Truth heareth my voice.” (John 18:37c).

May the Lord continue to reveal us His Truth is my prayer.

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