So help me God (Thanks to Jeannie Pepper for the concept of this article) “Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” We’re all familiar with this phrase, mostly because of popular television shows that include courtroom scenes. Often in these shows, the witness are kept from telling the whole truth by officers of the court. It seems that, except for truth in advertising, when our own money is involved, we really don’t care to know the truth, especially when it comes to religion or the personal lifestyle of political leaders. In Isaiah 30: 8-11 and 2 Timothy 4: 1-5, we read about people who would rather hear myths than the truth. Some teachers will even lie to the people because they want to exploit them (2 Peter 2: 1-3). Suppressing the truth is wicked and brings about God’s wrath (Romans 1: 18). It shows a great lack of love for God and each other (John 14: 15; Matthew 28: 18-20). Neither teacher nor student are innocent and both are accountable to God for this (2 Corinthians 5: 10; Romans 16: 17-19). It takes love to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (Ephesians 4: 15). We learn to distinguish good and evil by learning the truth through Bible study (Hebrews 5: 11-14). Second Timothy 2: 15 (NIV) says, “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, who correctly handles the word of truth.” To correctly handle the word of truth, we must study all of it and interpret each part in light of all the rest because it all comes from God and all of it is designed for our good (2 Timothy 3: 16, 17). We need to accept the Bible as the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth because it is the avenue through which we learn about salvation (John 17: 17; 14: 6; Acts 4: 12). We need to allow the truth to become implanted (James 1: 21) so it can grow and produce fruit of salvation in ourselves and others (Luke 8: 11-15). All of us need to be more careful and demand the truth in all things, especially when it comes to our salvation, because if we miss that mark, even God’s grace won’t be there to help us (2 Thessalonians 2: 9-11). As we study God’s word with the desire to learn the truth, making sure that what we believe is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (Acts 17: 11; John 4: 23, 24), God will help us to understand it (Philippians 3: 15; Ephesians 3: 4). It also is critical, though, that as we learn the truth, we put into practice what it says (Philippians 3: 16) because that is the only way we can get God’s help and gain our freedom from sin and its consequences (John 8: 31, 32). Are you practicing and preaching (teaching by example and word) the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth (1 Corinthians 11: 1; Philippians 4: 9; 1 Timothy 4: 15, 16)? That is what it takes to be innocent of the blood of all men (Acts 20: 26, 27; Ezekiel 3: 16-19) and it is the only guarantee we have of, “so help me God.”