Proverbs 23:23
Buy the truth, and sell it not; also wisdom, and instruction, and understanding.
There are four areas where the believer is not to sale themselves out to get to truth. They are not to be for sale to find wisdom, instruction, and understanding. In other words, don't sell yourself to the wrong crowd on your journey to find truth just to glean their wisdom, instruction, or understanding. When God says, Buy the truth, and sell it not; He is saying that you won't sell truth if you don't go to the wrong sources to learn truth. My friend, I won’t sell truth if I don't go to the wrong people to glean their wisdom. I won't sell truth if I don't go to the wrong places to get instruction that will help me to get truth. Likewise, I won't sell truth if I don't try to understand truth from people who do not believe like me. Truth is critical to what we believe, and we are not to sell it for any purpose.
However, we live in times when many argue that it is okay to go to the wrong crowd to glean their wisdom, listen to their instruction, and learn from their understanding as long as you spit out the untruths they teach. They often say they will take in the good and spit out the bones. Still, the problem is the bones of false doctrine and compromise are woven throughout the instruction, wisdom, and understanding of compromisers, and you can't spit those bones out without choking on them. Truth should never be for sale. I would rather stay simple about truth than sell it out to glean tainted instruction from sell-outs. Many who once used to hold firm to truth have changed because they sold out to the wrong crowd to glean good when the only thing they gleaned was compromise. There are several things for which people will sell the truth.
First, many will sell truth for the sake of being accepted by their peers. Many have sold out truth to be accepted by those they went to college with and their alma mater. You cannot give your loyalties to institutions and personalities without eventually selling the truth. I am amazed at how many are more loyal to institutions than they are truth. You must be sold out to one thing: truth. If truth is your sole prized possession, you will not sell out to people who have compromised it just to be in their favor.
Second, many will sell truth for the “easier life.” Holding firm to truth is not easy. Truth requires labor, and many would rather give a token of their time toward truth instead of giving their life to spread it. If you are always looking for the easy way of life, you will one day sell the truth.
Third, many will sell truth for the sake of peace. You cannot hold firm to truth without having battles. Many are more in love with peace at any cost than they are in love with truth at any cost. If you are in love with peace at any cost, you will sell out the truth for the sake of not fighting. Truth is always in battles, and you will find yourself constantly in battles if you choose not to be a sell-out. I would rather spend my life fighting battles for truth than live a peaceful life and lose those I love to compromise because I sold truth out.
Fourth, many will sell truth for the sake of money. If money is your focus, you will sell out truth just to make another dollar. Never let money be your focus for living because, at some point, you will be offered more money if you leave truth. Don't be for sale for money because truth always brings joy, whereas money always leaves you wanting more.
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