Something that is false is the opposite—something that is not in accordance with reality. If the door is actually open, then “The door is open” is true as it is in accordance with reality. If the door is not actually open, then “The door is open” is false as it is not in accordance with reality. So what if we apply this “in accordance with reality” definition of truth to commands? If we do this, we start to see why we should say certain commands are true while others are false.

Can a command be called true?

Think about it. Almost everyone would logically answer no. We all agree that a statement such as, “I love my wife” might be called true. So might the statement “I prayed to God today.” These are statements about what’s true (what have been termed “propositions”). They are claims of fact. They can be deemed true or false.

But what if we turned these statements into commands? Most people would say we cannot deem the command “Man, love your wife” to be true. The same goes for command like “Pray to God.” Commands, we think, cannot be true. They may be good or right. But to most of us they cannot logically be true.

“All Your Commandments Are True”

Yet the biblical authors say that God’s commands are true. They don’t only see God’s commands as good or right; they see his commands as true.

Notice how the psalmists describe God’s commands with the adjective “true”:

• “The rules of the Lord are true” (Psalm 19:9)
• “Your law is true” (Psalm 119:142)
• “All your commandments are true” (Psalm 119:151)

And more could be cited. The inspired biblical writers say all God’s rules, laws, and commandments are true.

How can this be? Are they being illogical? 

C.S. Lewis’s Insight

C.S. Lewis helps us here. He writes,

“[The psalmist] asserts that the Law is ‘true’ or ‘the truth’…A modern logician would say that the Law is a command and that to call a command ‘true’ makes no sense; ‘The door is shut’ may be true or false but ‘Shut the door’ can’t. But I think we all see pretty well what the Psalmists mean.

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