What is truth? Is it possible for someone to think something is true and another person think the same thing is untrue? Wouldn’t this mean they conflict with each other so both cannot be true? What then is the source of truth? Is it science? Is it philosophy? Is it psychology? Is it religion? Is it politics? Is it government? Is it the media? Are you the source? Am I? I would like to share what I learned about truth.
The world defines truth as fact or belief that is accepted as true. Given that definition anything a person believes is true. Look what happens when I take this definition to the extreme. Even though the sun is hot, and a person believes it is cold, then wouldn’t the truth be that the sun is cold not hot. This leads us to all kinds of issues that blurs understanding and destroys hope. It leads to the idea that although I am biologically male, if I can believe I am female, and it must be true. It leads to the idea that even though science indicates at conception the embryo has a unique DNA, some people will argue it is part of a woman’s body when the fact is that it is its own body. The list goes on and on.
However, I have learned that truth is reality as God sees it. It is not based upon what I think but on what God thinks or says about it. “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” Psalms 119:160 (ESV) It is clear here that the source of truth is in God and His Word, and it is true forever. It does not fluctuate with current opinions or feelings.
The Apostle John writes a lot about truth and Jesus spoke a lot about truth. Truth occurs 25 times in the Gospel of John, 7 times in 1 John and 11 times in just 27 verses in 1 John and 2 John. Obviously, John thought truth was important. He thought we needed to understand it. He pointed out that it comes through Jesus Christ. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17 (ESV)
He then gives us a series of quotes from Jesus that talk about truth. I see that Jesus talks about being Himself as being the source of truth in 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (ESV) I noticed that not only did Jesus claim to be the truth but He also proclaimed the truth that He is the only way to the Father. It does not matter if I think that I can get to the Father another way because Jesus who is truth says I cannot.
Jesus also tells me that I can know what the truth is. He gave me a very simple way it is by abiding in God’s Word, The Holy Bible. My ability to abide in God’s Word comes from my belief in Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection. “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (ESV) You too can have this assurance by believing in Him as well. You can find out here.
Also, when Jesus ascended into heaven, He gave me access to another special gift that would allow me to decern what is true. He sent me His Holy Spirit who is also called the Spirit of Truth. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.” John 16:13 (ESV)
I also found that there is a great example of how the world treats truth, it walks away like Pontius Pilate. “Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?” After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.” John 18:37-38 (ESV) So, Pilate like the world chooses to walk away from the greatest authority on truth because he wanted his own truth.
I believe we all have the choice to believe in Jesus Christ my source of truth and hope, or to walk away and do our own thing. Therefore. is pray you will join me in having the ability to know what is true and what is false, which brings hope. Understanding the greatest thing we have to offer is knowledge that Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) However, if you do not know Jesus you must first accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord then you need to ask the Holy Spirit to tame our tongue. This will allow us to bring hope as opposed to destroying hope. At the same time understanding that you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ and this what brings the greatest hope all because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfying the penalty for sins. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, in the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here.
You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google
