What Is Truth?

Those words, spoken by Pontius Pilate over 2000 years ago (John 18:38) as he interrogated Jesus, still resonate throughout our world today.  In our world, there is an all out assault on the definition of truth because the Adversary knows that if he can delude us into believing that which is a lie to be that which is true, then we will be truly lost both individually and corporately as a people.  Whether it is embodied in the numerous religions of the world - all clamoring to know how to achieve happiness, bliss, or eternal blessing - or it is perversions of actual truth within cultural norms, truth (real truth) is being bombarded, blockaded, and besieged.  There is only one truth and that is the one true God himself. The Almighty God who created all things.  Every word that proceeds from the mouth of God is truth because God is truth.  Unfortunately, that concept alone may not be enough for us to understand truth because we have so many differing ideas about who that God is that we literally have numerous truths just embedded within our concept of God.

  

For this reason, God himself sent the embodiment of truth into the world so that we may know exactly what truth looked like.  John 1:1 says “In the beginning was the Word (i.e., the word of God – that is, truth), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  Then in John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  In other words, Jesus Christ himself is the Word of God and therefore he is the flesh and bones embodiment of truth.  Jesus himself said “I am the way, the Truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Over and over and over again, his teachings began with the simple phrase, "I tell you the truth..."

  

There is no truth except that which is embodied in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.  It is the standard for truth that all must ultimately acknowledge and abide by or else one day be judged by.  From him, we can know the truth, and the truth will set us free. 

  

What does the life of Jesus teach us about truth?  Jesus was compassionate to those who needed him.  He healed them, opened their blind eyes, and fed them.  He didn’t ignore them or tell them they deserved their suffering.   Jesus fellowshipped and ate with sinners.  He spoke to them of repentance and forgiveness.  He did not bar the door of his home and place a loaded shotgun beside it to keep them at bay.  He would not have shot them dead for breaking into his house.  He did not look after his own interests or try to destroy his enemies.  He didn’t use pejoratives to describe them just because they did not yet know him.  He did not despise them or try to intimidate them - except perhaps the self-righteous, holier than thou, overly religious types who were enslaving the people.  Those he called hypocrites.  Jesus didn’t string sinners up in the street like some vigilante, but rather said “he who is without sin cast the first stone”.  Then, when no one could come forward to cast that stone, said “go and sin no more.”   Earthly judgment is in the hands of the God-ordained government.  Whether we like it or not, God put it there.  If they don’t carry out their responsibility, then eternal judgment is in the hands of God alone!   Our job as Christians is to show the way to repentance, not to condemn, for not even Jesus came into the world to condemn, but to seek and to save that which was lost (John 3:17)!  Jesus’ half-brother James says “Out of the same mouth come both praise and cursings. My brothers this should not be!”

  

The only one that Jesus saw as the enemy was Satan.  The only ones he ranted and railed at were the blatantly unrepentant (Matthew 11) and self-righteous (Matthew 23).   Everyone else he loved and wished for them to repent – of their sinfulness as well as their self-righteousness.  Because he was lifted up, he draws all men to himself (John 12:32).  None are outside of his reach.  Jesus’ life teaches us to serve others and to give ourselves for them. Jesus came as a servant and gave himself willingly – even to the point of death – not for those who loved him, but for those who hated him (Romans 5:8). 

  

What does the teachings of Jesus teach us about truth?  Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for them (Matthew 5:44).  In fact, he taught us that our enemies are just as much of our neighbor as those closest to us and so we are to do good to them.   Jesus taught us to be humble instead of being self-righteous (Matthew 23:12).  He taught us to forgive rather than to hate, going so far as to say that if we do not forgive, then the Father will not forgive us (Matthew 6;15).  He taught us that every one of us are a light in the darkness.  He taught us to submit rather than to complain – or worse – to rebel. It is our obligation to shine forth HIS truth.  Not the truth of the Republicans or the Democrats or the Libertarians, Tea Party, or Neo-Nazis.  We are to shine HIS truth.  And that truth is that the world will know we are Christians by our love.  It doesn’t matter what we say, only what we do.  In Matthew 21, Jesus tells of two sons.  One said he would obey but didn’t.  The other said he would not obey but did.  It is our actions, not our words that define whether we are truly in the truth.  On his last night on earth, Jesus said if we truly love him, we will keep his commandments.  He then said what that command was: “a new commandment I give you that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”  We are not to love country more than we love Jesus or, for that matter, more than we love each other.  Our first obligation is not to country but to Christ by being obedient to his command to love one another.  Each of us has an obligation to show that love of Jesus to those around us and to teach them the truth of the gospel. 

What is truth?  Jesus is truth.  He is the only measure of truth.  Any other so-called truth that does not measure up to his life or teaching is a lie.  Lord help me to display your truth in my life by living as you would live!