Truth has become a scarce commodity. I think my grandmother’s favorite saying needs to be revised. Instead of “don’t believe anything you hear and half of what you see”, it should say don’t believe anything you hear or see. Ask yourself about these everyday occurrences. What news source can you believe today? What products meet the standard companies advertise? Is that really a picture of big foot or the loch ness monster? Is that model’s body actually that perfect? Or has it been Photoshopped? Is that preacher or evangelist truthfully proclaiming what the Bible says? Or has he taken Scripture out of context and created a deceitful doctrine through false logic? Bottom line, believers must ground themselves in truth as never before.
So, how do we do that? This brings up the age-old question that Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” (Joh 18:38). Philosophers have long sought to define truth. Without God and through mere human logic this is what some concluded. Truth is “what works” and brings the right results (William James). Truth is “what is existentially relevant” (Kierkegaard). “There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths” (Nietzsche). Others say, Truth is “what feels good.” Christians must understand and accept the fact that truth is never relative. It does not vary from culture to culture or from age to age. God has made available to all believers absolute truth, which is transcultural, timeless, unchangeable, eternal, and objective. However, one shocking survey shows that 75% of professing Christians do not believe there is absolute truth.
Without the anchor of absolute truth, believers are hopelessly blowing in the wind of a sinful society. The Bible becomes like a giant buffet and people choose the parts they like and ignore all that does not fit into their human rationale. Jesus said you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free (Joh 8:32). The more truth we accept and apply to our lives, the freer we become. However, Christians who do not accept that God has given us absolute truth, only live in partial freedom. Also anything less than total acceptance of truth, leaves our worship incomplete. “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (Joh 4:24). No human has a legitimate excuse for not knowing the truth. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse (Rom 1:20). Paul explains that men suppressed the truth in unrighteousness (v18). They exchanged the truth of God for a lie (v25). He later told Timothy in the last days, they will turn away their ears from the truth (2Tim 4:4).
Truth is the by far the most powerful force God has revealed to us. Besides the freedom it gives us, it provides protection. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist (Eph. 6:14 NIV). Be aware that if we don’t live and practice truth, we weaken our armor. God sanctifies us through truth; they themselves also may be sanctified in truth (Joh 17:19). On the other hand, scripture gives numerous warnings concerning truth. People can stray from the truth. My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth (Jam 5:19). Selfish ambitions can hinder people from truth, to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth (Rom 2:8). We can invalidate the word of God (truth) by traditions. And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition (Mat 15:6). The word for invalidate means to deprive of authority, annul, make of none effect or cancel.
So, what is truth? Jesus gave us a succinct clear direction. Truth is not a set of rules or standards we practice. Truth is a person. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me (Joh 14:6). The first step toward knowing absolute truth is a relationship with Jesus. We grow in the knowledge of truth as we allow Him to lead us through life and various experiences. We increase in our knowledge and our relationship with Christ by studying His Word—the Bible. Your word is truth (Joh 17:17). We could say Jesus is the incarnate truth who we have a relationship with and the Bible is the written truth that we study and put into our hearts. To aid us, the Father sent us a Helper to guide us. “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; (Joh 16:13). He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you (14:26).
Last week my daughter encountered a situation in the school where she works. Everyone disagreed with her stance on an issue. She sent me a text and I replied with a quote I’d heard. Pigeons flock together and do what the others are doing. Eagles soar alone. Today, concerning absolute truth, we may have to soar alone. Truth doesn’t come by a popular vote. God has revealed the absolute truth through His Son and His Word.
Sustaining Word for the Week: Absolute truth will set you free and make your worship pure and complete.