We live in a time where the concepts of ”spinning” and ”narrative” have just about completely replaced the Biblical concept of ”truth”.
WHY THIS LOSS OF TRUTH AND INTEGRITY? Isaiah 59:12-16 says – ”For our offenses are many in your sight … So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intercede.”
Jer 7:28 says – ”This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.”
When an individual, or a community, or a nation falls into sin and the church stops interceding, truth is nowhere to be found.
In John 8:43,44 Jesus addressed the religious leaders of his time: ”Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
Only those who belong to Jesus, can hear and understand what He says and can know truth.
And then Paul’s farewell warning to the Ephesian church in Acts 20:30,31 says –” Even from your own number (church members) men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard!”
Untruth and distorted ”truth” (deception) is a constant danger in the church.
THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION: WHAT IS TRUTH?
There are different reasons why we fail to discern the truth. One is that we cannot hear it, since we do not belong to God. In the dispute with the religious leaders of his time, Jesus said to them: ”Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (John 8:43,47)
When Jesus appeared before Pontius Pilate, He explained ”… for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” ”What is truth?” Pilate asked. (John 18:38) We have to be ”on the side of truth” to be able to hear, to discern, to understand and to obey truth.
It seems the real question is: WHO IS TRUTH?
It is interesting that Matthew records 30 instances when Jesus started a statement with the words: ”I tell you the truth” and John records 28 times. John also writes some fundamental statements about Jesus, his Holy Spirit and truth.
John 1:14 – The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:17 – For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
John 3:21 – But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light (of Christ), so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
John 8:31,32 – If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.
John 14:6 – I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:16,17 – I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counsellor to be with you forever – the Spirit of Truth
John 15:26 – When the Counsellor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me
John 16:13 – But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.
John 17:17 – Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.
Father, thank you that we have been sanctified by your truth, our Lord Jesus, your Word to us. Thank you for your Spirit, who guides us into all truth. Please keep teaching us, and help us to live in your truth. Amen
Elzeth Malherbe