April 8, 2024
THE STAND
RE: THE TRUTH
Do you tell your spouse the truth?
…ALWAYS?
That would be the whole truth and nothing but the truth, do you? When you communicate with spouse or children, or any family members or friends, or even in the workplace, or church, or social gatherings, do you tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth all the time?
…ALL THE TIME?
And, do you expect others to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when they communicate with you, do you? To tell the truth always, all of it, to everyone under every circumstance, is an extremely difficult task, if not impossible. Our communication, our cultural exchanges, our personal expectations are difficult,
partial at best, and seldom if ever contain the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. More often than not, we leave out or add in. We communicate Half-Truths.
The definition of half-truth is that only about half of that is true, if that. So often, we communicate with the so-called WHITE LIE. Interesting, is it not, how we give colors
(black-white-gray) to falsified communication? The truth, knowing and communicating the truth, is a difficult process.
Perhaps it is a journey to know, believe, and communicate the truth. No matter, it is the obligation, the duty, of a Christian to be truthful, to know and communicate the
truth. THOU SHALT NOT LIE (bear false witness) say the commandments and affirmed by our Lord. When we communicate with others in word or deed, it must be with the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth to the very best of our human abilities. That is especially so in family circles. The lie sets an example, a very bad one,
especially in family circles, with spouses and children. If a parent expects a child to tell the truth, then that parent better tell the truth as a matter of course, regularly and all the time, and without exception.
Pilate, the governor who passed judgment on Jesus, asked the age-old question, perhaps one of the most important questions (issues) ever asked:
WHAT IS TRUTH?
He had his answer from Jesus of Nazareth, who told him bluntly and point blank:
I AM THE TRUTH. I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE!
That message was for all of us. Jesus told the world of that time and all of us since, that he was ONE WITH THE FATHER, in other words, God himself. That was either the biggest lie of all time, or the most profound truth, one or the other. But, said He, that is the ultimate truth and to know exactly what Jesus was, who He was, was the ultimate spiritual and divine truth. Do you know that and do you believe that?
But what is the definition of truth? It is extremely difficult to define. Truth is based on fact, that which really happened. It is reality, truth is, unvarnished. It is what actually happened, what was accurately said, things not subject to interpretation or question. Truth is moral, good, and right. It is honest and reliable. Truth, real truth is not subject to question, doubt, or interpretation. It comes from the deeds and the words of an honest person. It creates no doubt.
The exact opposite is the LIE. Amazing, is it not, how the lie pervades our culture, our society, our government? Our political world, worldwide and especially in America, is corrupt, knows not the truth, cares nothing about the truth, and in fact boldly proclaims that we live in the day and age of:
POST TRUTH.
Our leaders, almost all know more than mere politicians, power, money, and fame-hungry individuals seem to care little or nothing about the truth. They lie to us with impunity. Many pastors do the very same thing by perverting the Word of God, watering down hard scriptural truth, and failing to set the truthful and moral example
which this world of ours so desperately needs. The lie, the lack of truth, pervades business, even the medical world, education, and in fact almost every aspect of our
society. The lie goes on in both word and deed. Hypocrisy, saying one thing and doing another, seems part of our everyday life. We exaggerate, and we compromise. We
would rather be liked than tell the hard truth or stand up, tall and strong, for what we believe. We seem to have little regard for the conspiracy factor, that we may be equally guilty of not dealing with the lie, the false, the hypocritical, when it is our spiritual duty to do so. The journey to know, believe, and tell the truth is long and difficult
indeed, is it not?
So often, to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, straight and without exaggeration is unpopular and such a person is often disliked. Recall how
hated Jesus of Nazareth was when he confronted, challenged, and convicted so many with the message of the eternal gospel. But he boldly proclaimed himself to be the
truth and he told all humankind that to know Him (Me) was to know the truth and that truth would make any believing person:
FREE.
Free from guilt, free from sin, free from inhibitions, weakness, and anger, FREE! And that freedom would give us courage, courage to stand for the truth so that we would not be ashamed or afraid, or anxious, or intimidated. Rather, we would be confident, actualized, energized, and filled with the Holy Spirit who would give us the words, structure the beliefs within us and make us the new creatures our Lord intended, his disciples who would joyfully pursue the journey of truth lifelong. That same Holy Spirit, the spirit of truth, would govern our conscience, structure our mind and our thinking, and live inside as a warning system. That same Holy Spirit would be our
guide, our leader in:
KNOWING THE TRUTH.
That very same truth which would make us free.
So, the answer to Pilate’s question WHAT IS TRUTH? Is provided in a nutshell by our Lord. Jesus said:
I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE.
To know him, really know Him, is the only real way to really know THE TRUTH. As you grow in the knowledge, belief, and love of your Savior, you come to know the truth in the most ultimate and satisfying way, and HE is the end goal of our ultimate journey in the search for truth. The more He lives within your heart, the more you know the
truth. There is nothing more wonderful in life than to live the life of truth. No matter this world, the lie of Satan which seems to pervade everything, and almost everyone,
you can know the truth, and that truth, that ultimate truth, is contained in two words:
