What Happened to Truth?

Not long ago, few questioned the reality of truth in our world. To deny established facts and well-known principles was viewed as foolish and unhelpful. Even among groups with bitter disagreements, they could still acknowledge a universal standard of truth that governed their purpose even while debating how it applied to their situation. Today, 58% of our countrymen in the United States deny moral absolutes.1 They instead affirm that morality is up to each person to decide for themselves. When that statistic is further investigated, the results become even more shocking. It reveals a nation full of people who refuse to accept reality for what it is. No, for they have found a better path: their own version of truth. Indeed, it is far easier to invent your own truth so that you do not have to conform to that which is universal for all people. After all, every person faces unique circumstances that exempt them from the norm, right?

            That is just the problem: it is not right. Truth is not a matter of circumstance or occasion. It is a bedrock foundation on which all that we are is built. To deny truth is not just a denial of facts and principles but a denial of what the Bible teaches. One cannot read the Scriptures and come away with the conclusion that truth does not exist or is irrelevant. When Jesus spoke of truth, He referred to it as a life-altering reality. He powerfully taught that truth sets us free from the bondage of sin (John 8:31-32). Denial of truth, then, is denial of liberty. When you deny the truth, you deny yourself liberation from the trap of sin. What you end up doing is submitting to Satan, who despises truth (John 8:44). Conversely, when you accept truth, no matter how challenging it is, you will find genuine freedom. That freedom will call you to abandon the paths of sin and live a life of righteousness for the Christ who purchased that freedom for you. Why then would we deny the truth?

            Later in John’s gospel, Jesus stated that He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). One cannot follow Jesus without accepting the reality of truth, for Jesus Himself is truth. That refers to His existence, nature, and teachings. All that we read about Jesus in the Scriptures helps us see truth more clearly. Denial of the truth, then, becomes a denial of Jesus. That is perhaps one of the most disturbing parts of the thinking we find among the people of our land. The same people who deny truth will claim to accept Jesus and follow His ways. Such is an impossibility. We cannot reject the truth while simultaneously accepting the Savior who said He is the truth! If we refuse to accept the truth, then we will in effect refuse Jesus. Why then would we deny the truth?

            In His final recorded prayer, Jesus requested that the Father set His disciples apart by the truth (John 17:17). That truth of which He spoke was found in the word the Father revealed. To Jesus, God’s revealed word—which we have available today in the form of the Bible—is truth. It is not a half-truth or a partial truth, but the truth. It is no wonder that denial of truth tends to produce denial of what the Scriptures teach. All throughout the United States there are people who see the Bible as a book of fairytales and clever fables designed to deceive the minds of the simple. According to what Jesus taught, denial of the truth becomes a denial of the Scriptures. When we see the truth as subject to each person’s whims, no amount of evidence will change our minds. One person can take the Bible as the standard for all people while another can take it as a book of fiction and that will be alright to us. That perspective flies in the face of reality, fact, and principle. Archaeology, textual criticism, and other fields have proven the Scriptures to be true, but we must accept that truth exists and can be learned. It is through the Scriptures we learn truth and how it applies to our lives. When we learn it, we can then practice it and be pleasing in God’s sight. Why then would we deny the truth?

            Friends, the truth has not become a matter of interpretation. There remains a universal standard to which all people must conform. When they do, they will find liberty, Jesus, and the power of the Scriptures. While your own version of truth may bring you comfort and affirmation, it will not last. Eventually reality will come and demand your attention. Accepting truth may bring hardship and denial, but, in the end, it will bring lasting satisfaction that is not based on circumstance but on the bedrock of what is right. Let us all give the truth some thought.
 
Sources

1. www.arizonachristian.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/AWVI-2020-Release-05-Perceptions-of-Truth.pdf