Just before Pontius Pilate had Jesus put to death by crucifixion, he wanted to know the truth about Jesus... His Kingdom and... His Kingship...
We read in....☆ John 18:38...
"Pilate said unto Him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and said unto them, I find in Him no fault at all."
"What is truth?...
We can well ask the same question today...
"What is truth?"... especially when there's so much information we can access out there.
Whenever we want to find out anything about everything, all we have to do is ask Doctor or Professor Google.
So...
"What is the truth... the whole truth... and nothing but the truth?"
Daily, we are bombarded with a mountain of "stuff" on TV and radio...
We avail ourselves to even more "stuff" on the Internet and our mobile phones...
Weekly our letterboxes are stuffed with advertising leaflets... more information luring us to purchase the so called best and the cheapest of "this, that and the other."
And what is my biggest concern?
Is all the stuff that we read, see, hear or are exposed to... the truth?
Somehow I don't think so!
How do I know?
Because of the differences of opinion, the biases, the disagreeing, the arguing and the debating...
One will say one thing... and another will say something similar... slightly different or totally the opposite.
And... "things" that are considered "truth" one day... can change the next.
We even hear words bandied around such as fake news... misinformation... disinformation... making the truth more confusing.
And what about "wonderful" Facebook which has taken the world by storm?
So much is said and spread on Facebook!
And... is everything you read... right, correct or truthful there?
Again, I don't think so!
In fact... I know so!
I was recently "duped" into buying a special small lens attachment for my mobile phone that supposedly could zoom in on distant objects and produce super close, super sharp photos.
There were dozens of so called "testimonials" saying how excellent this lens thing-a-me-bob was.
And the truth?
The product was far from delivering (it didn't) what it said it could do... false advertising... a scam!
A complete lie!
I'm sure you've all checked out the WWW... the World Wide Web many times for information... Do we have a yes?
And... this information is shaping our thinking.
The word "web" is correct...
How many of us are caught up in this web?
Most of us are very quick to ask Google if we want to know something.
So... if there's a lot of info out there... what do you accept as being correct and true?
How do you sift out truth from untruth... half truth from straight out lie... fact from fiction?
I was looking up some info on a specific topic only recently for somebody else.
What did I find?
A multitude of websites on that one topic and more!!
So... what was the truth?
What do I select?
What do I believe?
Well, in this instance, I only chose that information from the sites I visited, that were in agreeance with each other.
And was that then the truth of the matter??
Not necessarily so.
Even then I had to "accept by faith" that which I did glean from the Net as being accurate.
Can you see how difficult (even sinister) it has become?
There's an absolute plethora of information at our finger tips today.
And listen carefully... it is not all accurate... it is not all true!
Information can be changed over night without us even realising it. Think about that for a moment!
What we really need today is something called discernment... insight and good judgement.
In other words a confident ability to choose and select wisely... a hard call, I know.
Truth according to the dictionary is... indisputable fact.
That's good... I like that.
Personally... I believe that true TRUTH... is absolute, it does not change, is unalterable, is a constant... is established fact... is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow...
Can you see where I am heading?
The Apostle Paul tells us to...
☆ 1 Thessalonians 5:21...
"Prove (test) all things; hold fast (keep firm possession of) that which is good (excellent, honest, admirable, genuine, true)."
What I do find very sad and disturbing today is that... true TRUTH such as the Word of God... will be vigorously challenged, disbelieved and even made fun of and yet so called other truth on the Net will be gullibly and blindly accepted.
Satan today, as he did back in the Garden of Eden, still throws mankind that one liner...
"Did God really say that?"... always planting seeds of doubt in our minds.
So... "What is truth?"
The catch phrase on the TV series X-Files with its... "The truth is out there somewhere!" is... closer than you think.
So, again I ask... what is truth, and where do we find it?
If I want to find out anything about my Pajero 4WD I go to the SOURCE for the truth. I find out from Mitsubishi the makers and I go to my Pajero car manual.
Not Ford... Not Toyota... Not Rolls Royce... but Mitsubishi!!
If my car manual is untrustworthy and not true... then I am in dire straits with my car.
And the truth about LIFE?
The answer is very simple really... we go to the SOURCE of ALL life.
We go to our Maker... our Creator!
That is, we go to... Almighty God Himself...
□ the Great I Am that I Am...
□ the One Who was, Who is and Who is to come...
□ He Who is the Alpha and Omega,
□ He Who is the Beginning and the End,
□ He Who is the First and the Last.
And... the LORD has been gracious enough to give us His manual on life... called the Bible.
The Bible... God's Word... is TRUTH... is ABSOLUTE PURE TRUTH!
God is True.
God is Holy.
God is Light... in Him there is no darkness.
God is unchangeable... He is the same yesterday, today and forever.
"God is not a man that He should lie."
☆ Numbers 23:19.
Almighty God is totally and absolutely trustworthy!
If He isn't... then creation itself is in big trouble.
God's Word has amply proven its authenticity... by its accurate fulfilled prophecy.
Prophecy in the Bible has been 100% spot on!
Every prophecy in the Old Testament concerning Jesus Christ's first coming was fulfilled to the letter...
No other book in the whole history of mankind can claim that honour and accuracy.
And... there are more prophecies that are going to be fulfilled in the very near future concerning Christ's Second Coming!
■ I believe that the most important TRUTH we need to know or find out during our short journey on earth is... "The Meaning of Life."
Four (4) questions need to be answered here...
● Who am I?
● Where did I come from?
● Why am I here?
● Where am I going?
Those answers... we will find in the Word of God and only in the Word of God.
If we miss out on discovering this TRUTH... we will have missed the whole point of living on this earth... and end up being eternally separated from God... that is, eternally lost...
And that would be an absolute travesty.
"The Meaning of Life" is all wrapped up in One person... in Jesus Christ... Who is the TRUTH.
"Whosoever believes on Him shall not perish... but have everlasting life."
His Story becomes our Story...
And the two most important TRUTHS in the Word of God, with regards to Jesus Christ are...
● Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and...
● Christ rose again from the dead three days later according to the Scriptures.
☆ 1 Corinthians 15:1-4...
When we discover, believe and receive what Christ Jesus accomplished for us on the Cross of Calvary, the whole of life will take on new and real meaning... here and now and into eternity.
All other "worldly truths" will simply pale into insignificance... because they do not deal with Eternal Issues... which is what really matters.
Jesus said very plainly...
☆ Matthew 16:26...
"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"
Do you know what your eternal destiny is?
I believe that those who are born again by the Spirit of God live their life on earth and see its challenges in a more realistic and fulfilling way than those who totally reject the things of God.
Christians see the world from God the Creator's perspective... they see the world through His eyes... and live accordingly.
The Christian lives and walks in God's TRUTH...
which is our Rock... our foundation for living.
It is very interesting to note that many of the great scientists and the discoveries that they made, were God fearing men... e.g. Johannes Kepler, Sir Isaac Newton, Blaise Pascal, Michael Faraday... just to name a few.
I believe these guys were given "insider information" so to speak, by their Creator... on creation and "how it ticks."
They stand head and shoulders above the rest of the other scientists.
I love this verse...
☆ Colossians 2:3...
"In... Christ Jesus are hid ALL the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
Everything we need to know in the spiritual and the natural is in Christ... because... " in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead." ☆ Colossians 1:19.
That's my position on TRUTH!
Check out these three separate links about scientists who are/were Christians....
http://www.godandscience.org/apologetics/sciencefaith.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christians_in_science_and_technology
The word TRUTH appears 224 (7 x 32) x's in the Bible.
Yesterday as I was pondering on what I have written, I felt the Lord saying... "Bathe, immerse and saturate yourself in My Word (Jesus) which is TRUTH."
Somebody that I know, once said... we need to "marinate ourselves in the Word."
Sadly, that person didn't heed their own advice and is now totally caught up and tangled in the World Wide Web of conspiracy theories.
My specialty saying is... "Read the Word daily... and prevent truth decay!"
Let us have a quick look at "truth" and what the Word of God has to say...
■ ☆ Psalm 119:89...
"For ever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in heaven."
God's truth is established in heaven... forever.
God's Word... God's truth is Eternal.
Everything will one day pass away... but God's Word will never pass away.
■ ☆ Psalm 33:4...
"For the Word of the LORD is right; and all His works are done in TRUTH."
Everything God created, everything God does... is done in TRUTH... the Hebrew word here means: firmness, moral faithfulness, steadfastness, steadiness.
When God created, He "... saw that it was good."
Everything was created as God intended it to be created... perfect and complete.
God did not wait for "the evolutionary processes" to do its thing over millions of years.
"For His pleasure they are and were created."
☆ Revelation 4:11.
God spoke... and it was so!
■ ☆ John 17:17...
"Sanctify them through Your truth: Your Word is truth."
The Word of God is truth.
And God's Word... God's truth sanctifies... cleanses... purifies... makes us holy.
"Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against You." ☆ Psalm 119:11...
■ ☆ John 1:1 and 14...
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...
And the Word was made flesh (Jesus), and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Jesus Christ is the Word... Jesus Christ is God.
Jesus left Heaven's glory to come to the earth as a human being. Jesus came to save all mankind from sin, death and Hell.
We are told Jesus is...
□ full of grace (kind, merciful, gracious, doing good to all, and seeking man's welfare by great sacrifices and love)... and...
□ full of truth (Jesus declared the truth. In Him was no falsehood. He was not like the false prophets and false Messiahs, who were impostors... nor was He like the emblems and shadows of the Old Testament, which were only types of the true... but He was truth itself. He represented things as they are...)
■ ☆ John 14:6...
"Jesus said unto him (Thomas), I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man comes unto the Father, but by Me."
... the greatest truth we can discover in our earthly journey is Jesus Christ the Son of God Who is the TRUTH.
Not only is Christ the Truth but He is also THE Life and THE Way.
Jesus the Truth is the only way to God.
And what do you do with Jesus the Truth?
□ You believe in Him! Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.
□ You receive Him! "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God."
□ You live and abide in Him!
■ ☆ John 8:32,36...
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free... If the Son (Jesus) therefore shall make you free, you shall be free indeed."
Jesus the TRUTH sets us completely free... saves us completely from sin and death and Hell.
Knowing Jesus the TRUTH, is to know God.
To know God is to confidently know and have Eternal Life.
■ ☆ John 15:26...
"But when the Comforter is come, Whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of TRUTH, which proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me."
Jesus the Truth gave us the Comforter... the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth and His job is to testify of Jesus the Truth.
With the Eternal Godhead there are no lies... there is no guile... there is no deceit... just TRUTH!
■ ☆ John 16:13...
"... when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into ALL truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will show you things to come."
The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth will guide, lead and direct us into ALL TRUTH... not some truth... not part truth... but ALL TRUTH.
He does not speak of Himself, but what He hears from the Father and the Son, that shall He speak... He is the Spirit of revelation, God's revelation.
■ ☆ John 8:44...
"You (Jesus speaking of the religious leaders) are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it."
The Bible also tells us that Satan is the...
• "god of this world"...
• "the prince of the power of the air"...
• "masquerades as an angel of light"... and...
• the father of all lies.
Satan has infiltrated and tainted all worldly wisdom, knowledge and understanding.
Areas such as the media, science, medicine, economics, religion, philosophy, politics, entertainment, sport, sociology and education have all been distorted, corrupted, falsified by him in some way...
Since he is the father of lies, and his influence is extensive in this world, we can certainly ask...
"What is truth?"
You can now see why we have such a "slippery mudslide" of information out there to distract, confuse and mislead us.
Satan is all about disorder, chaos, lies and bondage.
The Devil is diabolically clever at disguising, sugar coating lies as "truth."
Worst still, he takes truth and tarnishes it with a little untruth... he twists it.
The slight tainting of truth... makes that truth a LIE!
We need to be so very careful what we access and take on board.
We need also to be careful how and what we share of it.
Joseph Goebles minister of propaganda for Nazi Germany in WW 2 said...
"If you tell a lie big enough and long enough... it becomes truth."
Hitler had the people of Germany duped, deceived, seduced for many years with his lies.
■ ☆ John 4:24...
"God is Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in TRUTH."
How do we worship God the Father Who is Spirit?
There's a lot of information, video clips, music on the Net all to do with worship.
Much of the worship today has become very slick worldly entertainment.
Is that what the Lord wants?
Jesus said very simply that when we worship the Father, we must worship Him in spirit and in TRUTH.
Worship comes from the heart... worship is focus on the Godhead... worship is our spirit connecting with God's Spirit.
Our access to the Father is only through His Son Jesus and His finished work on the Cross.
No man can come to the Father but by Him.
That's the TRUTH in worshipping the Father... it's only through Jesus... the Cross and His shed blood!
■ ☆ 1 Corinthians 13:6...
"Rejoice not in iniquity, but rejoice in the TRUTH."
There is no place for the Christian to rejoice (to be happy) in sin, since the Father has dealt with this "spiritual cancer" by Jesus's death on the Cross.
We are to rejoice in Jesus Who is The TRUTH.
■ ☆ Ephesians 1:13..
"In Whom (Jesus) you also trusted, after that you heard the word of TRUTH, the Gospel of your salvation..."
The Gospel, the Good News of our salvation... is the Word of TRUTH.
The truth that will never change.
There is one God, one Jesus, one Way, one Gospel... ONE TRUTH!
Folk... TRUTH is all about Jesus!
And... all TRUE TRUTH points to and leads us to the One true God!!
■ ☆ Ephesians 4:25...
"Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man TRUTH with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."
Lying has no place whatsoever in the believer's life. Jesus said that Satan is the father of all lies. Here Paul encourages us to put away all lying (especially little white lies) and to speak the truth with everyone.
■ ☆ Ephesians 5:9...
"For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and... TRUTH."
In Galatians 5 Paul gives us the 9 fruit of the Spirit...
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance (self control).
Here in Ephesians he says that in all goodness, in all righteousness and in all truth... you will find displayed the 9 fruit of the Spirit.
■ ☆ Ephesians 6:14...
"Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with TRUTH, and having on the breastplate of righteousness."
You and I, the Christian are engaged in a spiritual warfare with the Devil. The Apostle Paul tells us to put on all our spiritual armour to protect ourselves from the wiles and the lies of the evil one.
We are to have our waist fastened about with the belt of TRUTH. The belt around our waist holds the other pieces of armour together.
Truth holds us together... truth keeps us intact.
We are to be constantly surrounded by the TRUTH of God's Word in our battle.
Whatever the "accuser of the bretheren" throws at us, we can speak out as Jesus spoke out during His great temptation... "It is written... ".
We must know Jesus... we must know the Word of God.
So... What is truth?
TRUTH... is not a body of facts nor is it information which can and does change...
Truth is not what.. but WHOM...
Truth in one word is... J..E..S..U..S (Who does not change)!
We can be guaranteed that Jesus won't rip us off in the process, He has no hidden agendas and He has no ulterior motives.
When you know Jesus Who is the TRUTH, He sets you free... and when He sets you free... you shall be FREE INDEED!
Jesus is our true compass in life... He is our unfailing GPS...
What is truth?
What is THE truth?
Jesus is God.
Jesus is the Word.
Jesus loves us with an everlasting love.
Jesus gave His life a ransom for us.
Jesus's shed blood cleanses from all sin.
Jesus rose again from the dead.
Jesus never leaves us nor forsakes us.
By Jesus's stripes we are healed.
Jesus baptises in the Holy Ghost and fire.
Jesus is coming to Rapture His church.
Jesus is coming again to rule and reign over His nation Israel. Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords.
Jesus' Name is higher than any other.
Homework:
Read the Psalms. The word "truth" appears in 46 verses.
See what more the Lord has to say about "truth".
Read, study, meditate and memorise the word of God to prevent truth decay.
Selah!