What is Truth?

If you read John's account of the life of Christ, you find he uses some words very frequently. For example, "light" and "life" appear throughout his writings. Another keyword for John is "truth." He introduces the term early in the first chapter when he refers to Christ as, "The true light, which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." Here John combines truth and light, which helps us understand his use of "light" when referring to Christ. To turn a light on in a dark room is to show things as they really are. You can see the door, as well as many obstacles that might be misidentified - or even tripped over - on your way to the door. To shed light on on a subject is to bring correct understanding and dispel wrong assumptions. Depending on the situation, it could mean the difference between life and death.

The room that Jesus enlightens is the mind of man. To every man that will ever live Christ has explained God - indeed, has revealed Himself to be God. To those who receive Him as such, He gives the right to become children of God.

"So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”" (John 8:31-32) Jesus' words are themselves truth.

Aletheia, the Greek word for truth, means reality; the unveiled reality lying at the basis of and agreeing with an appearance; the manifested, the veritable essence of matter. (Zodhiates)

Jesus' words reflect the reality which we are otherwise blind to. They turn on the lights and free us from a life of groping around in a world filled with guesses, speculation and empty wisdom. Without this light, without this truth, we are slaves to our sins, and cannot find our way to God. "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (John 14:6) God's words are truth, and by them alone is man correctly informed, saved and sanctified. (17:17)

When questioned by the Roman governor, a man that held in his hands the authority to free or condemn his prisoner, Jesus told him simply, "For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”" (John 18:37) Jesus states plainly that He knows truth, and that He came to give it to the world. How does Pontius Pilate respond to this? Does He respond as Peter did, "You have words of eternal life. We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69) No. Pilate is convinced that such truth simply does not exist. With Truth Incarnate - the God of the universe - standing before Him, he equivocates. He punts. He refuses to recognize the light which is now pressing against his mind. Unwilling to believe what is true, he remains in darkness, groping for excuses. As with the rest of fallen humanity he suppresses the truth - clinging to the comforts of darkness, unwilling to give it up and acknowledge what his consience contends is actually right.

"What is truth?" he asks. The way John writes this is actually has Pilate saying it repeatedly, as if he is trying to convince Jesus that there can be no such truth. "Come on, Jesus, that's a bit unrealistic, don't you think? A bit arrogant. After all, many people believe that they know truth, and that's just fine for them, but it just goes to show that there is no one, single truth out there. Such a concept just doesn't exist - you just have to go with what feels right for you, and respect everyone else's right to do the same."

Why? Why doesn't Pilate get it?

Sometimes a Christian will tell someone the truth about Jesus in the hope that the listener will accept the truth and believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the only hope of escape from sin, death and hell. Often the Christian doesn't get what he's hoping for, and the listener walks away unconvinced. What went wrong? Surely, if what they're saying is right, and they convey it in a reasonable, genuine and passionate manner, the unbeliever will be persuaded, right? Not so. Look at Pilate: he has his Creator standing right in front of Him, and he trumps God's truth claim with old fashioned relativism, "There's lots of truths - which means there's no truth," a weak excuse.

The question is begging for an answer: why doesn't Pilate see it? Why don't people today see it and believe!?

Jesus answers the question once and for all, "Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice." Pilate didn't believe because He was not "of the truth." To be of the truth is to believe and understand the truth. However, this presents another question: if you can't believe unless you are a believer, then how do you become a believer in the first place? Apparently, you don't become "of the truth" by understanding the truth - quite the opposite, you understand the truth because you are first of the truth. But how? How do you then become "of the truth" so as to believe the truth?

Back in chapter 10, Jesus told the unbelieving Pharisees, "You do not believe because you are not of My sheep." By sheep, He meant those who believed in Him. You don't believe in me because you are unbelievers. This isn't double-talk. "My sheep hear My voice" - that is they believe I am God - "And I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand." How is it then that a person becomes "of the truth", becomes "one of His sheep?"

Jesus goes on to explain, “My Father, who has given them (the sheep) to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand." (John 10:26-29) There it is. That's what was missing with Pilate. The reason for his rejection of Christ's truth claim wasn't because his reasoning was better; it certainly wasn't because Christ couldn't explain things clearly. It was simply because God had not given Pilate to Christ.

John goes out of his way time and time again to make plain to us that "No one can come to Me (Christ) unless it has been granted him from the Father.”" (John 6:65)

Back where we started, in Chapter 1, John states that the whole world - including God's chosen people the Jews - has rejected Christ Jesus. They didn't know Him, they didn't receive Him. John goes on to say that, "As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12) So, how is it that those who normally suppress the truth, that prefer to cling to lethal comforts, will suddenly and inexplicably turn to the light? How is it that those who reject God suddenly receive eternal life? The next statement clears this up once and for all, "Children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God." As Paul also writes, "By God's doing you are in Christ Jesus... so that no man may boast before God." (1 Corinthians 1:30,29) God has to do something in a person for them to to see true light, to understand true truth. Man must believe Christ is God and the only way to God, or he will die in his sins. At the moment it is granted Him to do so, he must - he will - believe. No one will ever be able to take any credit for their decision to become a believer in Jesus. On our own, "We did not know Him."

We who believe have "received the love of the truth so as to be saved." (2 Thessalonians 2:10) Understanding truth is a gift from God to those whom He has called as His own. Christ is that truth which we believe. He is not merely a messenger, as was Moses through whom God gave the law. "Grace and truth came to be through Jesus Christ!" (John 1:17) Jesus embodies truth, personifies truth, "I am the truth." Therefore all His words are true, and we must make them an integral part of our daily lives. His words are left to us in Scripture, and only in Scripture.

Those who do not accept that Jesus is God, that Jesus alone is the way to God and eternal life, that Jesus accomplished this by paying our penalty of death with His own untainted blood - returning from the grave as supreme evidence of all this - to those who have not received this truth, do not delay - do not loose another minute - turn to God while you may still find Him, while there is still hope of salvation. Bend your knee, your heart, your mind, before Christ the Universal Lord now, during the hour of salvation. If you wait for any reason, you will not come at all. You will bend your knee later, as C.S. Lewis puts it, "When the anesthetic fog we call reality lifts and we are left standing face to face with the God that has been there all along." You will acknowledge His soveriegnty then, but you will be condemned, banished from His presence to suffer forever alone. Your sins whisper to you, entice you to remain where you are, to help you continue down the wide, easy path to your destruction. Repent of them! Reject them! Fall before Christ now - He stands ready to save!

"But what if I'm not one of His sheep, what if I'm not of the truth? Then turning to Christ will do me no good?"

I guarantee you this, if you turn to Christ He will not turn you away. Jesus Himself said, "All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out." (John 6:37)

Lord Jesus, more than a giver of truth, you are truth. There is no truth apart from you. You are the only light by which we might see our way to God the Father. To know You is to have eternal life. Shine your light into the unbelieving recesses of this blind world. May many be born of God as I have been, may many be granted the right to become children of God. Let the truth of your word be the deep foundation of my life, that when the torrents burst and the winds slam against me, I will not be shaken.

"The unfolding of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple." (Psalm 119:130)

Comments

Jason Alligood said…
Alan,

Good words bro! It's no wonder your posts are few and far between. You put such thought into them! Great biblical explanation!

J
Mercedes said…
Remember, just because there is disagreement doesn't mean there is no truth.
Beyond Zaphon said…
Alan....what a great post! Thanks for biblical thoughts. The truths you discussed cause me to marvel.....marvel at why am I one of His sheep? I believe in absolute freewill.....the freewill of God that is. Praise Him for the light given to us.

One question...When you stated: "To every man that will ever live Christ has explained God - indeed, has revealed Himself to be God. To those who receive Him as such, He gives the right to become children of God." I am trying to wrap my mind about what you meant. For example...regarding native americans in the year 1 A.D. Are you referring to the creation declaring the glory of God (Rom 1) or something else...or am I missing something?

Cheers friend
Dave
As to how Christ has explained God to every man, I must confess an incomplete understanding. Read John’s prologue (Jn 1:1-18) and see what you think.

"There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man." (John 1:9)
"No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (John 1:18)

What does it mean that Christ enlightens every man? How is it that He enlightens everyone and yet, “The world did not know Him.” Even His own people, “Did not receive Him.” Does it come back to Romans 1; that everyone knows the truth about God, but has suppressed it in unrighteousness, and willfully traded it for a lie? I think that must tie in. To your point, it certainly seems improbable that every person knows about the appearance and person of Jesus Christ.

I welcome any clearer thinking on the matter.

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