What is Truth?

"What is truth?" was Pilate's question after Jesus stated that He came to bear witness to the truth.  Likewise, in the movie, The Jesus Revolution, the predominate question of the hippie generation was how to find truth.  It is clear that until we have a foundation of truth about life and its purpose that man is floundering in uncertainty and hopelessness.  

On one hand, God has created an awesome universe and rightfully declares in Romans 1:19-20, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse."  On the other hand, God has created us in the image of God and given us free will to seek and search for truth.  Proverbs 25:2 says it well, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search out a matter."

Jesus told us to ask, to seek, and to knock.  He pointed out that when we seek Him with all our heart, He will be found.  Proverbs 2:1-5 describes an attitude of desiring and determined seeking that brings great results, concluding in verses 4-5, "If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God."  Jesus asked the man with an infirmity at the pool of Bethesda, "Do you want to be healed?" The point is, how much do we really want to know God better and how desperate are we to go after more truth?

Jesus is the truth, and He has given us the Spirit of truth to reveal truth from His Word.  Jesus promised the Spirit would lead us into all truth.  Rather that live by man's worldly standards and understanding of life, we can know the truth about the purpose of life, about God's will and what really matters, about salvation and all Jesus has done to forgive sin and make us a new creation, and finally, eternal judgment and our glorious forever destiny.  We are the most blessed people on earth who know our God and His truth.  

In the third letter of John, John expressed God's heart when he said he had no greater joy than to hear that his children were walking in truth.  The end of the matter is this: seek truth, know truth, walk in truth. 

Enough

Can you imagine God greeting you, "O mighty man of valor," when you, like Gideon, are cowardly hiding from the enemy and troubled by what is going on in the world?  Does it sound too good to be true, that God sees you as an overcoming, mighty one who is always led in triumph and who crushes the evil one under your feet?  Yet, what He has done is enough to make you more than you could think or imagine.  Let God be true and every man a liar, according to the words of Romans 3:4.  

In Psalm 50 God closes with the words, "to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God."  Salvation is the noun describing being saved or delivered from.  When Jesus healed or touched someone, He would say "be made whole."  To be whole is to be completely delivered or saved from sin and all the effects of sin.  However, until God is able to transform our thinking and heart to know our "we are made whole" salvation, we continue to limp between two different opinions. On one hand we are filled with faith that the "Christ is in you" life of God is overcoming all circumstances, and on the other hand, that we are just weak human beings who fail often.  Our verse in Psalm 50 affirms that as we choose to obey God, He begins to show us His salvation, how He has made us whole and overcomers and how totally we are free from the old fallen-nature ways.   Thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph.

Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would lead us and guide us into all truth.  As we let the Word dwell in us richly, the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit until we "know" what Jesus has given us and are able to walk in it.  In the first letter of John, there are something like 23 "by this we know" statements.  The ultimate definition of eternal life given by Jesus in John 17 is "that they may know the Father and Jesus Christ whom He has sent."   God wants us to know we are whole in Him and has made provision for us to come to that conviction that it is already accomplished.  

Jesus declares He is the first of many brethren, who share His life and nature.  It seems almost unbelievable and too much to grasp that what Jesus has done has literally made us like Him.  We just need to receive it.  Note the words of 1 John 4:17, "as He is, so are we in the world." We are partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:3-4), but the remainder of that section describes how to press in to make it our own, namely to diligently add to your faith, virtue; to virtue, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, brotherly kindness love; to brotherly kindness love, love.  Therefore, He can conclude the clincher, that if we do these things we will never fail or be unfruitful.  

The point is Jesus has accomplished what the name Jehovah JIreh declares, God is enough. There is a song, Jireh by Maverick City, that states "You are enough, forever enough, always enough, more than enough."  Our hope of glory, Christ in us, establishes that the overcoming power and love of God lives in us and causes us to always be more than enough for every challenge.  Praise God forever for His glorious salvation!

All Will Know Me

The Word from heaven about the birth of Jesus is "Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of goodwill."  Jesus' purpose in coming to earth as a man was to give peace by reconciling sinful man with a holy God. In short, He came to save all mankind.  1 Timothy 2:4 declares "who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  

When Jesus confronted Saul on his way to persecute Christians in Damascus, He stated His intent openly, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. but rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose....to open their eyes (Jews and Gentiles) in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me."  Acts 26:15-18  

God desires all men taste and see the goodness of the Lord.  Those who come to know Jesus not only experience His peace and forgiveness, but also enjoy sharing the fullness of His life in us.  Just as the angel announced the coming child shall be called, "Emmanuel, God with us," Paul further reveals that as a born-again child of God, we experience "Christ in you, the hope of glory,"   This abundant life empowers believers to overcome on earth and to have sure promise of eternal joy with God forever.  

However, there is more.  Psalm 62:1-2 explains "God be merciful and gracious to us that your way may be known in all the earth."  The Lord clearly wants us to be a light in this world so others may see His light in us and come to know Him.

In other words, what He has done for us makes us able to do the same for others.  He loves us so we can love others with His love.  Just as He forgives us so are we commanded and enabled to forgive others.  Everyone born of God overcomes according to 1 John 5:4, so we can give testimony to the world that Jesus has overcome and now is King of kings.  As He is, so are we in this world, (1 John 4:17)

This is eternal life, that they know Me and know the Father, according to Jesus in John 17.  Jesus came and clearly desires all men to know Him.  We are now His ambassadors by walking in the light of His life and sharing the message of our saving God.  May the Lord draw all people to Him as they see our good works and hear our sharing of His gracious plan.  Let the Lord be magnified, as every knee bows and every tongue humbly confesses, "Jesus is Lord."    

 

Got Truth?

"What do you know for sure?" is a favorite greeting of a friend of mine.  It always causes me to stop and think.  The problem is that so much of what we "know" is from the media, a second-hand report, or someone else's opinion given with authority.  Many of us are just "sheep" following the latest news that someone has tweeted or shared on Facebook.  How much is fact and how much is just subjective perception?
    Every time we hear of a famous celebrity or person with academic credentials pontificating some philosophy, and then later the information fails the test of time or the person's life falls apart at the seams, we realize again how foolish it is to assume popularity means it must be correct.  Things are not always the way they seem.  We certainly want our lives to be built upon a rock of truth rather than the sinking sand of man's opinion.   
   The world is changing so fast, things that were considered immoral are being proclaimed openly as acceptable, standards of life, marriage, sex, drugs, etc. have all undergone huge shifts and transformations.  How far will it go and when will it end?
   However, one truth will never change.  When this life is over and this present age comes to an end, only what can last for eternity will matter.  God will only validate what is really true and right and good.  However, because of what Jesus has done to pay the price for sin, judgment should be a time of great reward as Jesus declares, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of My Father."  Obviously all things will be tested by fire, maybe the fire of God's all-knowing eyes, and regardless of politically correct opinion and society's approval, only truth will stand.  Everything else will burn up.
   Proverbs 23:23 advises man to buy the truth, and not to give it up at any cost.  Surely Solomon understands the value of truth and the attitude of treasuring it above all things.  Jesus said He is the Truth.  He further stated "if you continue in My Word you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free." (John 8:31-32)  Consider the foolproof promise of God: Anyone who seeks truth will find it.  God alone knows whether one is content to follow the "sheep" doing what he pleases and holding on to whatever "truth" is popular; or on the other hand, whether the person is honestly seeking truth and ready to follow it at any cost.      
   The purpose of this article is to invite you to be wise, get truth, and never let go of it.  Truth has eternal fruit and rewards.