What Is Truth?

Truth has been under attack for most, if not all, of my life; but it seems that the current social and political atmosphere lends itself even more to this assault. It has become increasingly difficult to determine who is telling the truth, causing some in the younger generations to question whether any real truth actually exists.  

But this is not really a modern problem; it is a human problem. In 33AD, during the trial of Jesus Christ, Pontius Pilate mocked him with the question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). He echoed the age-old question that has always plagued mankind since the Fall – and the eternal struggle to trust something or Someone other than ourselves.

Some would have us embrace the idea of relative or subjective truth – that there can be one truth for you and a different truth for me. The results of this idea are what we see played out most often in our interactions with others socially and politically. As Christians, we can be tempted to buy into this idea when we practice tolerance for everything or choose our own comfort over upholding the Biblical teaching of absolute truth when faced with difficult personal relationships.

Yesterday the speaker at our church defined truth as “statements of fact that match reality”. He also added that truth always contains an element of morality. This is because actual truth comes from God and is a reflection of his character. As Jesus stated in John 14:6 about himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That’s why there is no such thing as relative or subjective truth. The only real truth is absolute and unchangeable, like God Himself.   

Upholding absolute truth is unpopular and sometimes uncomfortable. It can also be difficult to navigate. It means standing up for what the Bible teaches while showing love and care for those who don’t embrace absolute truth. I can’t say that I know exactly what that looks like in every situation. And I can’t say that I’ve always, if ever, found the proper balance between grace and truth. Only Jesus perfectly modeled that equilibrium.

But my daily goal is to continue to stand for truth while improving my ability to give grace to others who see things differently. To become more Christlike, I must aspire to be full of both grace and truth, just as Jesus was (John 1:14). This task seems to be getting more and more challenging in our 21^st century world; but, with God’s help, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)!