What is truth? I believe this simple three-word question has been pondered by most humans since the beginning of mankind. However, the answer is far from simple for most. If you were to pose this question to people of differing religious faiths, such as a Hindu, Buddhist, Jew, Muslim, Scientologist, Jehovah’s Witness and Eastern Orthodox; you would probably get seven very different answers. Asking this question of seven different persons of the same faith, say Christians; you may get as many as seven different answers again. If you were to pose this question to seven people who claim to have no religious faith at all, you would probably get seven different answers.
How Do You Decide The TruTh?
So, what is truth? Each person will decide what they accept as the truth. No one else can make you believe anything. There are some “facts” most people accept as truth. The sun will rise each morning. All humans will die because we are not immortal. However, because a person believes something to be true; does not necessarily make it so. What if a person truly believes the sun revolves around the earth. No matter how hard that person believes, it is not true. So how do you determine what is true? By what criteria do you arrive at the truth? What evidence do you consider and what weight do you assign to varying types of evidence in making your determination? Is your resulting decision rational and consistent with what you believe to be the facts? If we are diligently attempting to find The Truth, we need to consistently apply the criteria we have established for determining if a statement is reliable and correct.
Some Factors Impacting our Decision Regarding Truth
Do we really want to know the truth? Even among Christians, it does not always appear so. I have been in a discussion with Christians who will deny the validity of a portion of Scripture and in the next breath cite, as fact, an unverified document or comment they saw on the Internet. Where is the consistency or the logic in that? Maybe I am searching for a particular answer rather than the truth. Of course, if the answer I am seeking and the truth are the same, that’s great. Still, the propensity of my human nature is to arrive at decisions I prefer or desire. Sometimes I ask a question which results in a response I don’t particularly like. In such a case, I may continue searching in order to justify making a determination that something is true, simply because I want it to be true. My natural desire is for me to be the king, the lord of my life. A good example of this is the Israelite nation during the time of the judges. Scripture tells us more than once, “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as they saw fit” (Judges 17:6).
Increasing popularity of Relative Truth
As time passes, it seems more Americans are subscribing to a relative truth rather than an absolute truth. But what is relativism or relative truth? Relativism is the philosophical position that all points of view are equally valid and that all truth is relative to the individual. This would mean that no system of truth is more valid than another one, and that there is no absolute truth. All morals are relative to the social group within which they are constructed. Right and wrong are dependent upon the situation. Relativism is extremely dangerous because the deepest part of my self-centered psyche desires relativism when it comes to truth. My fallen nature screams “I am (or want to be) in charge. I will (or want to) make the rules for my life.” Relative truth is what I want truth to be. It is all about me and my desires. Relativism, which is really nothing more than self-worship and self-deception, is not a twenty-first century concept. It has been around as long as man. After all, Eve discarded God’s Word in favor of Satan’s words because she wanted to taste the forbidden fruit.
Satan’s Version of the Truth
Satan is ever-ready, constantly willing do anything he can to help people decide to establish any “truth” other than the Word of God. Maybe we, as Christians, do the same thing sometimes. Sometimes we want Scripture to say, or not say, certain things so we can rest assured we will make it to Heaven one day. I would certainly feel more comfortable with God being: all-loving and having no wrath; all-merciful and requiring no justice. I would welcome the prospect of an eternity in Heaven, with no risk of Hell being possible. But I cannot draw those conclusions from Scripture. I have to take all of God’s Word or leave all of God’s Word. Scripture does not allow me any middle ground in this regard. When God says all Scripture is God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16) and I start taking parts I don’t like out of the Bible, it is no longer God’s Word. I have now altered God’s Word to become “my word”; at which time I have entered into the world of relativism.
Truth in America Today
But is there more than one truth? Particularly related to religious beliefs and eternity, do all paths lead to Heaven? According to research conducted in July 2015 by Barna Group, Christian morality is being ushered out of American social structures and off the cultural main stage, leaving a vacuum in its place. Meanwhile, the broader culture is attempting to fill the void. Many Americans are concerned about the nation’s moral condition and, at the same time, confused about morality itself. Americans, are now pledging allegiance to a new moral code, a “morality of self-fulfillment,” which has all but replaced Christianity as the culture’s moral norm. Other observations by the Barna Group research reveals:
- Forty-one percent of Christians say knowing what is right or wrong is a matter of personal experience. This view is much more prevalent among younger generations than among older adults.
- Fifty-nine percent of Christians believe moral truth is absolute.
I must admit I was mildly shocked when I read those statistics. But, if God’s Word isn’t the absolute truth for Christians, then what is? Relative truth where I can reign as king.
Denial or Suppression of the Truth
One more factor is worth mentioning here. Denial, suppression and persecution of The Truth, can have a dampening effect on The Truth, or at least the public expression of that truth. As soon as the gospel message was presented to the world, denial and suppression of the good news began. The Jewish leaders conspired with the Roman authorities to have Jesus wrongfully put to death. Much to their dismay, the Jewish leaders didn’t realize that on the third day, they would face an empty tomb, another miracle to add to Jesus’ already impressive list. So, the Jewish chief priests and elders conspired with the Roman government again to hide the truth. The Jewish leaders agreed to pay the soldiers a large sum of money if they would say, “Jesus’ disciples came during the night and stole his body”. The Jewish leaders also promised to protect the soldiers if this story got back to the Roman governor (Matthew 28:12-15).
The World-Wide Assault on Truth Continues
As Christianity spread from its origin in Judea and Galilee throughout the world, suppression of God’s truth followed quickly. Satan continues his world-wide war against God’s Word, through denial, suppression and persecution, utilizing a variety of people and institutions, which has continued to occur to this very day. Today, that war is being waged in earnest on our home soil. Americans are witnessing an assault on The Truth in our country like never before. The lack of civility and even hatred being shown toward Americans who believe in an absolute truth is increasing daily. Attorney General William Barr, while giving a speech at Notre Dame University in October 2019, characterized the situation as follows. He said in part, “Concerted attacks on religious liberty have triggered a moral upheaval that contributes to deadly social pathologies … This is organized destruction. Secularists and their allies have marshaled all the forces of mass communication, popular culture, the entertainment industry, and academia in an unremitting assault on religion and traditional values.”
A Conversation With an Expert on The Truth
I am reminded of a conversation which took place about two thousand years ago in Jerusalem. The Jewish leaders had delivered Jesus to Pilate, hoping Pilate would pronounce a death sentence for Jesus. During the hearing, Jesus said, “The reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” retorted Pilate. With this he went out again to the Jews gathered there and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him” (John 18:28-40). I find this brief conversation both profound and pitiful. It is profound because it truly is one of the most basic questions of life, though Pilate was probably being facetious when he asked Jesus the question. At that moment in time, Pilate was interested in political expediency, not truth.
Ironically, Pilate posed this question to the only human on earth who knew the answer perfectly. This conversation is also pitiful because this learned, powerful man of the world asked, “What is truth?” while staring into the very eyes of “The Truth” (John 14:6). Did Pilate fail to understand The Truth, conveniently deny it or simply not care? We don’t know because Scripture doesn’t tell us. For whatever reason; what could have been, should have been, a life-changing encounter for Pilate passed him by without notice.
You Decide
The truth of God’s Word and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the hope of Christians. However, every person will decide for themselves what they believe to be true and why. At Hope Through the Truth, we are prepared to share two things with you; what we believe to be eternal truth and why we believe that. Jesus’ claim regarding this topic is singular, unequivocal. He said, “I am the truth” (John 14:6) and “God’s Word is truth” (John 17:17). Since Jesus is the Word, his two statements regarding the truth are singular. Jesus did not say He, or God’s Word, were one of many truths. We believe God’s Word and can find no credible evidence to refute Jesus’ claim. Our hope is, you will find the eternal truth as you search for it.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.