“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’” John 14:6
“Then Pilate said to him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world – to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.’
Pilate said to him, ‘What is truth?’” John 18:37-38
Pilate asked the same question 2,000 years ago that countless people still ask today, ‘What is truth?’ Truth is that which corresponds to reality. Statements that are true of the physical world correctly state what is actually, or objectively, real in the world. It is true that, “Ice is cold. Cheetahs are fast animals. The ocean is filled with water.” Statements that are true of spiritual realities correctly state what is actually real concerning God and spiritual things. It is a true statement that, “God is eternally existing. Human beings are created in God’s image. The Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of those who believe in Jesus as Savior.” Many truth statements connect the physical and spiritual world. It is a true statement that, “God created the world. Jesus Christ came to speak truth to a deceived world. Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Jesus will one day return to judge the world.”
Can we really know what is true? This is a very important question! In an age of great doubt, cynicism, and skepticism it is vital that people have confidence that truth can be known. Countless millions in the world today believe there is no such thing as spiritual truth, since they do not believe in the existence of the soul or of God. There are millions more that believe an individual can create their own realities (truth) through personal action. There is widespread belief that there is no objective reality; there is only psychology. This is the idea that the only reality is the reality in your mind. The psychological reality of what I believe in my mind is then projected onto the canvass of the world, and I shape myself into what I want to be. This ‘no objective truth’ way of thinking is embodied by statements like, “Through determination and hard work you can become anything you want to be!” This is an objectively false statement. The world is full of realities that I cannot change through my personal determination or positive thinking. I must make choices within the framework of truths / realities that surround me – both physical and spiritual.
In the vast body of knowledge available to us in an information age, and in the midst of endless news cycles of various opinions, can we know truth? Yes, we can. It’s important to understand the difference between truth and exhaustive truth. It is very possible to know aspects of truth, without knowing the full truth about something. It is common to know true aspects of science without understanding all of physics. It is possible to know some truths about nutrition without understanding all there is to know about dietary science. It is possible to know truths about Jesus Christ without fully knowing everything about the Son of God. It is possible to know true things about yourself without fully comprehending even the complexities of your own person.
In the end, no specialist, physicist, medical doctor, theologian, historian, or teacher knows everything there is to know about their field. However, if what they know corresponds to physical and spiritual realities, then they have taken hold of truth. The beauty of this reality and the nature of the human mind is that God has created human beings with a thirst for knowledge. We have an inherent desire to know more and to keep searching and learning. The reality of knowable yet expansive truth keeps the human mind and spirit growing and searching. We can grow because we can take hold of physical and spiritual truth, but we will always be growing because we can never master the complexities of who God is or what He has made. God, and the world God has created, can be truly known, but cannot be fully known.
Jesus came proclaiming that He was truth. All people have to do something with this claim. Jesus’ claims to divinity, the ability to forgive sins, reconcile lost sinners to God, to intercede before God on behalf of those in Christ are true, or they are false. These are not subjective claims. However, these are truth claims that require faith to believe! They are claims that cannot be proven in a laboratory but are true in the reality of the soul. Truth transcends the natural world. There is natural truth and spiritual truth. We strive with these things every day in our own person. We must make choices in light of real physical confines and spiritual moral boundaries.
In a confusing world of information, it is always most important to hear and believe the voice of Jesus. “I am the truth,” Jesus states. He embodies truth. If you are confused or in despair or rebellion, look to Jesus and believe what He says. If the competing realities of this world have your mind and emotions tied up in knots, look to Jesus and hear His voice. By faith believe that Jesus is who He said He was – the Son of God and Savior of the world. By faith read and listen to His authoritative and true words in the Bible. Turn away from the lies and confusion of this world and find a clear way of life in Jesus. Learn and believe truth about Jesus, a journey of learning and worship that will carry on into eternity!
You can know the truth by knowing Jesus!
Pastor Vic