What Is Truth?

REFERENCE: John 18:38 "What is truth?" Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, "He is not guilty of any crime."

Observation: Pilate asked a question that every one of us must come to grips with. By his actions he suggested that his answer to the question was that truth is something you really don’t have to take seriously. He had come to conclude, as he said here, that Jesus was not guilty. He seemed to believe that Jesus was a prophet, maybe even the Son of God. However, the truth didn’t mean as much as keeping his position and popularity.

How seriously do we take the truth? For example, we can claim to believe that every person who does not accept Jesus as their savior is on the path to an eternity without God in hell. While we may say that this is the truth, we don’t live like it is.

We may believe that God is sovereign and has the best of the best plans for our lives. While we many say that this is the truth, we don’t live like it is.

Our world thinks that the truth is whatever one chooses to believe--it is the truth for them. For us as Christians, we believe in absolute, universal truth. We believe that if God’s Word says it, we ought to believe it and accept it as truth. We say we believe in absolute truth, we live as though we believe in relative truth.

It is time for us to answer Pilates question by saying; "Truth is what God says is true and I will live by the implications of that understanding." We need to not just know the truth but to live it, everyday.

Application/Confession: There are so many ways that I claim to know and believe the truth but live, at least inwardly, like God’s truth is less important than what I feel. I worry too much even though the truth is that God will take care of me. I don’t share the gospel enough even though I know that people are dying without God. I don’t trust God like I should even though I know that He is utterly trustworthy.

PRAYER: Lord, what is truth? It is what you say it is and I intend to live my life like this is absolutely true.