Truth

by

Pastor B.J. Knefley

What is truth? How would you define it? Is all “truth” true? They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is that true for truth too? At what point does truth become untruth, or does it? If I add untruth to truth does it become a lie? I suppose one could go on with questions regarding truth and we’d all come up with different answers and positions.

A proverb that has always intrigued me is Proverb 14:12 “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” It “seems right”, appears to be truthful, seems correct, etc. yet isn’t. Can truth be even known and if so, how does one find it?

Another interesting passage of scripture comes from Romans 1:19, “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them.” According to this, God has given a measure of truth about himself that is evident to all. The problem is that many don’t like the truth and reject it. Why? Is it because if one excepts something as being true then they are at the same time responsible to that truth? If I ignore something, does that nullify the truth that it represents? Sometimes truth becomes inconvenient. Inconvenient because it interferes with what I want to do and the lifestyle that I want to live. Don’t believe me? Look at what’s happening in our world today. Isn’t that proof enough. Remember the parable, “The Emperors New Clothes”? A quick internet search will tell you that it means “a situation in which most people praise or seem to believe something that is false or has no value, because they are afraid to go against the general opinion.”

Sadly, not all will receive truth. Even Jesus understood that when he said to not cast your pearls before swine, (Matthew 7:6). He also said, “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32). Think about it.