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    • "Holy, Holy, Holy"
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    • A Chosen Vessel
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    • Does What I Think about the Son of God Matter?
    • 'How Shall we Escape if we Neglect so Great Salvation'?
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      • The Sufferings of Christ - Part 1
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        • Psalm 87 - The Glory of Zion, 'City of God'
        • Psalm 88 - Hands Stretched out in Grief
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      • The Twelve Minor Prophets - An Overview
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    • The Lord's Upper Room Ministry >
      • John 13:1-3 - The Omniscient Christ
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      • John 14:1-3 - The Father's House P1
      • John 14:4-7 - The Father's House P2
      • John 14:8-14 - The Father's Visibility
      • John 14:15-26 - The Father's Gift
      • John 14:27-31 - The Father's Primacy
      • John 17 - The Lord's Intercessory Prayer
      • Excursus: The Passover & the Last Supper
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      • Romans - An Introduction
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      • Romans 2:6-11 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P2
      • Romans 2:12-16 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P3
      • Romans 2:17-29 - The Guilt of the Self-confident
      • Romans 3:1-20 - 'All the World Guilty'
      • Romans 3:21-24 - The Heart of the Gospel P1
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      • Romans 3:25b-31 - The Heart of the Gospel P3
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      • 1 Corinthians 1:10-4:21 - Worldly Wisdom
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Picture

"What is Truth?"


"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free”

John 8:32
Ultimate Reality

In a world where life can range from the mundane to the stressful, many find it desirable, and even at times essential, to escape from the everyday realities of living. Some engage their imagination through the printed page of a novel, or a visit to the theatre; others get lost in the fantasy of a Hollywood blockbuster or the virtual world of computer gaming, and there are those who pursue the deadly use of drugs or the intoxication of alcohol.

Whatever escape route one pursues, it will only be temporary in nature, and at best, limited in value. Ultimately we must face up to the reality and responsibility of life. Irrespective of our worldview, we recognize that life can only have meaning and coherence because certain unalterable realities exist! From the laws of nature to the laws of government, there are unchangeable principles and standards of practice that guide and control the way we think, act and live. 

However, there is one ultimate and eternal reality that transcends, and is sovereign over everything else – God! Life originated from Him, truth is defined by Him and all men are accountable to Him. “God, who made the world and everything in it… He gives to all life, breath, and all things” (Acts 17:24-25).

Truth Rejected

The abandonment of divine truth for the selfish pursuit of personal gain and gratification will always bring disastrous consequences and keep man at odds with His Creator. The words of the Greek tragic dramatist, Aeschylus (525 – 456 B.C.) are very poignant: “In war, truth is the first casualty”. When man sinned against God and became His enemy, under the control of Satan, truth indeed became the “first casualty”. For millenniums the truth of God’s word has suffered the rejection, attack, and suppression of men. Volumes of literature have been written to deny the existence of God, and promote theories that claim to explain the cause and meaning of life. Now, by means of the world wide web and other powerful forms of electronic media, not only does the attack on truth continue unabated, it easily reaches right into our homes and families in so many different guises, and often with devastating effect!

The loss of certainty regarding truth, and the attempted elevation of man over God, are traced back to the Garden of Eden at the beginning of this world’s history. There, Satan deceptively appeared in the guise of a serpent and spoke to the woman, first of all to challenge, and then flatly contradict the word of God. With the woman deceived and the man disobedient, they together ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, concerning which God said, “In the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” (Gen 2:17). The entire human race has realized the consequences of Adam’s disobedience: “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12 KJV).

A Skeptic’s Question

Down through the centuries of time, since that dreadful denial of truth in the Garden of Eden, man has sought to define truth for himself. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at the time of the trial of Jesus asked Him a very pertinent question: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Before Jesus could answer Pilate had walked away. In Pilate’s Roman world of pagan gods and political intrigue, his skepticism regarding truth is understandable, but not excusable. Before him stood the Lord Jesus Christ, a man who not only had the answer, He was, and is, the answer to the ultimate meaning of truth. The Lord Jesus is the very source of all truth and meaning for, according to the Bible, everything exists because of Him, but during His trial when He reminded Pilate that He came into the world as a “witness to the truth” (John 18:37), He was specifically referring to the knowledge of the Father and that He was the true and full revelation of God. Only Jesus could say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

Truth Personified

The Lord Jesus was no secondary “witness to the truth”; rather He was in Himself the very embodiment of truth. This is because He is no less than God, being eternally divine, the very Son of God.  When He referred to Himself as “the truth”, He meant that He is the full revelation of God to man, and therefore the only way to God, and the only source of eternal life. 

The fullness of that revelation was seen, even while the Lord Jesus was hanging on the cross. The Bible says, “God is light” (1 John 1:5). A holy and righteous God will not ignore sin, but must expose and punish it. The Lord Jesus, being divine and sinless, was able to bear on the cross the punishment that our sins deserve, and obtain God’s forgiveness for us. 

The Bible also says; “God is love” (1 John 4:8). God has revealed and demonstrated His remarkable love toward us, through sending His Son into the world to ultimately die upon the cross, and rise from the dead, so that we could be saved. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8 KJV).

Knowing Truth

To know the Lord Jesus means to know the truth. He said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Knowledge of Jesus as Lord and Saviour sets us free from the bondage and consequences of sin. The alternative is to continue life exposed to the deception of Satan, to face death without hope, and to finally experience the darkness of judgment forever. The urgent call of the gospel is: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

AJC

KJV - King James Version 
Answers About God. Copyright © 2020, Aaron Colgan
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All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from
the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
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  • Home
  • Gospel Words
    • A Deadly Deed
    • Saving a President
    • The Death Zone
    • An Anchor of the Soul
    • Afraid Twice
    • Two Ways
    • Withering Grass & Fading Flowers
    • A Spider's Web
    • The Voice of the Son of God
    • Forgiven!
    • The Full Assurance of Hope
    • A Sinner's Prayer
    • A Present & Personal Saviour
    • The Great Supper
    • Judgment is Coming
    • A Closed Heart
    • "Iceberg Right Ahead!"
    • The Lamb of God
    • Truth & Certainty
    • 'Then the King Will Say'
    • The Testimony of the Chief of Sinners
    • The Testimony of the Lord's Prisoner
    • The Power of Christ
    • The Good Shepherd
    • 'Wonderful Words of Life'
    • Finding Wisdom
    • The Unchanging Person of Jesus Christ
  • Bible Answers
    • Remembering Our Creator
    • Was the Cross Necessary?
    • What is God Like?
    • Does the Resurrection Matter?
    • What's in a Name?
    • Why Must We be Saved?
    • "Who Art Thou, Lord?"
    • "The Unknown God" - Just Who is He?
    • "What is Truth?"
    • "Holy, Holy, Holy"
    • Knowing God
    • A Conversion Story
    • The Gospel according to Jonah
    • "Jesus of Nazareth, a Man Approved of God"
    • The Saviour of the World
    • A Chosen Vessel
    • Who is Jesus?
    • God's Mercy & Judgment
    • Does What I Think about the Son of God Matter?
    • 'How Shall we Escape if we Neglect so Great Salvation'?
    • What is Life Really All About?
    • The Rock of Ages
    • Easter Messages >
      • The Sufferings of Christ - Part 1
      • The Sufferings of Christ - Part 2
      • The Resurrection of Christ
      • Zion's King & God's Lamb
    • Christmas Messages >
      • Joseph, Mary & the Birth of Jesus
      • "A Savior who is Christ the Lord"
      • Hark the Herald Angels Sing
      • Covenant Promises & the Birth of Christ
  • Timeless Truths
    • Timeless Truths 1
    • Timeless Truths 2
    • Timeless Truths 3
    • Timeless Truths 4
    • Timeless Truths 5
    • Timeless Truths 6
    • Timeless Truths 7
  • Expository Messages
    • Topical Messages >
      • Spiritual Warfare
    • Psalms >
      • Psalms 84-88 >
        • Psalm 84 - The Courts of the LORD
        • Psalm 85 - 'Revive us Again'
        • Psalm 86 - Calling upon God in the Day of Trouble
        • Psalm 87 - The Glory of Zion, 'City of God'
        • Psalm 88 - Hands Stretched out in Grief
    • Minor Prophets - Study Notes by Gary Woods >
      • The Twelve Minor Prophets - An Overview
      • Hosea P1
      • Hosea P2
      • Joel P1
      • Joel P2
      • Amos P1
      • Amos P2
      • Obadiah
      • Jonah
      • Micah
      • Nahum
      • Habakkuk P1
      • Habakkuk P2
      • Zephaniah
      • The Post-Captivity Prophets - An Introduction
      • Haggai
      • Zechariah P1
      • Zechariah P2
      • Malachi
    • The Lord's Upper Room Ministry >
      • John 13:1-3 - The Omniscient Christ
      • John 13:4-17 - The Foot Washing Ministry of the Perfect Servant
      • John 13:18-38 - The Son of Man Glorified
      • John 14:1-3 - The Father's House P1
      • John 14:4-7 - The Father's House P2
      • John 14:8-14 - The Father's Visibility
      • John 14:15-26 - The Father's Gift
      • John 14:27-31 - The Father's Primacy
      • John 17 - The Lord's Intercessory Prayer
      • Excursus: The Passover & the Last Supper
    • Romans >
      • Romans - An Introduction
      • Romans - An Outline
      • Romans 1:1-7 - Paul's Salutation
      • Romans 1:8-17 - Visiting Rome & Gospel Debt
      • Romans 1:18-32 - Wrath Revealed & Why
      • Romans 2 - An Introduction to a Difficult Chapter
      • Romans 2:1-5 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P1
      • Romans 2:6-11 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P2
      • Romans 2:12-16 - The Hypocrisy of the Self-righteous P3
      • Romans 2:17-29 - The Guilt of the Self-confident
      • Romans 3:1-20 - 'All the World Guilty'
      • Romans 3:21-24 - The Heart of the Gospel P1
      • Romans 3:25a - The Heart of the Gospel P2
      • Romans 3:25b-31 - The Heart of the Gospel P3
    • 1 Corinthians >
      • 1 Corinthians 1:10-4:21 - Worldly Wisdom
  • Booklets