What is truth?

Jesus uses the word truth several times in the gospels. He tells us that He is the truth (John 14:6), He tells us that we shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free (John 8:32) and then He tells Pilate while waiting to be crucified the following in John 18:37

“…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.”

Pilate then replies to Jesus in verse 38 “What is truth?” I am certainly no philosopher and I can’t possibly answer that question but I can share with you some things that I have personally learned about truth and how it has set me free.

Perhaps the truth has actually caused more harm than good in your life. Maybe you have found that speaking the truth has caused you to face rejection and loss. So how can it help you? In my own life and just from my own understanding I think that there are two kinds of truth. There is what I will call a general truth, which applies to all mankind and then there is a personal truth, one that is tailored to fit each individual.

The general truth is foundational and very simple. It is the gospel or the good news. God sent His only son Jesus to die for you and me on the cross. If you can accept that he died for your sins, and can receive Him as your Lord and Savior and confess this truth to others then you will be saved from your sins and spend eternity with Him. Although this is very personal I call it a general truth because it applies to all of us. It is His free gift to all mankind.

The personal truth also comes through Jesus Christ, but it is unique for each individual. Often times this kind of truth comes in stages and takes many years. For me it took most of my adult life before I was able to face truth in my life. I had to find inner courage to face some difficult things. For example, I had to face the truth that I had made denial an idol.

There were many painful issues in my life that I didn’t want to face, because facing them would force me to deal with them. It was easier therefore to deny them. So how did denial become an idol for me? I found comfort in it, I found security in it, I found peace with it, I found counsel from it, and I found strength with it. The funny thing with idols is that even though they may make you feel better for a season, they also require a sacrifice. That is the nature of idols. And unbeknownst to me, I was giving that as well. I had sacrificed the truth, my children, my happiness and myself in order to serve this idol. It did not want to let go easily however and I found it incredibly difficult to let go of it. It proved to be a powerful force in my life.

The truth that I had denied was that there were people in my life, people who were family and therefore should have loved and protected me, that did not. I had been neglected both as a child and later in a loveless marriage that I felt trapped in. But by denying the truth of my situation, I was in fact sacrificing both my right to be loved, and my children. That is a tough truth to come to grips with.

The process of finding  truth in my life also required me to come to grips with sin. There were sins  that had become a lifestyle for me and although at first they appeared to be small and insignificant,  they were issues that I needed to deal with so that I could get right with God. I needed to repent for those sins and ask for His help in overcoming them.

As I found courage to face various truths in my life, each one became a stepping stone towards being set free. First I had to accept Him as my Savior. Then I had to go through the inner journey of facing my idols and my sins and making Him Lord of my life. As I faced the painful truth of circumstances beyond my control, I found that each truth brought me closer to freedom. As I let go of my anger and my bitterness, I was able to forgive those who had hurt me. Forgiveness is never about the other person, it is always about setting you free from bitterness and anger which is like a cancer growing inside your soul.

Jesus was the one who gave me the courage and the love to face these painful truths in my life. Without His help I would never have been able to look at them and deal with them. But when I did, the truth did indeed set me free.