“Pilate said unto him (Jesus), What is truth?” (John 18: 38 KJV).
The truth is vitally important. It is not considered to be all that important until getting to the truth becomes vital for us. Though lies are more prevalent and popular than the truth, the truth is still available. We do not have to dig to find a lie, but we do have to dig to get to the truth. In a world full of lies, we still have the truth.
In the end, the truth—or I should say the Truth—triumphs, and the lies are no more. But until that day, we must expose the lies by telling the truth.
There are certain characteristics of truth that help us recognize it. One characteristic of truth is consistency. Seneca of Rome said, “Truth is always the same in all its parts.” A lie is made by adding to or taking away from the truth. A liar cannot keep his story straight because he cannot remember if he added to or subtracted from the truth the last time he told his lie.
Another characteristic of truth is that it never changes. Lies are constantly changing because the liar is constantly adjusting his lie to increase its effectiveness. “Truth does not wear out.” Everything else in society changes or fades away, but truth remains the same. Truth is older than anything else we have and will be around after everything else is gone.
Another characteristic of the truth is that it is distinctive. Truth is not indistinct or vague but clearly outlined. A lie is an attempt to make the truth vague and unimportant. The fact that many reject the truth does not make it disappear; it just means it is rejected. The fact that each generation rejects the truth is proof that the truth remains for every generation to reject if it chooses to.
Wholeness is another characteristic of truth. A half-truth is still a whole lie. “A lie is a selection of part of the truth while rejecting the rest of it. A lie means we think our version of the truth is more important than truth in its entirety.” This is how heresy finds its way into religion.
Still another characteristic is that truth is good. This characteristic gives truth moral value. It is always good to tell the truth, and it is always evil to lie. We are to “hate the evil and love the good, and establish judgment in the gate” (Amos 5: 15). Truth is good because it sets us free. It is because Adam and Eve believed and acted on Satan’s lie that we are in this mess.
“Slavery is easy. Freedom is hard. But we know which one is the better state.” People do not seek the truth and the freedom it gives until they get tired of living the lie. For many, this comes too late.
To follow a vague idea of the truth instead of following the whole truth and nothing but the truth is to continue following a lie. Truth is available, but we accept the lies that are more readily available. We may believe a lie and deny and reject the truth now, but in the end, all lies are debunked, and we are faced with the reality that truth warned us of. We must all ultimately face the Truth.
