Does "Truth" Exist, And Can It Really Set Us Free?

“ ‘I tell you the truth,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ ” (John 8:58)

“And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” (Jesus, recorded in John 8:32)

“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…” (Paul, recorded in Ephesians 6:14a)

In 21st-century culture, the concept of “truth” has fallen out of favor, ripped asunder by relativism. There is no truth; create your own reality; hey, whatever works for you; and so on. This isn’t new, of course. Two millennia ago, Pilate, most likely with dismissive contempt in his voice, asked a radical rabbi on trial for his life, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). For starters, my concordance defines it as “that which is reliable, trustworthy, and consistent with the character and revelation of God.”* The word “truth” appears 228 times in the Bible. Passage after passage exhorts us to believe the truth, speak the truth, walk in truth, worship in truth, come to the truth, handle truth accurately, obey truth, be established in truth, and know the truth.** As recorded in the New Testament, that same radical rabbi even took the blasphemous step of proclaiming, “I am the truth” (John 14:6). Does truth exist? Can it really set us free? For all who have surrendered their lives to the wild and holy God of the Scriptures, for all who have discovered meaning and purpose, hope and healing, by getting to know Him, the answer is a resounding “YES!”

Thank you, O God, that truth exists, and that it is You, and that following after You results in a freedom and peace that the world simply cannot provide. Amen.

*Nelson’s Three-In-One Bible Reference Companion, an excellent study tool.

*To embark on a full word study, I recommend visiting http://www.biblegateway.com/ and typing the word “truth” into the search window.