Truth? What's That?

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:32)

One of the game shows I can remember my parents watching when I was a very young was "Truth Or Consequences."  The idea was the host, Bob Barker, would ask a question. If you couldn't answer it (truth) then you had to do some sort of challenge (The Consequences).   It was sort of our early version of YouTube.

While doing silly challenges for everyone to see is more popular to day than ever, I doubt this show could be made today. Not because people are unwilling to embarrass themselves. We threw that filter out a long time ago. No, it's simply we could never get past that first part of the game. Remember they had to tell the truth.  And there in lies the difficulty. We as a culture have lost any type of understanding of what truth is. If we can't agree on what truth is, how can we play the game?

Truth today is defined by many as whatever they want it to be. Your truth may not be the same as my truth,  but that's okay. Even if they are diametrically opposed to one another. Complete opposites.  Doesn't mater. You believe what you wish to believe.  Truth today, for many, is whatever the majority of people wish it to be  As long as the majority agree, it must be the truth. Or, as long as the attractive or famous believe it, it must be the truth.  As long as the most powerful or popular demographic of the day agrees it must be true, than it's true. Anyone see a problem with it yet?

When we define truth in such ever-changing terms, then truth is no longer truth. It really has nothing to offer us.  It can't change us or really help us. A part of the problem is that we we've confused truth with opinion.  Diet Coke is a soft Drink. That's a truth. In order for it to be anything else, it must change who it is. This is a truth.  I prefer Diet Coke to Diet Pepsi. That's an opinion. You can disagree and that's fine. Or different opinions do not change the truth both are soft drinks. 

Truth also has nothing to do with popularity.  At one time is was "popular" to believe the sun rotated around the earth. or that the earth was flat. When people began to uncover the real truth, i.e., fact, life became very difficult for them. Their lack of popularity or the backing of their culture did not change the truth.

And so we come to the Scripture above. Jesus says, the truth will set you free.  But how can this be so if truth is defined as it is by many today? If truth is what  many believe today, but may change tomorrow, how can that change me? Or my life? Or anything?  If truth for you and I can be complete opposites, how does that set me free? It's not real. Certainly it must be more than opinion, because one's opinions, even ones we hold to dearly, have never offered freedom to anyone. And it can't be merely what's popular. Going along with the crowd tends to enslave much more than it does free.

No, Jesus is talking about real truth. Undeniable, unchangeable truth. A truth that has nothing to do with whether or not the world agrees with it or likes it. What is this truth? That Jesus is the Son of God. That He has defeated sin and death. And that if we truly follow Him, He will make us like Him in how we love and think and act. The truth is that He is Lord, does rule, and will redeem the world in His time.

When I am broken, experience loss, am living with the guilt and consequences of my sins, or when I see evil in the world, I don't need opinion or popularity or changing ideas.  I need the One who is the Truth to come and set me free. So do you. Let us hold on to the One who is the Truth, and let us experience true freedom.

In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><