What Is Truth? How can I recognize it? From where does it originate, and does it change? Where can we find and whom can we trust to give us the truth we are seeking? These are just a few questions I will attempt to answer in this essay on truth.
There are at least two different perspectives of this word truth, first, is man's, or the natural perspective and second is God's, or the spiritual perspective. These don't necessarily have to oppose each other but in many respects they do.
The New American Encyclopedia tell us that a philosophical concept of truth is understood by philosophers according to three main theories:
1. Correspondence: This theory holds that a statement is true if it corresponds to the 'facts' of experience.
2. Coherence: This theory says that 'facts' are themselves statements of a kind, whose truth cannot be tested by looking for further correspondence, but by considering there logical coherence with other statement about supposed reality.
3. Pragmatic: This theory of truth stresses that the only usefully testable truths are those that enable us to anticipate or control the course of events.
How arrogant is man, to think that he, in himself, can declare what is truth and what is not, that he can establish it based on his own experiences. The finite mind of man is truly unable, by himself, even to begin to understand what is truth no matter what kind of testable 'facts' he has before him, unless God reveals it to him.
The question, "what is truth?" then, can be best answered by first answering the question, "what is God?"
The Westminster Shorter Catechism says:
"God is spirit, finite, eternal, and unchangeable in His being, He is wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth."
God Is Truth; The Psalmist says:
"Into thy hand I commit my spirit, Thou has ransomed me, O Lord, God is truth." Psalm 31:5
Truth is God's essence; it is an integral element of His character.
"Because he who is blessed in the earth shall be blessed by the God of truth." Isaiah 65:16a
Truth is inseparably connected with God and God's truth does not change. Men at times say things and call them truth, only to later change their minds because their views have changed. They find themselves unable to stand on what they had previously spoken as truth. The words of men are unstable. But not so with God, God's words are truth, they stand forever as unchangeable expressions of His mind, thought, and will.
"Forever, O Lord, Thy word is settles in heaven." Psalm 119:89
Jesus Is Truth; He has the attributes and character of the Father, we see real truth in Him.
"I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me." John 14:6
"And the Word became flesh, and dwells among us, and we beheld His glory, as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:4
"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth are realized through Jesus Christ." John 1:17
The Holy Spirit Is Truth;
"And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth," John 14:16,17a
"But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth;" John 16:13a
"And it is the Spirit who bears witness, because the Spirit is the truth." 1 John 5:7
The Word of God Is Truth; Paul connects the Gospels and the truth, which must be understood in relation to God. The truth is seen in a special way in the Gospel.
"Because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel, which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth." Colossians 1:5,6
We are sanctified by the truth. Jesus recognized the cleansing power of the word when He said:
"You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you." John 15:3
And He prayed that His own would be sanctified in the truth.
"Sanctify them in the truth, Thy word is truth." John 17:17
This word translated truth here gives us the idea of stability, so when we read our Bibles we must remember that God still holds to all His promises, demands, statements of purpose, and words of warnings that He has addressed to New Testament believers. They are eternally valid revelations of the mind of God; nothing can erase God's eternal truth.
"Thou art near, O Lord, and all Thy commandments are truth." Psalm 119:151
Conclusion;
Truth in the Bible is a quality of people first and foremost, and a proposition only after that; it means stability, reliability, and firmness, trustworthiness, the quality of a person who is sincere, realistic and undeceived. God is such a person. Truth in this sense is His nature, He can be nothing else. That is why His words to us are true, and cannot be other than true. They are the standard of reality, the standard of truth.
God Bless and Press On
Larry
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