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Our Measuring Stick


One of the great words in the Bible is the word truth. However, it does not have a good reputation outside of the Bible. Perhaps it is because liars use it so often: “It’s the gospel truth!” and gossips also use it: “Well, it’s true, isn’t it?” However, if it is rightly understood, it is the measuring stick by which all falsehood is determined.

Let’s look at a few of the places the word is used in the Bible.

 

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

 

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6).

 

“If you love me, you will obey what I command. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you” (John 14:15-17).

 

“When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26).

 

“We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you” (Galatians 2:5).

 

“You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?” (Galatians 5:7).

 

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15).

 

“And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).

 

“All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth” (Colossians 1:6b).

 

The word “truth” is identified with Jesus, the Holy Spirit, grace, love, the gospel, and obedience.

 

The false prophet and the liar say that they are telling truth. The true prophet and the honest man say that they are telling the truth. It is up to the Christian to know the difference. Get immersed in the truth.

 

If we are immersed in truth, we will not be deceived, and we will be filled with the gospel and the fruit of the Spirit and will preach it.

 

There are a few other aspects of truth to consider.

 

It is an absolute term; there are no “maybes” about it. Because it is absolute, it must be lived, declared, preached, and proclaimed. It is not up for discussion.

 

Truth required dogmatism. When the first-grade teacher writes the letter “A” on the board, she does not say to the students, “I think that this is possibly, maybe, ‘A.’” No! She is dogmatic about it. “This is ‘A.’”

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